Hiring: Development Director- Food Connects
Position Title: Development Director
Supervisor: Executive Director
Employee Status: Exempt
We value diversity in all of its forms and strive to have our employment practices reflect that. As such, we are an equal opportunity workplace and will not discriminate on the basis of disability or other legally protected categories. If an employee has a disability that makes it difficult to perform their job duties, they are encouraged to notify us to engage in a discussion about reasonable accommodations.
Position Summary
The Development Director’s primary responsibility is to coordinate all fundraising efforts and create and execute the organization’s Annual Development Plan. This position leads the Development Team in the implementations in all Food Connects’ fundraising campaigns, appeals, and other fundraising initiatives and communications.
The individual works in close partnership with the Executive Director and is an active member of the Development Team. They have an integral role in supporting our organization’s mission to create healthy families, thriving farms, and connected communities.
Core Competencies
Managing Performance: The ability to take responsibility for one’s own or one’s employees’ performance, by setting clear goals and expectations, tracking progress against the goals, ensuring feedback, and addressing performance problems and issues promptly.
Attention to Communication: The ability to ensure that information is passed on to others who should be kept informed.
Building Collaborative Relationships: The ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with others inside or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support.
Strategic Thinking: The ability to analyze the organization’s competitive position by considering market and industry trends, existing and potential customers (internal and external), and strengths and weaknesses as compared to competitors.
Results Orientation: The ability to focus on the desired result of one’s own or one’s unit’s work, setting challenging goals, focusing effort on the goals, and meeting or exceeding them.
Flexibility: Openness to different and new ways of doing things; willingness to modify one’s preferred way of doing things.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Development Infrastructure
- Lead and support the Development Team.
- With the Development Team, nurture Food Connects culture of philanthropy, serving as ambassador to external stakeholders and educating staff and board about the importance of charitable support.
- Lead development and implementation of the annual fund development plan with attainable goals and strategies to support operating needs, finance new initiatives, and help ensure long-term organizational sustainability.
- Support the Community and Donor Relations position in the maintenance of the donor database, including gift entry and acknowledgment; manage quarterly and annual reporting to ED and Board; facilitate regular revenue reconciliation process with finance.
- Along with the board Development Committee, track and measure fundraising data and compile reports to the board.
- Along with the Marketing Manager, provide graphic design updates to any infrastructure design templates related to fundraising or donor stewardship.
Fundraising
- Support the Community and Donor Relations position in leading the Board Development Committee and other support given to the Board of Directors for their engagement in development efforts.
- With the Development Team, steward major donors through the development and implementation of the Leadership Giving Program and planned giving initiatives.
- Support Community and Donor Relations position in the maintenance of the Corporate Sponsorship Program.
Grants
- Coordinate the development of high quality grant applications and reports to foundations, corporations and government agencies.
- Manage calendar of grant opportunities, application deadlines, and reporting requirements in coordination with ED and program staff; record grant revenue and foundation relationships in a database.
- Support program leaders with grants; identifying, planning for, writing, and submitting grants.
Capital Campaign
- Develop strategy, identify and secure prospects, and execute plans for all Capital Campaigns, including a campaign feasibility study.
- Design and implement a long term strategy to meet capital project needs and organizational sustainability through a capital campaign and other tools.
- Along with Marketing Manager, design and execute campaign materials, including communications mailing for appeals and donor recognition.
Additional Responsibilities
- Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops and reviewing professional publications.
- Create and maintain a work plan and solicit feedback from the Development Team at regular meetings.
Skills and Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- 5 or more years of experience in Development, preferably in a management and strategy development role.
- Strong technical skills with computers, spreadsheets, emails, and digital business management tools such as: G-suite, Excel, Slack, Asana.
- Proficient with development-related software programs.
- Knowledge of social media promotion and best practices
- Effective communication skills and adaptable communication style for interacting with team members
- Time management and organization skills in order to plan and execute both large and small projects and initiatives
- Leadership skills to motivate team members
- Analytical and problem-solving skills for coming up with ideas to increase demand for programs and services
- 3 professional references.
Preferred Qualifications
- A bachelor’s or higher degree in a related field.
- Prior event management experience
- Existing relationships with/knowledge of food producers in VT, NH, MA and the NE region.
- General knowledge of the sustainable food and agriculture sector.
Working Conditions & Physical Demands
Food Connects aims to make reasonable accommodations to enable individuals of all abilities to perform the essential functions of their role.
Schedule: This position is expected to work 40 hours per week, and be available to work between 8am and 5pm Monday through Friday.
Work Conditions: The position is based in the Food Connects office in Brattleboro, although Food Connects promotes a flexible working schedule that allows for a hybrid remote model. The right candidate will balance remote work with the importance of being in person, in order to experience what it’s like to live out our mission on a day-to-day basis. Evening and weekends may be required on occasion, but will have plenty of notice for planning.
Physical Demands: This position entails extensive use of a desktop or laptop computer, sitting or standing at a desk workstation.
Compensation and Benefits
- This is a full-time, exempt, salaried position.
- Pay is $60,000 annually, negotiable depending on the applicant’s prior experience.
- Benefits:
- Paid time off: vacation, sick, personal, and holiday leave
- Short-term disability insurance
- Life insurance
- Access to vision and dental insurance
- 15% employee discount on food purchases.
- 2% retirement contribution, no employee contribution required.
