Development Specialist

Reports to: Development Director

Direct reports: None

Driver Status: Personal Vehicle (must have a valid Wisconsin driver’s license, an acceptable

driving record, and adequate auto insurance coverage)

Primary Location: Administration, 909 E. North Avenue, Milwaukee 53212

Pay: $64,500

Mission: COA Youth & Family Centers nurtures children, supports families, and builds strong and resilient communities – one child, one family, one community at a time.

Summary: The Development Specialist is responsible for the management, research, writing, and reporting of COA’s grant portfolio. This role focuses on grant management (80%) while providing essential administrative and operational support (20%) to ensure the Development Department runs efficiently. The ideal candidate is a meticulous project manager who can balance persuasive writing with high-level administrative tasks.

This is a full-time, year-round position that is eligible for benefits. Benefits include generous paid time off, health plans (medical, dental, vision), life insurance, Employee Assistance Program, 403(b) retirement plan, 11 paid holidays, and a great working environment.

Main Job Responsibilities

Grants Management (80%)

• Maintain and build a comprehensive annual grant calendar and checklist to ensure 100% on-time submission of all proposals and reports.
• Draft, edit, and submit high-quality grant applications and letters of intent tailored to foundation and corporate requirements. Provide at least 72 business hours for the executive director to review and sign prior to the submission deadline.
• Complete accurate and timely reports for awarded grants, collaborating with program staff and the finance team to gather data and success stories. Facilitate cross-department award notification to fulfill grant requirements.
• Proactively identify and vet new foundation and corporate prospects to meet the goals established in the annual collaborative budgeting process.
• Provide monthly reports detailing the status of submitted and pending applications.
• Coordinate meetings with foundation representatives on behalf of the development director and executive director. Ensure foundation portals are kept up to date.

Administrative Support (20%)

• Provide general administrative support for the development department including filing, managing development-related correspondence, and preparing materials for mass mailings, etc.
• Attend agency events to represent the organization and assist with logistics, registration, or donor engagement as needed.Cross-train on daily gift receipting and the generation of personalized acknowledgement letters to ensure donors are thanked promptly.
• Cross-train on CRM (Little Green Light) to maintain clean donor records and data integrity.

Qualifications

Education / Knowledge / Experience 

• Bachelor’s Degree in related field, at least five years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and development, preferably with significant foundation/grant experience or a combination of education and experience.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, and CRMs (COA currently uses Little Green Light).
• Ability to pull, analyze, and interpret data, with specific attention to giving trends and donor opportunities.
• Creation and oversight of an annual grant calendar and plan.
• Must be at least 23 years old with a valid driver’s license with a driving record and auto insurance meeting COA’s requirements.

Skills / Personal Qualities / Attitude

• Embody COA Values with a passion for serving others.
• Effective interpersonal skills to develop strong working relationships. Cultural competency. Respect for diversity of all types.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and administrative skills; extremely detail oriented.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from staff, volunteers, donors, community leaders, and the public.

Physical Requirements I Working Conditions

The physical requirements for this position are the ability to:

• Climb stairs.
• Sit and stand for long periods of time
• Work with and in front of a computer for extended periods of time

The work environment is mainly a collaborative office environment. This position also requires occasional evening and weekend work.

These characteristics described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential job functions.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

The above is intended to describe the general content and requirements of this job. It is not meant to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. In other words, other duties as assigned.