Development Fellow

The mission of The DC Project is to advance economic and environmental justice by creating clean energy careers for people who need them most. The DC Project applies cutting-edge organizing tools and tactics to mobilize community interest in home weatherization, creating economic savings, environmental benefits, and new green jobs.

The DC Project is a "Think+Action Tank", testing and refining community-based demand creation methodology through its anchor program, WeatherizeDC, and developing models that can be replicated incommunities across the nation to ignite the home energy efficiency market andmove closer towards an equitable green economy.

WeatherizeDC, the anchor program of The DC Project, works with hundreds of D.C. residents to mobilize one of America's greatest assets-community leadership-to unlock the promise of the home energy efficiency industry for creating environmental benefits and good green jobs. WeatherizeDC recruits, develops, and trains community leaders and volunteers from neighborhood groups, faith-based networks and campus activists to engage, educate, and activate their communities to convince homeowners to invest in weatherization.

WeatherizeDC identifies homeowners interested in weatherization and passes them along to local home performance contractors, who deliver the home retrofit services.  WeatherizeDC leverages the increased business it creates-through its community organizing efforts-for partnering contractors to ensure that new jobs created translate into career-track, sustainable-wage work for District residents who are most in need of employment.

Position Overview:

The DC Project's Development Department coordinates with senior management in designing and leading the organization's advancement program.  On a day-to-day basis, members of the Development team investigate potential development opportunities, research and write proposals, and communicate with important foundations and donors on behalf of the organization. 

The Development Fellow will support Development department efforts to identify and research potential funders, develop content for proposals, assist with writing and proof-reading documents, track activities in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program; and identify and implement opportunities to cultivate online donations through The DC Project's website and social networking sites.

Qualifications:

• Ability to develop content for grant proposals
• Ability to write and update profiles of funding institutions and other organizations
• Ability to maintain Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program data on donors and funders
• Experience with grant proposal development
• Experience with Salesforce or other CRM
• Experience in researching foundations and individuals
• Strong writing and proof-reading abilities
• Capacity to synthesize large amounts of written information
• Experience/ interest in the intersection between fundraising, new media and social networking

Graduate students who hold a BA or BS in communications, public policy, politics, government, or economics are strongly encouraged to apply.  Individuals who hold a BA or BS in similar areas or graduate degree candidates in other programs may also be qualified.  Exceptional undergraduates with relative academic focus will be considered.

Compensation: Fellowships with The DC Project are unpaid. Previous fellows and interns have received academic credit or work study for their work with the organization. For more information related to this, please direct inquiries to your respective school. If you are not from the Washington, D.C. area, please explore housing options with relatives or friends as soon as possible.  If you are unable to find and fund housing, precluding you from participating in the Fellowship Program, please inform The DC Project via email.

Both full-time and part-time fellows are encouraged to apply. Full-time fellows are expected to work 40 hours a week. Hours and workdays are flexible. Part-time fellows are expected to work 10-20 hours a week. As with full-time fellows, hours and workdays are flexible. Start and end dates are somewhat flexible, with a preference for a September 15 or September 27 start date and acommitment of 2.5 months, or until December 10, 2010.  Please include your availability in your cover letter. 

To Apply:

Applicants should send submit the following (include "Development Fellow" in subject line) no later than September 3rd, 2010:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Writing sample
• 2 or 3 references

Use your application materials to explain your interest inThe DC Project and its mission; please highlight any exposure you have to the Washington, D.C. community and the dates of your availability over the fall.  Your cover letter should explain the skills, experience, and interest that qualify you to fulfill the expectations outlined above.  If you are applying for more than one fellowship with The DC Project, please be sure to rank your interests.