Vice President of Development

Vice President of  Development 

The Vice President of Development of the Alliance for Youth Action and our sister 501(c)(3) organization the Alliance for Youth Organizing, along with the Executive Director, will manage and be responsible for all fundraising and development efforts for the nation’s leading youth organizing network.

The Vice President of Development will lead a growing development team (currently 2 people with plans to grow to 4) and help raise $15-20 million annually to sustain and grow our network of 20 progressive youth-led organizations . This is a full-time position based in our Washington, DC office, reporting to the Executive Director.

About the Alliance for Youth Action

The Alliance convenes, supports, and scales a national network of youth-led, locally rooted organizations that grow civic engagement and social justice. We are a multiracial network “of young people, by young people, for all people.” Our Affiliates and Partners run massive voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, train new young leaders, and run powerful campaigns to win on the progressive issues our generation cares about most. Our national team empowers this work by tracking down national resources for the network, building capacity for local groups, seeding new efforts, and coordinating national issue campaigns

Job Responsibilities
Key responsibilities of this position include:

• Development Planning, Strategy, and Execution
  • Planning, developing, and implementing a multi-year strategic plan fundraising plan at multiple levels, including identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors.
  • Working closely with the Board Fundraising Task Force  to engage them in creating the strategy,and vision of our development program and implementing it, including leveraging relationships and identification of potential new board members.
  • Guiding and overseeing all aspects of grant seeking for the Alliance’s portfolio of core foundation grants.
  • Developing and implementing  a robust donor program aimed at cultivating deeper ties with individual and institutional donors.
  • Providing guidance and support to the Development Director in the planning and execution of individual and institutional donors and strategies.
  • Responsible for crafting the Alliance’s fundraising narrative that reflects work across the organization and network; and ensuring a  clear and consistent narrative across all fundraising materials and communications.
• Organizational Leadership
  • Building, developing, and leading a department in a way that is consistent with Alliance’s culture.
  • Designing a structure, process, and performance metrics to hold the Development Department accountable.
  • Manage the Development Director and support them in managing the Development Department with two staff members to reach the goals and objectives set forth in the annual work plan.
  • Managing  the Board Fundraising Taskforce and individual board members’ support of organizational fundraising efforts.
  • Building and maintaining  key stakeholder relationships, including foundation program officers and mid-to- major individual donors.
• Partnerships
  • Uplifting network organizations to national partners, and inviting collaboration or direct resourcing when appropriate.
  • Working with the Executive Director and Development Director to  develop and execute a fundraising strategy that identifies and raises money from new revenue streams, including corporate partnerships, unions, and high networth individuals.
  • Collaborating with relevant funding intermediaries and key stakeholders who are actively raising and granting funds to local and state-based organizations on  fundraising and donor organizing strategies.
  • Developing  strong relationships with other colleagues in funding spaces and communicating the Alliance’s vision with donors, stakeholders, and partners, while also working to expand our community engagement, and identify prospective funding partners.
• Development Capacity Building
  • Supporting Executive Directors and development staff across the network in development strategy, systems, and planning through  an ongoing Development Cohort and one-on-one support. This work includes supporting the recruiting, hiring, and onboarding of network development staff.
  • Leading the planning and execution of regular donor events and programs, both on-line and in-person,  that uplift the work of the organization and connect national resources to local network organizations.

Key Qualifications & Experience
We’re looking for candidates with particular strengths in the following areas:

• Fundraising Experience
  • 7+ years experience and track record of leading a robust and complex fundraising operation, with direct experience and knowledge of the full spectrum of development, including planned giving, major gifts, institutional fundraising, stewardship, online fundraising, and partnerships.
  • Senior leadership experience working across multiple program areas and legal entities.
  • Experience in securing six and seven figure support and an understanding of 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations.
  • Proven ability to personally cultivate, solicit, and steward individual and foundation donors at five to seven figure levels.
• Critical Thinking and Strategy
  • A self-starter with a strong initiative who, in addition to directing current systems, has the vision and skill to streamline and improve those systems.
  • Commitment to ensuring that organizational values, especially those related to diversity, equity, and inclusion,  are reflected in all development programs and operations. Know when to answer the question someone meant to ask rather than the one they did
• Baseline Expectations
  • Believe in youth organizing as a vehicle for change;
  • Understanding of power and racial, LGBTQ+, economic, and gender justice and how they intersect;
  • Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture;
  • Proficiency in Excel and Google Sheets;
  • Proficiency in Google Suite, Project Management Software and Slack
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and patience;
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; and
  • Comfort with technology and virtual communication systems, including Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc.

Candidate Profile 

We are searching for a candidate who:

• Has a core philosophy and belief in young people as change makers within their communities;
• Believes in a federated model of organizing and local power;
• Has a well-developed skill set in project management: organized and disciplined, deep attention to detail, and active follow up to ensure the right results;
• Has a sophisticated mix of emotional intelligence, judgment, discretion, diplomacy, and political acumen;
• Can anticipate and avert problems;
• Has excellent and versatile writing skills, including the ability to summarize detailed information;
• Can demonstrate knowledge and application of strategic planning and project management principles;
• Can provide strategic guidance to  staff under their area(s) of responsibility;
• Can identify short and long-term needs, goals, and challenges, and ensure that the programs and initiatives of both departmental and interdepartmental work are directed toward addressing those needs, goals, and challenges; and
• Has a sophisticated understanding of how race dynamics impact supervisory relationships, organizational culture, partnerships, campaigns, and coalition work, and can demonstrate a history of successfully intervening in problematic dynamics and deepening a racial justice approach within an organization, team, or campaign.

Logistics

• Compensation: $119,100 – $126,850 per year commensurate with experience.
• Benefits: The Alliance offers a competitive benefits package covering 100% of employee medical, dental, & vision insurance premiums, 75% of premiums for employee dependents, employer retirement contributions (SEP IRA), life insurance, short and long term disability income protection insurance, cell phone stipend, Wi-Fi stipend,  WMATA transportation smartbenefits, professional development opportunities, a generous paid time off policy, and up to 16 weeks of paid family and medical leave.
• Location: This is a full time position based out of the Alliance’s Washington, DC office. Moving reimbursements are offered to employees expected to move to Washington, DC for this position.
• Travel:  Domestic travel for this role may be up to 35% of this position. Must be willing to work periodically long, irregular hours and to travel as needed.

 

Equal Opportunity
The Alliance for Youth Action is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse work environment. People of color, people with disabilities, people of diverse sexual orientations, gender expressions, and identities are encouraged to apply.

To Apply
Please fill out THIS LINK, and submit a single pdf document including the following:

• A cover letter detailing why you want this position
• A sample donor/foundation solicitation or proposal
• Your resume
• Three references (we will reach out to you first before contacting them)

Please reach out to Dakota Hall with any questions.

The Priority Deadline to apply is January 5, 2023 with a tentative start date in early March, but applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position has been filled.