Development Officer

Organizational Overview

TFL provides quality education for less privileged children by employing, training and placing Lebanon’s top-notch graduates as full time teachers (Fellows) in under-resourced schools while promoting civic engagement in the impoverished regions they are placed in for two consecutive years, in a mission to minimize the educational gap. During their two-year fellowship, TFL Fellows receive ongoing leadership professional development that equips them to become life-long advocates of education equity as alumni of TFL.

Position Summary

Development is one of the critical backbones of TFL as the organization is completely dependent on donations in its current form. The Development Officer needs to be abreast with everything happening in the organization and the education sector through creating and maintaining relationships with team members and external stakeholders. The Development Officer is responsible for building sustainable relationships between private bodies, corporations, foreign entities, governmental bodies and Teach For Lebanon.

The Development Officer is responsible for assisting in the management of the Development Department on both administrative and donor-relationship levels. The Development Officer will be responsible to help raise funds for the operations of TFL by initiating and maintaining relationships with prospects, donors and their organizations.

The Development Officer will be involved in coordinating with the overseas fundraising arm; TFL US, to support in fundraising functions and through providing required related information.

The Development Officer is expected to report to the Development Manager and the Chief Executive Officer.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Meet ambitious development goals
• Identify and cultivate new and existing donors to secure donations from new streams of funding
• Identify and contact event sponsors to reduce costs for relevant TFL operations (caterers, restaurants, printing press…)
• Identify and contact corporations or individuals for pro-bono services
• Manage the development calendar
• Work with the Education and Marketing & Communications Departments to ensure various development events will effectively be implemented
• Ensure exceptional ongoing communication and cultivation of all supporters
• Create presentation materials for funder meetings
• Set up and/or meet with prospective supporters
• Write grant proposals and reports
• Develop a broad external network and profile within the philanthropic and corporate communities
• Work closely with the Development Manager and the Chief Executive Officer to ensure alignment of funding priorities and strategies
• Keep up to date the donor data management system
• Maintain systems for facilitating correspondence with all constituents
• Coordinate mailings to funder and community leaders
• Collect gifts and contributions; send invoices and receipts of donations
• Process donations and updates to funder records in database
• Help with the development of online and offline fundraisers
• Provide administrative support for the Development Manager by planning logistics for external meetings and funding events
• Produce high-quality written communication for funders at all stages of the development process, including letters about the organization’s vision, mission, and strategic priorities; proposals for foundations and corporate prospects; mid-year and end-year reports
• Conduct donor research, cataloging and collecting information and data necessary for grant reports, and updating proposals and supplementary materials
• Build knowledge base of current and potential donors

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required, MA is a plus
• Experience in fundraising and/or NGO operational services
• Education NGOs experience ideal
• English proficiency and Arabic fluency (French is a plus)

Knowledge, Skills and Personal Attributes:

• Identify with the goals of Teach For Lebanon and have a passion for education
• Would like to shape something new and take on leadership responsibilities
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Proven ability to secure funds at similar scale
• Strategic thinking and problem solving skills
• Adaptable to growing, fast-paced, diverse, results-oriented culture
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently and independently
• Communication and relationship-building skills
• Interpersonal and presentation skills
• Commitment to excellence and accuracy, with an ability to make decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Entrepreneurial attitude and innovative spirit
• Positivity and flexibility in the working environment
• Strong work ethic and sense of possibility