MORE / LESSDESCRIPTION
Founded in 1973, the Ms. Foundation for Women is the first women's fund in the world. In 2011, the Ms. Foundation made grants totaling approximately $4 million to 150 grassroots, Tribal, state and national organizations that are advancing women's solutions for social change across the United States. The Foundation's program areas include health, safety, and economic justice. In addition to grantmaking and capacity building for grantees, the Foundation works to strengthen the women's movement in numerous ways, including by being a national progressive voice on women's issues. Based in Brooklyn, New York, the Ms. Foundation has a staff of 34 and is governed by a board of 14. The Foundation's endowment, established in 1986, currently stands at nearly $30 million. In 2011, the Foundation appointed Anika Rahman as President & CEO and completed a new strategic plan, which is now being implemented.
Position Summary
The Ms. Foundation for Women currently seeks a Vice President, Development. Working closely with the President & CEO, Board of Directors, and staff, the Vice President will provide the leadership, strategic direction, management and coordination for expanding the Foundation's development and fundraising programs.
The Vice President will serve as a member of the Foundation's executive team and lead the Development team. S/he will work closely with the Foundation's President & CEO, Board of Directors, and staff to set fundraising strategies and priorities, with the goal of significant expansion of the Foundation's donor base and overall contributions The Vice President will be responsible for: cultivating and soliciting leadership and major gifts and foundation grants; overseeing special events; and supervising prospect research and tracking.
The Vice President will work with all other Vice Presidents to ensure that information is shared and opportunities to enhance the Foundation's fundraising are fully leveraged. The Vice President will also be responsible for aligning the Ms. Foundation development and fundraising efforts with the overall strategic plan and be an important spokesperson for the organization. The position offers a visible platform for a visionary and strategic fundraiser to advance the Foundation's leading edge work to secure and sustain gender equality.
First Year's Priorities
During the first year of employment, the Vice President, Development will be expected to:
- Thoroughly immerse herself/himself in the Foundation – its mission, philosophy, programs, people, structure and operations, finances, constituencies, organizational culture and values, and potential;
- Establish solid working partnerships with the President & CEO; the Board of Directors, the executive team and other members of the Ms. Foundation staff in order to bring forth their best ideas and efforts;
- In collaboration and consultation with the President and CEO, staff, and board members and others, set the vision and priorities for the Foundation's development and fundraising work; articulate clear benchmarks for progress; identify the partnerships, strategies and tools to implement these priorities; and develop an implementation plan; and
- Become an effective and visible spokesperson for the Ms. Foundation, increasing awareness of the Foundation's work; and broadening the Ms. Foundation's reputation and visibility among potential donors.
Ongoing Responsibilities
The Vice President, Development will be expected to:
- In partnership with the President & CEO, board, executive team, and staff, provide the leadership, strategic direction, management and coordination for expanding foundation fundraising efforts;
- Maintain a proactive, creative leadership role in the identification, cultivation and solicitation of individual and institutional donors; cultivate and directly solicit key donors, working with the President& CEO, key staff, and board members, as appropriate;
- Lead and supervise the Development team, inspiring and supporting them in their work, ensuring a workplace culture of mutual respect and teamwork, and prioritizing training and professional development; ensure that the team's work is innovative, high-impact and strategically focused;
- Lead and manage the Development cluster in a fiscally sound manner; ensure that appropriate systems and procedures are in place to support the Foundation's fundraising goals; develop short- and long-range fundraising plans; provide detailed reports about fundraising progress to the President & CEO and the Board on a regular basis;
- Develop and maintain close working relationships with the philanthropic community and individual donors; serve as a visible spokesperson and advocate for the Foundation's mission and programs in the funding community;
- Serve as a key member of the Foundation's executive team, participating in the development and implementation of policies, strategy, short- and long-term planning, and financial and operational goals and objectives; work closely with the executive team to ensure the flow of relevant information and encourage effective coordination between and among teams;
IDEAL EXPERIENCE
The Vice President, Development should have the following experience and qualifications:
- At least 15 or more years of successful experience in fundraising and development, preferably in the social justice arena; demonstrated ability to set development and fundraising strategy, set and meet fundraising goals and work effectively with donors at every stage of the fundraising process; familiarity with the national progressive donor community, as well as national trends in fundraising, is highly desirable;
- A successful track record of leading and managing people with an ability to connect to staff, both on an individual level and in groups; capacity to enforce accountability, develop and empower top-notch leaders from the bottom up and lead from the top down;
- An outstanding relationship builder with existing ties to a broad and diverse range of donor communities; proven successful experience working in a variety of diverse contexts and communities with the ability to interact professionally and thoughtfully with a wide array of people, and a record of success as a positive and high energy leader;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills; an appreciation and understanding of the power of linking fundraising and strategic communications; experience communicating through traditional and new media is valuable;
- Credibility and experience to connect the Foundation to a range of resources and opportunities outside the organization; experience raising money from a variety of sources, including major donors and foundations, is highly desirable.
- A Bachelor's degree is a minimum requirement; a graduate or professional degree is desired;
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Ideally, the Vice President will be:
- Committed to the Foundation's mission and goals;
- An entrepreneurial catalyst with vision who can create excitement and energy around the Foundation's work, ensure that its fundraising programs are widely known and understood, and encourage others to support its goals; persuasive, persistent, and creative in the pursuit of the Foundation's goals;
- A team builder, able to delegate and prioritize multiple activities and responsibilities; one who inspires collaboration, functions decisively, and treats people fairly; one who understands the subtleties of motivating, directing and working with diverse, strong, independent personalities and work styles;
- An outstanding relationship builder with the integrity, maturity, confidence, wisdom and the collaborative skills necessary to work effectively with the Foundation's donors, staff, board, grantees, and other constituencies;
- A highly skilled communicator and a keen listener, with the presence and credibility to develop and sustain a broad range of relationships; and
- Mature and self-confident, with a sense of humor and a warm, creative spirit.
To learn more about the Ms. Foundation for Women, please visit:
MORE / LESSHOW TO APPLY
To apply for the position, please submit a substantive cover letter and current resume to:
Lauren I. Gumbs
Senior PartnerGumbs + Partners
MORE / LESSLOCATION
- 12 MetroTech Ctr., Fl. 26, Brooklyn, New York, 11201, United States
MORE / LESSDETAILS
- Education requirements
- No requirement
- Employment type
- Full time
- Professional level
- Executive
- Job function
- Fundraising
- Owner's areas of focus
- Women
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