About Us

FreeWorld is a fully remote, tech-enabled, nonprofit organization in the US that helps individuals affected by the justice system obtain high-income careers to end the cycle of recidivism and generational poverty brought on by our country's mass incarceration problem.

At FreeWorld, our mission is to end generational poverty and recidivism through economic mobility. We use a tech-forward approach to get returning citizens (folks with a criminal record) into living wage jobs–at scale. We’re focused on trucking jobs at the moment, but are building a platform that will expand well beyond one industry. We’re extremely proud of our 23x social ROI, but have aspirations to 10x that. We’re also proud to have been chosen by MIT Solve as one of the most innovative tech-forward non-profits driving real change.

Our Mission

FreeWorld’s mission is to end recidivism and generational poverty by:

• Placing returning citizens into high-wage careers at scale.
• Embracing technology and automation to expand our reach.
• Developing a self-sustaining revenue model to accelerate our growth.
• Investing in our team and maintaining a culture of honesty, vulnerability, and trust.
• Creating systemic change by leveraging our deep layers of graduate data in partnership with the Criminal Justice System to become the Gold Standard for re-entry.

Job Description

As Development Manager, you will lead a relationship-first fundraising strategy that prioritizes building and maintaining strong partnerships with a diverse range of institutional, corporate, and HNWI funders. You'll manage a giving portfolio and advise on placed-based funding strategies. You’ll skillfully balance data analysis and storytelling in sharing our work and mission. FreeWorld is a lean, rapidly scaling organization, and you’ll play a crucial role in securing the resources needed to expand our impact.

Interested in this role, but your experience is more narrow, focusing mostly on grants and foundations? We're also hiring a Grants Manager!

What you’ll do (Job Responsibilities)

• Manage a portfolio of $4-5M in philanthropic funding
• Drive stewardship of our current funding relationships
• Specialize in leveraging our network to build new funding relationships
• Build out and systematize FreeWorld's Corporate funding strategy
• Support the Development Director & CEO to maintain a small, targeted portfolio of individual donors.
• Write compelling, data-driven funding proposals, concept papers, grants, and reports
• Manage a proposal calendar to ensure timely submission of proposals and reports
• Collaborate with program teams to gather impact data and stories for grant applications
• Track and analyze fundraising performance metrics
• Lead the preparation of funding proposal budgets in partnership with the finance team
• Maintain detailed records of all grant activities and outcomes
• Train and mentor team members in grant writing best practices

What you’ll have (Required Experience and Qualifications) Technical

• Proven track record of securing five and six-figure grants from diverse funding sources
• Proven track record across multiple fundraising verticals, including corporate funding, government grants, or high-net-worth individuals
• Excellence in grant writing with superior attention to detail
• Strong proficiency in budget development and financial reporting
• Experience with grants management software and CRM systems
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and present program data effectively
• 4+ years of experience in fundraising and development

Non-Technical

• Outstanding listener who excels at relationship-building and communication skills
• Flexibility and unconventional thinking—we iterate a lot and move quickly to take advantage of new opportunities
• Exceptional project management and organizational abilities
• Strategic thinking with an entrepreneurial mindset
• Ability to work independently while contributing to team goals
• Radically non-judgmental - we firmly believe that everyone is worth more than the worst thing they have ever done and work to bring equity to all regardless of their background
• Deep commitment to social justice and criminal justice reform

Bonus Points if… (Preferred Qualifications) ‍‍

• Impacted by the criminal justice system (directly or indirectly)
• Experience working in the fields of criminal justice or workforce development
• Experience working in a tech-based nonprofit
• Experience with impact measurement and evaluation

Where you’ll work

FreeWorld is a 100% US-based remote company. You may work anywhere in the U.S. with a great internet connection that is quiet and free from distractions! Our operating hours are Monday - Friday, 9 am - 6 pm Central Time.

Hiring Process

1. Read our FreeWorld Culture FAQ and our FreeWorld Company Values, and if you still think you are a fit…
2. Submit an application and cover letter. If your qualifications are a match…
3. We have a 15-minute introductory call. If we love each other, then…
4. You flex your craft with a live “donor call,” where you build relationships with several of our team members and craft a one-page follow-up proposal.
5. You meet 1:1 with a member of management for one hour to discuss your previous experiences and career goals.
6. You meet with other members of the revenue and marketing teams to talk approach.
7. Last but not least, we talk to a few of the folks you worked with, and if all goes well, we agree on terms.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, non-exempt position. Compensation is based on experience, but we are targeting the range provided below.

Salary Range: $75,000-$115,000 annually

FreeWorld is dedicated to caring for our team. For an up-to-date list of employee benefits, view our 2024 FreeWorld Benefits. A few key benefits are listed below:

• Remote work flexibility
• Team-centric culture of honesty, vulnerability, & trust!
• Awesome Health & Disability Insurance (medical, dental, vision, mental health)
• Financial Health: 401k & High-Yield Savings Account
• Employee Development (Quarterly Wellness Stipend, Paid Professional Development, and more)
• Incredible Work-Life Balance! (Unlimited PTO, 14+ paid holidays, & paid parental leave)
• Creating tremendous impact at scale