Development & Communications Specialist

Washington Alliance for Better Schools; Shoreline (WA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement benefits

Job summary

Washington Alliance for Better Schools is seeking a Development & Communications Specialist to craft grant proposals, manage donor projects, and support external communications. The role blends fundraising with content creation, reporting, and CRM stewardship to advance equity in education.

The position is full-time, hybrid in Shoreline, WA, with a Monday–Friday schedule. Salary ranges $70,000–$80,000 plus total compensation benefits, depending on experience.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of development/fundraising and communications experience.
• Experience with digital fundraising platforms (Givebutter, DonorPerfect, etc.).
• Experience with CRM and/or donor management systems (Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge NXT, etc.).
• Experience using Canva and email marketing software.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Develop and submit compelling grant proposals aligned with goals.
• Identify and research public and private funding opportunities at local, state, and federal levels.
• Write and submit grant reports and donor communications.
• Manage donor platforms and digital fundraising pages; ensure data integrity.
• Create donor materials, including emails, thank-you notes, and mailed letters.
• Develop content for fundraising campaigns (socials, photos, videos, emails).
• Analyze metrics to inform development strategy and report outcomes.
• Support CRM implementation and fundraising data entry; assist with events.

Skills

fundraising experience & communication

grant writing

content creation

CRM/donor management

digital fundraising platforms

Tools

Givebutter

DonorPerfect

Salesforce

Raiser’s Edge NXT

Canva

Email marketing tools

Job description

Looking for a role where your fundraising, writing, and communication skills can make a real impact? WABS is seeking a dynamicDevelopment & Communications Specialistto join our team. In this role, you’ll craft compelling content for grants, fundraising campaigns, and external communications. You’ll also support communications strategy, data management, and outcomes reporting for the organization as we measure and share our impact.

Position

Development & Communications Specialist

Schedule

This is a full-time non-exempt 1.0 FTE scheduled 40 hours per week

Salary

$70,000-$80,000 annually (an hourly rate equivalent of $33.65 - $38.46 per hour), depending on experience

Total Compensation Benefits

Estimated at $90,200-$100,200 in total compensation, WABS providesexcellent public sector employee health and retirement benefits, including pension through the School Employee Benefits Board and Department of Retirement Services.

Paid Time Off

This position offers annually: 20 days of paid Vacation, 12 days of paid Sick leave, 13 paid Holidays, and 1 Personal Floating Holiday.

Reports to

Director of Development & Communications

Location

This position offers a hybrid weekly Monday through Friday schedule in-person at our Shoreline office (Tuesday-Friday) and remote (Monday).

Position Close Date

Priority deadline for interviews is October 14, 2026. Applications must be received by October 21, 2026 for consideration.

Organization

Washington Alliance for Better Schools leads a partnership of school districts, industry, and community dedicated to ensuring students furthest from opportunity can pursue a future that embraces their strengths, passions, and dreams.

Vision

Equity in every school. Opportunity for every student.

Mission

We lead a partnership of school districts, industry, and community dedicated to ensuring students furthest from opportunity can pursue a future that embraces their strengths, passions, and dreams.

Core Values

• Engage: We authentically engage with students, families, community, and partners
• Create: We co-create innovative programs and strategies to advance equity for students
• Amplify: We activate and amplify the capacity that exists in people, communities, and systems

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, which requires that we use our collective voice to identify and eliminate institutional barriers that deny equitable access and impact the success of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), and other underserved students.

Responsibilities

• Development (75%)
• Write and submit compelling grant proposals that align with the organization's strategic goals and adhere to funder requirements
• Identify and research potential public and private funding opportunities at the local, state, and federal levels
• Write and submit timely grant reports
• Manage individual giving platforms and digital fundraising pages
• Develop donor stewardship materials, including emails, thank yous, and mailed letters
• Create content for individual giving campaigns, including social media content, photo and video assets, and emails
• Report and analyze key metrics related to the organization’s development efforts, such as grant submissions and outcomes of individual giving campaigns, to inform development strategy
• Support implementation and management of organizational CRM
• Ensure timely entry of all fundraising data to support fundraising reporting and strategy
• Support events management
• Communications (25%)
• Build out an effective communications strategy for the organization in coordination with the Director of Development & Communications
• Develop and manage WABS’ editorial calendar
• Create and manage social media content in collaboration with program staff, partners, and key stakeholders to grow followers and engagement
• Develop quarterly organizational newsletter and support development of Annual Report
• Manage contract photographers and videographers, and work with staff and partners to acquire photos and videos, to build out our photo and video asset library
• Manage website, including content updates
• Develop internal and external marketing materials, including presentations, flyers & documents, in alignment with the organization’s brand identity and messaging
• Report and analyze key metrics related to the organization's communications efforts, such as website traffic and social media engagement, including generating strategies to increase desired metrics.
• Other duties as assigned

Desired Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in development/fundraising and communications
• Experience with digital fundraising platforms (Givebutter, DonorPerfect, etc.)
• Experience with CRM and/or donor management systems (Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge NXT, etc.)
• Experience using Canva
• Experience using email marketing software
• Excellent written and verbal communication for a variety of audiences including families, educators, business & industry leaders, and philanthropic organizations
• Understanding of and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in communications
• Experience with website management
• Familiarity and/or willingness to learn about communications accessibility best-practices
• Familiarity with nonprofits and/or public education

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We believe that to be inclusive, we must go beyond this statement to operationalize anti-racism as a part of our practice and are committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, culture, and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all of our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.