Senior Director of Advancement

826 Boston • Boston, MA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

826 Boston seeks a dynamic candidate with a strong command of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles to serve as our next Senior Director of Advancement. The ideal candidate is someone who can lead large-scale projects while coordinating the work of others, build and leverage strong networks to cultivate meaningful external relationships, and approach challenges with creativity and speed. The ideal candidate will bring a track record of success and innovation with major fundraising campaigns and a passion for writing and youth leadership development.

The Senior Director of Advancement will have at least three direct reports and oversee the organization’s entire Development and Communications department. The Senior Director of Advancement will also serve on the organization’s senior management team, contributing to organizational decision-making and vision-setting.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in fundraising, communications, and advancement for non-profit organizations
• A successful track record of creating and executing fundraising strategies that consistently meet organizational goals
• Experience securing and managing major gifts, annual giving, grants, and/or capital campaigns of $500,000 or more
• Experience engaging and cultivating external stakeholders, including individual donors, foundations, corporations, and/or community partners
• Experience developing and managing team and project budgets
• Ability to forecast revenue and analyze financial reports
• Exceptional team management skills with the ability to mentor, coach, and develop staff, and build a strong sense of team identity and community
• Exceptional time management, project management, and resource management skills with close attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to incorporate anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices into their analysis, planning, and work
• Strategic and innovative thinker who is self-directed, adaptable, and deadline-driven
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Reside in Massachusetts and be able to travel between the 826 Boston offices and school partner sites

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency in Google Sheets/Excel, Salesforce (or another fundraising database), QuickBooks, and InDesign preferred

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes an annual fundraising plan that’s aligned with the organization’s strategic plan and current five-year fundraising campaign, collaborating with the Executive Director, board members, and key team members
• Oversees the development and execution of an annual communication plan to elevate the work and impact of the organization with key audiences and stakeholders
• Partners with the Executive Director to establish appropriate goals, timetables, benchmarks, plans, and budgets for all fundraising events and activities
• Supports the development of internal communication plans and strategies to promote smooth operations and encourage cross-team collaboration
• Broadens, deepens, and diversifies 826 Boston's base of major donors and philanthropic profile, in partnership with the Executive Director and Board of Directors
• Ensures that touchpoints with high-level prospects and donors occur on a regular basis
• Oversees the donor solicitation and acknowledgment process, creation and maintenance of donor records, and funder information
• Oversee the Director of Foundation Relations and the Associate Development Director to ensure that high-quality grant applications and sponsorship requests are submitted on schedule
• Seeks out opportunities to cultivate relationships with new foundations and giving institutions
• Ensure board member and stakeholder attendance at signature fundraising events
• Manages team members to provide additional fundraising events, campaigns, and initiatives to meet annual fundraising goals
• Oversees the Director of Communications to create marketing and publicity via social media, local, and national media outlets
• Manages the team that authors end-of-year appeals, annual reports, impact reports, organizational literature, and other external documents
• Oversees the team that ensures 826 Boston’s website clearly and effectively communicates the organization’s mission, purpose, and impact while remaining accessible and user-friendly
• Supports the Executive Director in identifying opportunities to participate as a thought leader in media, events, conferences, and similar settings
• Identifies applicable opportunities for the Director of Advancement and other members of the 826 Boston team to strategically represent 826 Boston publicly
• Engages and supports the 826 Boston Board of Directors in their fundraising endeavors
• Fosters a positive, collaborative team culture within the Development and Communications department.
• Directly supervises at least three reports: Director of Communications, Director of Foundation Relations, and Associate Director of Development
• Serve on the senior management team to ensure progress toward strategic plan goals and identify areas of strength, opportunity, and vulnerability in infrastructure, resources, and staff
• Serves as staff liaison to the Board’s Advancement Committee and guides its activities
• Helps identify professional development opportunities for the development and communications department
• Provides other services as reasonably requested by the Executive Director

Benefits

• flexible work from home options
• generous paid time off (including 15 PTO days, 5 days of sick leave, 13 paid holidays, 6 Summer Fridays off, and an organization-wide two-week winter break)
• health, dental, and vision insurance (826 Boston covers 80% of premiums)
• parental leave
• paid sabbatical

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees