Job Summary:
Under the supervision of the Director, Development Strategy, the Development Writer & Editor is responsible for preparing sophisticated, compelling, high-quality grant proposals, reports, presentations, letters of intent, fundraising materials and other communications for executive leadership and RD staff to cultivate and solicit individual donors, corporations and foundations. The Development Writer & Editor will work across departments and with RD staff to help grow BGCA’s fundraising capacity by enhancing solicitation materials and communications with existing and prospective donors.

Duties and Responsibilities:
• Prepare compelling, high quality grant proposals, reports, letters of intent, acknowledgments, presentations, email solicitations, campaign materials and other communications as requested by the Director, Development Strategy, executive leadership and Resource Development staff. A strong emphasis is on proposal writing.
• Apply critical thinking skills to develop sophisticated proposals and persuasive presentations that will help BGCA secure transformational gifts and support from donors with six and seven-figure capacity to give.
• Work in collaboration with subject matter experts to strategically plan, draft and package high-impact funding opportunities into the most effective form that best describes the value proposition, positioning and competitive advantages of BGCA.
• Prepare concise and compelling talking points and briefs to support donor solicitations.
• Work with editors, designers, and other sources to ensure documents are professional, visually compelling and adhere to BGCA marketing standards.
• Provide skilled editorial assistance and strategic recommendations to the Resource Development staff. Edit and proofread drafts of proposals, reports, presentations, and other material as requested.
• Acquire and maintain sound knowledge and understanding of the organization, its mission, values, strategic goals, and programs to develop persuasive, outcome-driven proposals and compelling donor materials.
• Collect and synthesize information, conduct research, analyze and interpret BGCA data for proposals, reports, etc., utilizing BGCA files, databases and electronic resources.
• Maintain a collaborative working relationship with resource development staff and with other departments of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the Director, Development Strategy.
• Demonstrate BGCA mission driven values of integrity, excellence and inclusion and integrate into work environment and ways of work.

Qualifications:

Education:
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, English or related field.

Experience:
• Three to five years of experience with a demonstrated track-record of success in proposal writing and donor communications.
• Writing experience may include proposals, grants, sales presentations or business plans.
• Strong emphasis on conceptualizing funding opportunities and developing winning proposal solicitations without a template application.

Skills:
• Strong written communication skills (creative and persuasive) with a track record of creating compelling donor materials and sophisticated business proposals.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, excellent critical thinking skills, and independent decision-making. Demonstrates high standards of ethics and integrity.
• Superior proofreading and editing skills, with a strong command of grammar and meticulous attention to detail.
• Works well under pressure in a demanding, fast paced environment with multiple priorities and urgent deadlines.
• Strong working knowledge of fundraising principles, including methods and resources for proposal research.
• Cross departmental relationship building skills, and strong customer service orientation. Advanced skills in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint).

Environmental and Working Conditions:
• Normal internal office environment; travel estimated at 10% required (can be 2-4 days or more in a month – including weekends - depending upon scheduling requirements).
• The individual selected for this position must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and be able to navigate areas of the country or abroad by using a map or other direction methods.
• Ability to travel by airplane or car.

Physical and Mental Requirements:
• Physical requirements include sight, hearing, sitting for six to eight hours per day and other physical requirements required to perform the essential functions in this position.
• High energy level, comfortable performing multi-faceted projects in conjunction with day-to day activities, good reasoning abilities, sound judgment and the ability to work under tight deadlines.