Development Manager

Read Better Be Better; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 57,500 - 80,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work-from-Home Fridays

Generous Paid-Time Off and Holidays

Health, Dental, and Vision insurance

Short-Term Disability, Accident Plan,

Professional Development

Casual Dress Code

Sabbatical Benefit Policy

Job summary

Read Better Be Better is seeking a highly organized Development Manager to lead fundraising operations, grants management, funder communications, and Development workflows from our Phoenix, Arizona office.

This role focuses on managing a portfolio of funding opportunities, maintaining grants calendars, coordinating proposals across teams, writing donor materials, and reporting on revenue performance to advance our literacy mission.

Qualifications

• Experience in nonprofit fundraising, grant writing, development operations, donor relations, project management, or a related field
• Experience managing complex projects, workflows, deadlines, or cross‑functional processes with strong ownership and follow‑through
• Experience writing, editing, coordinating, or supporting grants, proposals, reports, sponsorship requests, donor communications, or similar external‑facing materials
• Experience using CRM systems, donor databases, project trackers, spreadsheets, or similar tools to manage records, deadlines, and activity tracking
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong organization, process management, attention to detail, and follow‑through skills
• Ability to build and maintain professional relationships with donors, funders, partners, clients, volunteers, or other external stakeholders
• Commitment to Read Better Be Better's mission, vision, values, and equity‑driven culture
• Valid Arizona driver's license, or ability to obtain prior to start
• Valid IVP fingerprint clearance card, or ability to obtain prior to start, and successful completion of a Department of Child Safety Central Registry check

Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned portfolio of foundation, institutional, corporate, individual, multi‑year, and other funding opportunities
• Own and maintain the grants calendar and funding pipeline, ensuring deadlines, reporting requirements, renewal opportunities, assigned owners, and follow‑up actions are accurately tracked
• Coordinate grant and proposal workflows across the full grant lifecycle, including opportunity review, submission, compliance monitoring, reporting, stewardship, and renewal
• Write, edit, and project‑manage grant proposals, sponsorship requests, renewal materials, donor communications, funder reports, and other Development‑related materials
• Track portfolio performance, funding progress, proposal status, reporting deadlines, and revenue risks; prepare timely updates, summaries, and reports
• Coordinate with Development team members, grant‑writing support, and cross‑functional partners to support shared fundraising priorities, deadlines, and funder outcomes
• Research and identify prospective funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities

Job description

Job Title: Development Manager

Work hours: Full-time

Salary Range: $57,500–$80,500/year

FLSA Status: Exempt

About the Organization

Read Better Be Better is a nonprofit organization based in Phoenix, Arizona, founded in 2014 as a response to the state's literacy crisis. Our mission is to equip youth with the skills to read and lead. Our vision is a world in which empowered communities demand equitable access to foundational skills. Our values are simple – Be Excellent, Be Kind!

Job Summary

Read Better Be Better is seeking a highly organized, mission‑driven Development Manager to support fundraising, grant management, funder communications, and Development operations.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys creating structure, managing complex projects, tracking deadlines, improving systems, and moving important work forward across teams. The Development Manager will manage an assigned fundraising portfolio while also serving as a key operational lead for grants, funding pipelines, reporting workflows, and cross‑functional coordination.

What You'll Do: Top Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned portfolio of foundation, institutional, corporate, individual, multi‑year, and other funding opportunities


• Own and maintain the grants calendar and funding pipeline, ensuring deadlines, reporting requirements, renewal opportunities, assigned owners, and follow‑up actions are accurately tracked


• Coordinate grant and proposal workflows across the full grant lifecycle, including opportunity review, submission, compliance monitoring, reporting, stewardship, and renewal


• Write, edit, and project‑manage grant proposals, sponsorship requests, renewal materials, donor communications, funder reports, and other Development‑related materials


• Track portfolio performance, funding progress, proposal status, reporting deadlines, and revenue risks; prepare timely updates, summaries, and reports


• Coordinate with Development team members, grant‑writing support, and cross‑functional partners to support shared fundraising priorities, deadlines, and funder outcomes


• Research and identify prospective funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities

What This Role Will Focus On

The Development Manager will help keep Development work organized, timely, and moving forward. This includes managing deadlines, maintaining funding pipeline visibility, coordinating information from internal teams, supporting donor and funder communications, improving Development systems, and ensuring grants, reports, renewals, and follow‑up items are completed accurately and on time.

This role is both mission‑centered and operations‑heavy. The right candidate is deeply committed to literacy, education equity, and community impact, and enjoys the systems, tracking, writing, coordination, and follow‑through that make fundraising work successful.

Key Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Experience in nonprofit fundraising, grant writing, development operations, donor relations, project management, or a related field


• Experience managing complex projects, workflows, deadlines, or cross‑functional processes with strong ownership and follow‑through


• Experience writing, editing, coordinating, or supporting grants, proposals, reports, sponsorship requests, donor communications, or similar external‑facing materials


• Experience using CRM systems, donor databases, project trackers, spreadsheets, or similar tools to manage records, deadlines, and activity tracking


• Strong written and verbal communication skills


• Strong organization, process management, attention to detail, and follow‑through skills


• Ability to build and maintain professional relationships with donors, funders, partners, clients, volunteers, or other external stakeholders


• Commitment to Read Better Be Better's mission, vision, values, and equity‑driven culture


• Valid Arizona driver's license, or ability to obtain prior to start


• Valid IVP fingerprint clearance card, or ability to obtain prior to start, and successful completion of a Department of Child Safety Central Registry check

Preferred Qualifications:

• Five or more years of experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, grant writing, or a related field


• Experience managing a fundraising, grant, donor, sponsorship, sales, business development, or relationship‑management portfolio


• Experience using Salesforce


• Experience with grant budgets, funder reporting, fundraising metrics, revenue tracking, or impact reporting


• Experience in nonprofit, education, youth‑serving, or community‑based organizations

Work Environment & Schedule

Work Environment & Schedule:

• Full‑time position


• In‑person at Read Better Be Better's Phoenix office


• Some work may take place at external events or community locations


• Occasional evening or weekend work may be required for fundraising activities, events, deadlines, or organizational priorities

Benefits

Benefits:

• Work‑from‑Home Fridays


• Generous Paid‑Time Off and Paid Holidays


• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance with HSA plans available


• Short‑Term Disability, Accident Plan, and Life Insurance


• Professional Development


• Casual Dress Code at the office


• Sabbatical Benefit Policy


• See the Full‑Time Employee Benefits One‑Page Summary

Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Contact [e-mail].

Equal‑Opportunity Mandate

Read Better Be Better is an Equal‑Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non‑disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. See the RBBB Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Statement on the website.