Director of Development: First Up

First Up is seeking a Director of Development to oversee the organization’s fundraising efforts and the development team. The optimal person will be: a fundraising generalist with experience securing foundation, corporate, individual, and government support; familiar with Philadelphia’s philanthropic landscape; skilled at raising funds for a systems change focused organization; and accustomed to developing and managing a small team of fundraisers, to include working collaboratively with the Executive Director to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors, setting strategy, and providing coaching and other supports to Board members. S/he will represent the organization to external stakeholders, including prospects and funders, and will be skilled at building strategic relationships for the agency. Past experience in early childhood education is not a necessity, but interest in learning about and then becoming a champion for the mission are a must.

Background of Ideal Candidate

An experienced fundraising professional with 7-10 years of progressive responsibility, with experience with all revenue types and at least 2-3 years of experience setting fundraising strategy, who is looking to take their next career step. Has a history of accomplishment in fundraising, communications, staff management, and external relationship advancement. Experience working within a sophisticated development department and enthusiasm for building a major gifts program that both institutionalizes best practices and experiments with new ideas. High-energy person with vision, integrity and a passion for excellence who is able to mobilize staff, board and other stakeholders toward a common goal. Entrepreneurial person capable and comfortable growing and diversifying an organization’s revenue mix is a must.
Professional

Characteristics

1. Demonstrated ability in all key areas of revenue development: foundations, corporate giving programs, corporate sponsorships, annual fund donors, major donors, and public sector support. Experience as the head of a development department is preferred, but not required. Experience cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors is required.
2. Demonstrated ability setting an organization’s overall fundraising strategy is required.
3. Demonstrated supervisory or management experience is required.
4. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with all levels of the organization is required. Ability to build an organization-wide culture of philanthropy is required. Proven track record in board management is preferred.
5. Demonstrated experience with systems change fundraising is preferred.
6. Skilled in working in a collaborative manner to build relationships with multiple external stakeholders, including capacity to understand the interests and motivations of other nonprofits, institutional funders, and public sector decision makers.
7. Proven experience working with diverse populations, including experience in building bridges to develop relationships, trust and credibility.
8. Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills are required, including public speaking skills.
9. Deep appreciation of early childhood education is required, however substantive knowledge about the field is not essential.

Key Responsibilities

1. Resource Development
   • Develop, review, revise and execute the organization’s fundraising strategy, forming both short and long-term goals.
   • Develops actionable strategies to identify, pursue and secure expanded revenue base.
   • Build a major donor pipeline and serve as major gifts officer.
   • Build, steward and expand relationships with institutional and corporate funders.
     e. Expand and pursue new corporate sponsorship opportunities.
   • Oversee events, ensuring donor needs are met and fundraising goals are achieved.
2. Departmental Management
   • Review and embrace departmental goals, and implement new strategies and changes as needed.
   • Oversee fiscal management of department to assure a balanced budget.
   • Track revenue and fundraising trends, using information to predict future opportunities and avoid downtrends.
   • Report regularly to the Executive Director regarding the department’s benchmarks and the organization’s fundraising performance.
   • Lead the 3-person Development Department. Oversee the Grant Writer and Events Manager.
   • Create and nurture a culture of accountability by reviewing and supporting others within the department to execute their respective roles and responsibilities.
   • Nurture a culture of evaluation to advance fundraising activities by measuring and reporting the agency’s impact.
3. External Relations
   • Cultivate and maintain relationships with donors, keeping them apprised of the organization’s achievements and the impact of their gifts.
   • Develop and execute strategies to raise the organization’s visibility amongst a wide cross-section of potential supporters.
   • Build and nurture strategic relationships for the agency.
4. Organizational Leadership
   • Foster a culture of philanthropy across all departments of the organization to ensure fundraising success.
   • Be an active and valued participant of the senior leadership team.
   • Serve as the Executive Director’s advisor and partner on all matters relating to resource development.
   • Prepare Executive Director and other senior leadership staff for meeting with donors and funders.
5. Board and Committee Relations
   • • Nurture a positive, open and collaborative relationship with the board and its Development Committee.
     • Develop and implement strategies to optimize collective and individual board engagement, including advancing board member contributions and board member solicitations from their respective networks
     • Arrange opportunities for board education and engagement to enhance board members’ ability to serve as ambassadors of the organization.

   Reporting

   Reports to the Executive Director

   Staff
   Direct Reports: Grant Writer, Events Manager

   Finances

   The revenue mix for FY19 included: 41% from contracts, 19% from foundations, 14% from fee for service, 10% from special events, 4% from individuals, and 12% in other revenue.

   Service Area

   Pennsylvania; with concentration of work in the greater Philadelphia region

   Notes

   • • 1. First Up is an equal-opportunity employer that values diversity and practices inclusion.
       2. Freedom from illegal use of drugs, and freedom from use and effects of use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace.
       3. Persons who have been found guilty by a court of law of abusing, neglecting or mistreating individuals are ineligible for employment in this position.
       4. This profile is intended to indicate the general nature and level of work performed. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of the position.
       5. The position is full time, with time divided between the office and meetings with funders and donors. Applicant must be able to work weekends and nights for fundraising events as well as long hours when such is required to meet funder deadlines.

   Americans with Disabilities Act Specifications

   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to control objects, reach with hands and arms, climb stairs, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

   Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.