Senior Development Writer

About the role

Thanks for your interest in Success Academy! Running a large, fast-growing, and high-performing network of public charter schools takes a village - families, children, teachers, staff and faculty, advocates, and supporters alike. We are growing fast in New York and expanding to Florida, and we would love to welcome you to our community! We work tirelessly every day to ensure children have access to a fun, rigorous, whole-child education regardless of zip code or economic status. When you join SA, you play a part in giving every student who walks through our doors a fair shot at reaching his or her potential. Job Summary: Reporting to the Leader, External Relations and serving as a key member of the Advancement team, the Senior Development Writer advances the mission of Success Academy Charter Schools (SA) by authoring and/or editing compelling philanthropic narratives and other copy used in major and principal gift/grant proposals, solicitation materials for mid-level and direct response giving, stewardship reports/materials, bespoke donor correspondence, and similar documents - often writing on behalf of others. The incumbent will engage with executives and other team members to clearly articulate Success Academy's mission and impact through compelling and often bespoke storytelling and stewardship that inspires ever-increasing generosity among donors, institutional funders, and prospective supporters. The Development Writer is a proactive, confident self-starter that thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment that values results. They are persistent and driven to succeed in advancing efforts to expand and retain a robust, engaged community of individual and institutional donors that enable SA to meet or exceed its ambitious goals to reinvent public education. Success in this role will require the following qualities: Self-motivated, self-sufficient, and driven to lead and collaborate with others to achieve success Detail-oriented and analytical Strategic, proactive, and forward-thinking Persuasive, outgoing, and confident with exceptional communication skills Possesses the highest standards of personal and professional integrity; and adheres to and promotes SA's mission, culture, and strategic priorities. Essential Functions: Content Development: Writing and Editing Brings the Success Academy story to life through compelling content that fosters engagement and inspires philanthropic support. Writes and edits a significant volume of compelling and persuasive fundraising proposals, case for support and solicitation materials, and stewardship assets. Develops, adapts, and customizes content that clearly outlines funding priorities and expected outcomes. Ensures content is consistent in tone, style, and messaging, and aligned with SA priorities and aspirations. Authors/edits bespoke donor correspondence. Works closely with executives and members of the Advancement team to craft effective and compelling storytelling with fidelity to SA standards of excellence. Partners with Advancement colleagues in developing compelling content for deployment across various donor constituencies, segments, and platforms in service for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship objectives. This includes serving as a resource to evaluate the writing of others. Ensures that the department's editorial content is consistent with SA standards of excellence and quality and executed with precision, accuracy, and expedience. Authors/edits donor newsletters and other updates to deepen engagement and advance fundraising and stewardship objectives. Occasionally assists with the creation/editing of select content for special events, website updates, and digital/direct response appeals. Stewardship In close collaboration with CAO and Leader, External Relations, helps to coordinate bespoke communications with principal donors and other VIPs. Drafts customized gift acknowledgements consistent with established protocols for major and principal gifts. Assists Development team with implementing donor-specific stewardship plans and action and provides content to support these work streams. Contributes significantly to the writing/editing of bespoke donor reports (in collaboration with CAO/Development team), including the annual Impact Report. Collaborates with others across the organization to gather stories and data, translating them into impactful content that showcases scholar and other SA achievements and demonstrates the impact of philanthropic gifts. Maintains record of distributed donor communications in donor database of record for reference by Advancement team. Content Management and Project Management Creates, develops, and proactively shares content that supports donor engagement and fundraising efforts and ensures consistent and meaningful messaging across platforms, tools, and messengers to support organizational priorities. Integrates Advancement communication strategies with broader SA commun