About Read Ahead
Read Ahead is dedicated to helping New York City youth strengthen the literacy and
social-emotional skills they need to thrive in school and beyond. Read Ahead’s vision is that our
students have the opportunity to unlock their full potential through mentoring relationships based
on a love of reading.
Since 1991, Read Ahead has connected public elementary school students with caring mentors
from leading corporate and community partners. During weekly virtual sessions, mentors and
mentees read together, discuss books and their lives, and engage in fun and educational games
and activities. Read Ahead sessions are designed to help children grow their confidence, love of
reading, literacy skills, and other skills essential for success. For more information, please visit
readahead.org.
With the recent development of our hybrid program and our anti-racism and anti-oppression
commitments, Read Ahead has an opportunity to deepen our impact for students. We are
committed to ongoing improvement as an organization, and are eager to take bold new steps to
create better outcomes for the students, families, and schools we serve.
About the Senior Manager, Individual Giving & Events (SMIGE)
Read Ahead seeks a driven, organized, and entrepreneurial member to join our Development &
Communications team. The SMIGE plays a key role in Read Ahead’s fundraising and marketing
success, working to collectively meet or exceed Read Ahead’s $2M+ annual budget. This role
may be a great fit for you if you:
- Have experience with peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns and / or coordinating smaller
fundraising events, and are eager to take on more responsibility
- Are a strong relationship builder, and enjoy working with fellow staff members,
volunteers, and donors alike
- Have great project planning skills, and the ability to hold yourself and others accountable
for executing to results
- Have excellent communication skills, both written and oral
- Are committed to educational equity and literacy as a fundamental right, and want to
contribute to a growing organization working in support of New York City public schools
This position reports to the Managing Director, Development & Communications (MDDC). This
is a hybrid position, with in-person work required in our downtown Manhattan office, midtown
corporate partner offices, and occasional travel to our school partners in Manhattan, Brooklyn,
and Queens.
Responsibilities
Fundraising
- Drive success in Read Ahead’s signature peer-to-peer fundraising events and
campaigns, including #GivingTuesday, NYC marathon and half marathon events, and
the Junior Board annual spring fundraiser
- Develop tailored campaign messaging and collateral, support and engage peer-to-peer
fundraisers, monitor and evaluate campaign progress, and adjust strategies as needed
to ensure goals are met
- Lead the development of new online campaigns and/ or fundraising events designed to
engage new or lapsed donors, including inspiring Read Ahead’s volunteer network to
donate or fundraise on behalf of Read Ahead
Relationship Management & Donor Stewardship
- Serve as the primary point of contact and relationship manager for Read Ahead’s Junior
Board, including developing an annual engagement strategy (in collaboration with the
MDDC), planning and leading virtual and hybrid meetings, and liaising with committee
leads and co-chairs
- Serve as the primary relationship manager for Read Ahead’s marathon and
half-marathon teams, from annual runner recruitment through post-race recognition and
stewardship
- Increase donor retention by designing cultivation, recognition, and stewardship plans for
event donors and other key stakeholder groups, including the Junior Board, marathon
and half marathon teams, and volunteers
- In collaboration with the Development & Communications team, build a strategy and
marketing plan to retain event donors and increase volunteer giving and fundraising
engagement
Event Planning & Production
- Drive success for the Junior Board’s in-person spring event, including project planning,
coordination with Junior Board committee members, logistics, vendor management, and
guest management
- Oversee event planning, logistics, and production for 4+ volunteer events for groups of
25 - 75 corporate volunteers
- Manage all aspects of event production on other assigned events by serving as primary
point of contact for vendors, venues, and event consultants
- Provide key support for Read Ahead’s annual gala by leading silent auction logistics and
collaborating with the MDDC on other aspects of event production
Marketing & Communications
- Develop compelling social media, blog, and email content for campaigns and events by
writing posts, selecting photos and/ or designing infographics, and supporting team
members across the organization to identify great stories and contribute content
- Draft content for online fundraising campaigns, write donor acknowledgement and
stewardship letters, and ghost write emails and other communications for board
members and Read Ahead leadership
- Lead the annual application process for marathon and half marathon slots
- In collaboration with the Development & Communications team, help identify and
develop strategic marketing plans for prospective donors
Operations & Management
- In collaboration with the Development & Communications team, ensure timely and
accurate donor, gift, and acknowledgement information is entered into the CRM
database (Bloomerang), and ensure accurate monthly / quarterly / annual financial
reporting for campaigns and events that fall into the SMIGE’s portfolio of responsibilities
- In collaboration with the Development & Communications team, monitor and report on
donations during campaigns and events and oversee corporate matching fund follow-up
- Oversee budget and expenses for specific campaigns and events, ensuring that funds
are spent wisely and stay within budget
- Be an active and engaged collaborator in Read Ahead’s organization-wide efforts to
advance our DEIB goals, including ensuring that all project plans and outcomes are
aligned with DEIB goals
Preferred Qualifications
- Passion for Read Ahead’s mission
- 4+ years of experience in a nonprofit fundraising or marketing role
- Commitment to anti-racism and equity in your work and communications
- Practices a growth mindset, along with a deep commitment to genuine learning and
self-improvement for self and others
- Comfort, familiarity and/or interest in working on a small team
- Skilled listener, with the ability to understand diverse stakeholder perspectives, and tailor
messaging accordingly
- A proven track record of building strong relationships internally and externally
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills across a variety of platforms including
marketing collateral, donor outreach letters, grants, and social media
- Strategic thinker, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects,
maintain strong attention to detail, meet deadlines, and exceed fundraising goals
- Ability to learn & leverage technology including Google Suite, fundraising CRM
databases, and online donations platforms. Prior experience with Bloomerang, Qgiv, and
/ or Canva a strong plus
We seek to build a diverse staff representative of the communities we serve. Even successful
candidates may not have all of the preferred qualifications indicated above; if you are excited
about the role, believe you can successfully fulfill its responsibilities, and don’t have every
single preferred qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway.
Hybrid Work Policy
As an organization that partners with New York City public schools, afterschool service
providers, families, corporate partners, and other stakeholders, Read Ahead recognizes that
in-person work is required to achieve our mission.
The following requires adjustment based on the expectations and needs of the role:
The SMIGE will typically work approximately 2-3 days/week in-person to perform essential job
responsibilities but may work up to 5 days/week in-person during busy times of the year, with a
schedule determined by organizational needs and approved by the MDDC. Essential in-person
responsibilities for this role include, but are not limited to: meetings, regularly scheduled in-office
days, and events. This role requires occasional evening hours for meetings and special events.
In addition to the essential in-person job responsibilities described above, this role also includes
other essential functions which may be performed remotely.
Salary and Benefits
Annual salary is $85,000.
Highly competitive benefits package:
- 90% general healthcare insurance coverage (employee pays 10%)
- 100% dental insurance coverage (no cost to employee)
- vision insurance
- $3,000 annual employer-funded HRA
- eligibility to contribute to 403(b) with up to a 3% match by Read Ahead for all employees
who are employed on the last day of the calendar year (12/31)
- pre-tax transit program
- pre-tax FSA plan
- 3 weeks (15 days) paid vacation in first year of employment; 4 weeks (20 days) annual
paid vacation after that; vacation accrues monthly
- 10 sick days and 3 personal days per year
- Read Ahead is closed between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day each year and for all
federal holidays
Read Ahead is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe in compensating staff members
fairly and take internal and external equity seriously. Given our commitment to equity, Read
Ahead does not negotiate salary offers; instead, each salary offer is determined carefully using
external and internal benchmarking. You will have an opportunity to discuss benefits in more
detail during the hiring process.
How to apply
Please submit a resume to Ariel Grace, Managing Director, Development & Communications, at
www.readahead.org/join-our-team/apply. In lieu of a cover letter, please include brief (1-2
paragraphs, maximum) answers to the following questions along with your resume:
- Highlight one event or fundraising campaign that you were a part of and explain how you
contributed to its success
- What aspect of the role represents the most significant area of growth for you? Please
share why this is of interest to you
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. No phone calls, please.
Read Ahead provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and
applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or
expression, age, national origin, alienage, citizenship or immigration disability, pregnancy,
marital and civil partnership/union status, familial status, military or veteran status, genetic
information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, status as a victim of domestic violence,
sexual violence or stalking, arrest or conviction record to the extent required by applicable law,
sexual and reproductive health decisions, caregiver status, unemployment status, credit history,
height, weight or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, and local law.
