Development Manager

Fundraising | Grants | Donor Engagement | Events | Communications

Organization: Village Learning Place

Location: Baltimore, Maryland | Hybrid; regular on-site and local event presence required

Position: Full-time, regular | 40 hours per week | Salaried, exempt

Schedule: Primarily Monday-Friday; occasional evenings and weekends

Salary: $60,000-$65,000 annually, depending on experience

Reports to: Executive Director

Anticipated start: Early October 2026

• Manage individual giving efforts, including annual appeals, monthly giving, donor cultivation, and stewardship plans.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward individual, institutional, corporate, and community supporters through thoughtful outreach, meetings, communications, and events.
• Help plan and carry out fundraising strategies connected to VLP’s 30th anniversary and capital campaign.
• Create donor acknowledgments, fundraising materials, impact updates, and stewardship communications that are timely, specific, and engaging.

• Take responsibility for grant writing and reporting, from planning and drafting through submission and follow-up.
• Research prospective funders and develop clear, persuasive proposals and reports in partnership with program and leadership staff.
• Manage the fundraising calendar, submission process, supporting materials, and reporting requirements so commitments are accurate and deadlines are met.
• Maintain effective grant-writing systems and coordinate development or grant-writing consultants as assigned.

• Plan and execute donor and fundraising events, including Read Between the Wines and anniversary or community-based events developed with staff and volunteer committees.
• Design strategies that deepen engagement with donors, volunteers, alumni, sponsors, and community members.
• Manage development-related communications across our website, newsletters, social media, fundraising campaigns, and event promotion.
• Collaborate with program staff to gather stories, outcomes, and data that demonstrate VLP’s impact and bring the mission to life.

• Maintain accurate donor and prospect records in the donor database and ensure gifts, acknowledgments, and tax receipts are processed and tracked correctly.
• Monitor development metrics and prepare clear progress reports for the Executive Director and other organizational leaders.
• Strengthen relationships with community partners, sponsors, and corporate supporters, and represent VLP at local events and networking opportunities.
• Coordinate fundraising and communications consultants as assigned while keeping priorities, deliverables, and deadlines moving.

• At least three years of relevant experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, donor relations, grant writing, communications, or a closely related field.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with the judgment to turn broad ideas, program information, and data into clear and persuasive messages for different audiences.
• Experience managing multiple projects, deadlines, and details without losing sight of the larger goal.
• Strong verbal communication and relationship-building skills with donors, community members, colleagues, volunteers, and partners.
• Comfort working independently, collaborating across a small team, and shifting priorities when circumstances change.
• Proficiency with common workplace technology and the ability to learn donor databases, project tools, and communications platforms quickly.
• A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.

• Direct experience writing and managing grants; experience with institutional funders is strongly preferred.
• Experience with individual giving, donor stewardship, fundraising events, or development communications.
• Experience supporting a capital campaign, anniversary campaign, or other major fundraising initiative.
• Familiarity with Donor Perfect or another donor/customer relationship management system.
• Knowledge of Baltimore and enthusiasm for building relationships across the city’s nonprofit,…