Communications & Development Manager

Benefits:

• Employee discounts
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Opportunity for advancement
• Training & development
• Vision insurance

Job title: Communications & Development Manager

Reports to: Director of Strategic Relationships & Partnerships

Location: Renton, Washington

Status: Full-time, Non-exempt

Work Model: On-site

Salary: $34.61 - $37.50 hourly ($72,000–$78,000 annually)

Key to Change's mission is to inspire underserved youth through world‑class music instruction and support their development as self‑aware leaders. As a nonprofit music education organization, Key to Change provides violin and viola instruction, performance opportunities, mentorship, leadership development, and educational experiences designed to help young people develop confidence, discipline, artistry, and a greater sense of possibility for their futures. We believe excellence matters not only in what we provide our students, but also in how we communicate, build relationships, serve our community, and steward the people who invest in our mission.

The Communications & Development Manager plays a central role in how Key to Change tells its story, builds relationships, raises funds, and turns audience interest into meaningful action.

This position combines strategic communications execution, digital engagement, fundraising communications, lead management, donor engagement, and development support. The Communications and Development Manager will manage systems that help move individuals from initial awareness and interest toward deeper engagement, whether that means making a donation, attending an event, enrolling in a program, responding to outreach, or building a longer‑term relationship with Key to Change.

This position will also help manage the organization’s engagement and development pipeline. This includes identifying and following up on prospective donors and other warm leads, executing annual giving and small‑dollar fundraising activities, maintaining accurate information in Salesforce, supporting donor stewardship, and tracking whether communications and outreach result in meaningful engagement. The successful candidate understands the difference between distributing information and inspiring action.

They know how audience, storytelling, emotion, urgency, relevance, trust, segmentation, timing, repetition, and strong calls to action influence whether someone simply reads a communication or decides to act.

The successful candidate will learn our mission, programs, organizational voice, and approach to community engagement by collaborating with the Executive Director, Social Media Associate, and other staff to create an integrated pipeline from awareness to engagement to conversion to long‑term relationship.

The Director of Strategic Relationships and Partnerships sets overall development strategy and provides direction on major donor relationships, fundraising priorities, and external partnerships. The Communications & Development Manager is responsible for translating that strategy into excellent communications, organized execution, consistent follow‑up, and measurable results.

This is not an entry‑level position. We are looking for someone who already knows how to produce polished professional communications and take ownership of day‑to‑day execution with limited editorial oversight.

The Communications & Development Manager will primarily own:

• External written communications
• Email and e-newsletter execution
• Website content
• Fundraising and engagement campaigns
• Audience segmentation and communication workflows
• Lead and prospect follow‑up systems
• Salesforce data quality and activity tracking
• Annual giving and small‑dollar development activities
• Donor stewardship communications
• Campaign reporting and performance analysis
• Coordination between communications and development activities

The Director of Strategic Relationships & Partnerships will retain primary responsibility for:

• Overall development strategy
• Major gift strategy and solicitation
• Mid‑level and major donor relationships
• Institutional and corporate relationships
• High‑level prospect strategy
• Stra…