Director of Fund Development

Loving Venti, LLC. is a consulting practice, specifically focused on small-to-medium sized nonprofits, that fills organizational cracks so that nonprofits can serve to their fullest capacity. We do this by helping nonprofits improve operations, create alignment, and empower their staff/volunteers to fulfill its mission through a people-centered approach. www.LovingVenti.com

Our employees embrace Loving Venti’s guiding principles. We believe that our partners, our work, and our team thrive when we strive for meaningful impact, communicate with clarity, adapt with resilience, honor each other’s contributions, lead with intention, and find joy in the journey.

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced, people-centered Director of Fund Development to join our growing team. This leadership role oversees all fund development projects, focusing on grant writing and strategic fundraising for our nonprofit partners. The Director will allocate 30% to internal operations and 70% of their time to direct support for partners. This hybrid position requires travel throughout the Greater Milwaukee area, with flexibility to work from home and visit partner sites as needed.

Position Details

• The Director of Fund Development will report to the CEO.
• Compensation is hourly at $35 per hour for 25-40 hours per week determined during the interview process, dependent on employee availability and the needs of Loving Venti. The expectation is that hours will remain consistent. It includes 3 weeks of pro-rated PTO and 11 pro-rated flexible paid holidays.
• This is a hybrid role with in-person staff and partner meetings; it requires your own transportation for regional travel.
• There is a 6-month employment probationary period.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy & Leadership

• • Collaborate with the CEO and leadership team, including the Directors of Culture & Strategy and Process Design, to shape and drive fund development strategies.
  • Develop and manage a comprehensive grants and development calendar for Loving Venti and our nonprofit partners.
  • Oversee fundraising efforts across partner projects, ensuring alignment with partner missions and strategic objectives.

• Internal Funding Operations & Oversight: 30%

• • Fund Management: Assist in the development of the Loving Venti’s fundraising efforts to create a development plan and grants calendar that is reviewed throughout the year.

• • • Oversee the proposal process for new nonprofit partners, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and smooth onboarding.
    • Document project processes and templates, providing consistency and quality control in all grant-related services.
  • Administration
    • Comprehend, review and support the proposal process for new nonprofit partners, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and smooth onboarding.
    • Document project processes and templates, providing consistency and quality control in all grant-related services.

• • Strategic Counsel:

• • • Support and collaborate on projects with the Loving Venti staff team.

• • • Support and collaborate on projects with subcontractors and consultants in the Loving Venti brand, ensuring consistency across all projects.

• External Funding Operations & Fundraising Services: 70%

• • Fundraising Oversight: Lead the development and execution of fundraising strategies for nonprofit partners, overseeing all fund development projects.
  • Strategic Counsel: Serve as the key point of contact to work with nonprofit clients creating comprehensive annual fundraising plans, including strategies for individual giving, grants, corporate sponsorships, and events.
  • Fundraising Support: Provide direct support to 3-6 partner projects at any given time.

• • Grant Writing, Research & Administration:

• • • Grant Readiness:

• • • • Assist partners in becoming grant-ready by ensuring they have the proper systems and organizational structures in place.

• • • • Assist in the development and maintenance of content libraries with specifics to their organization and grant histories for nonprofit partners.
      • Coordinate with nonprofit partner contacts for grant proposal inputs and feedback.
      • Research prospective public and private grants and corporate sponsorship opportunities for all nonprofit partners.
    • Grant Writing:
      • Guide clients through the grant writing process, from identifying opportunities to drafting and submitting applications for public, private, and corporate funding.
      • Write grants for nonprofit partners as assigned.

• • • Grant Administration:

• • • • Submit proposals to nonprofit partners for approval within the stated deadlines.

• • • • Maintain a grants calendar of multiple projects and partners simultaneously (Asana).
      • Format and upload supporting grant materials into online foundation/grants software portals and/or when required, create hard copy versions for mailing and distribution.
      • Write and prepare supporting grant reports when applicable.
  • Content Writer: Create donor engagement tools including newsletter content, donor communications, and campaign materials.

• • Donor Database Management:

• • • Work collaboratively with the Director of Process Design to ensure day-to-day donor engagement for ongoing nonprofit clients including gift entry, acknowledgment processes, and relationship management.
    • Work collaboratively with the Director of Process Design to provide administration of donor database and fundraising platforms (Little Green Light and partner-specific systems) including data syncing across multiple programs (Excel, hard copy, Quick Books) with the clients’ and Loving Venti internal platforms.

Skills and Abilities

• Communication:  Grant/Content writers must be excellent written and verbal communicators, including proficiency in proofreading and editing. Strong skills in phone and email communication is required.
• Organization: Grant writers must be highly organized and detail-oriented.
• Technologically Proficient: While experience with some or all of the technology platforms that we use is ideal, including Google for Nonprofits and/or Business, Asana, Dubsado, QuickBooks, Little Green Light CRM, Canva or Photoshop, Microsoft Office Suite, WordPress, Calendry, Fluxx Grantseeker, etc., we are willing to train the right candidate. However, the ability to embrace and learn new technology quickly is an absolute must.

• Seasoned Leadership: This position will require an ability to be part of a leadership team and oversee other Loving Venti staff members so experience in management and supervision is needed.

Knowledge and/or Professional Experience Preferred

• Experience in nonprofits, business, communications, public relations and/or journalism preferred.
• Flexibility and self-directedness with a bias toward action are key attributes of the ideal candidate.
• Success working in a virtual environment.

Additional Details

• Technology (computer, telephone and high-speed internet) is not provided by Loving Venti and must be provided by the employee.
• Attendance at staff meetings with the entire Loving Venti team is mandatory
• As assigned by the CEO, other limited and varying tasks will be requested and required of the Director of Fund Development at times as this position supports a developing and expanding consulting firm.