About Us

Libraries Without Borders (LWB US) is an education nonprofit that brings the 21st-century library and its resources to underserved communities nationwide. We partner with public libraries, schools, and local organizations to transform public spaces into places of lifelong learning—from basic reading, writing, and computer skills to health, legal, and financial literacy.

Since 2015 we have created out-of-classroom learning opportunities in laundromats, low-income housing co-ops, public parks and community gardens, houses of worship, and community centers. Everywhere we work, we connect people to the vital information they need to live, work, learn, and play.

A branch of Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (BSF), LWB US is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and oversees all work in the United States. Our programs have won numerous awards, including the Google Impact Challenge and the Library of Congress International Literacy Award.

About the Role

A new position in the organization, the Director of Development will have the opportunity to shape fundraising and development strategies to meet the needs of the organization. With a current operating budget of $1.7 million, the Director will be responsible for identifying long-term and sustainable revenue sources, including but not limited to individual giving campaigns, multi-year unrestricted operating grants, corporate partnerships, and multi-year public contracts.

In this leadership role, the Director will work in strategic partnership with the LWB US leadership and Board of Directors to define fundraising philosophy and goals for the organization. The Director will manage relationships with individual donors, foundations, and public entities.

Who We’re Looking For

LWB US seeks a strategic, adaptable, detail-oriented, and people-centered leader with a demonstrated commitment to racial and economic justice. Candidates should have demonstrated success identifying potential donors and supporters, managing donor relationships, developing corporate partnerships, and earning public dollars. The Director’s experience should be relevant to projects in education and learning, literacy, and social justice.

Qualifications

●  Demonstrated commitment to social, racial, and economic justice.

●  Lived or professional experience working with priority communities, partners, and stakeholders

●  5-10 years of experience in development and fundraising, including demonstrated success in at least two of the following: individual donor prospecting; the pursuit of grant funding; the pursuit of public funding opportunities; and developing corporate partnerships.

●  Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively interact with senior leadership, staff, Board, and stakeholders.

●  Familiarity with donor management software and systems (Classy, Salesforce, etc.)

●  Strategic mindset and willingness to innovate and adapt development strategy to the needs of a

growing, changing organization.

 

Work Location

●  The majority of LWB US staff are currently working remotely; the Director of Development would be expected to travel to the main office for meetings as well as to funded project areas and to meet with donors, as needed.

●  The Director of Development position can be remote or based in the LWB US office in Washington, D.C., however, some preference may be given to qualified individuals located in or near major urban centers in the Northeast, including but not limited to Washington D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston.

 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

● Libraries Without Borders is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strive to be a workplace where people thrive by being themselves and are inspired to do their best work every day. We would like to see our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion reflected in the candidate pool for this vital position.

 

Responsibilities

Fundraising

●  Oversee ongoing and new public and private grants from application to reporting, as well as identify new federal, state, and local funding opportunities.

●  Identify and cultivate a network of individual donors, with the goal of identifying, securing, renewing, and increasing financial support.

●  Create and implement corporate and private sector partnership strategies.

●  Plan special events, online and in-person, and other opportunities to grow individual donor networks

and increase support for LWB US.

 

Strategy

● Collaborate with Executive Director, and Board of Directors to create and execute a development strategy that increases donor awareness and LWB US revenue streams.

 

Board Development

●  Liaise with the Board of Directors and keep members apprised of the organization’s development efforts through periodic reports and updates.

●  Identify and recruit new members of the Board of Directors.

 

Management

● Manage growing development team, currently, a Development Associate, including but not limited to setting and tracking goals; developing processes and systems that enhance donor communication; and supporting fundraising best practices.

 

What We Offer

●  $90,000-$100,000 (commensurate with experience)

●  Benefits: Health insurance (including dental, mental health, vision)

●  Vacation: 20 days of PTO (including sick days), plus public holidays and the final week of December

●  Work from home: generous annual stipend to cover remote work costs

●  Professional development: generous annual stipend

 

Timeline

●  Applications will be accepted until May 2, 2022

●  Anticipated start date: June 2022

 

Please note:

● Bilingual (English/French) candidates are preferred but not required.

 

Interested?

Please send an email with the subject line “Director of Development” to jobs@librarieswithoutborders.us with the following information:

●  Resume (1 page)

●  Cover letter (1 page)

●  Writing sample (2 pages)

Apply online here

Submit specified application materials to jobs@librarieswithoutborders.us.