Director of Philanthropy

Organization Profile: 

Founded in 1999, BUILD’s mission is to use entrepreneurship to
ignite the power of youth in under-resourced communities to build
Career success, Entrepreneurial mindsets, and Opportunity. BUILD
helps students become the CEO of their own lives. We believe in the
potential of every student and are dedicated to breaking down the
educational, economic, and social barriers that stand in the way of
their long-term success. We have a bold vision to triple the number
of students we serve and seek a dynamic leader to help us meet that
vision.

Our unique program offers high school students a four-year
entrepreneurship experience where students launch real businesses
and build 21st century skills. Our curriculum focuses on teaching
collaboration, communication, problem-solving, innovation, grit,
and self-management. Entrepreneurship is the hook; college, career,
and life success are the goals. 97% of BUILD seniors have graduated
from high school on time, and over 80% go on to college. Upon
completion of the program in high school, students have the
opportunity to stay connected through BUILD’s Alumni Program
offerings.  

With a budget of approximately $15M and a team of over 60
people, we currently serve approximately 2,000 high school students
annually in New York City, Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los
Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh. We are continuing to
grow our national footprint through our new digital offerings that
have enabled us to reach over 100 cities across the country. Our
staff have trained nearly 400 educators, and over 12,000 youth have
participated in our digital BUILD Design Challenge since its launch
in 2020.

For more information on BUILD, please visit our web site at
www.build.org and view our
Annual Report here. 

Our Culture:

BUILD is made up of a diverse, results driven and passionate
team who believe in the potential of every student and the power of
entrepreneurship to transform the education landscape. We work in a
collaborative environment where perseverance, flexibility, and an
entrepreneurial spirit are encouraged and celebrated. Our culture
thrives by embracing diversity, equity and inclusion, including
cross-cultural understanding. Kindness, empathy and respect are at
the forefront of the way we treat each other, our students, our
teachers and our supporters. We believe in the potential of every
student and are dedicated to breaking down the educational,
economic and social barriers that stand in the way of their
long-term success.  The remarkable young men and women whom we
serve are at the center of everything we do. We are intentional
about our culture so that we can best support them. 

Position Summary:

BUILD Boston is at an exciting moment in its history, as it
expands to new schools in the Greater Boston region and plans for
expansion throughout New England.  This expansion has been
made possible with a strong track record of fundraising and donor
stewardship.  Thanks to this work we have long-standing
partnerships with foundations, corporations and individuals and
have generated over 12 months of reserves.  The successful
candidate will inherit a robust pipeline where 70% is already
pledged and secured for the year and nearly 20% of the pipeline is
made up of multi-year
commitments.     

The Director of Philanthropy (DOP) will play a key role in
facilitating BUILD Boston’s continued expansion through leading,
designing and implementing BUILD Boston annual and long-range
strategy for securing philanthropic support from foundations,
corporations, individuals, and events.  With a regional annual
goal of $1,900,000, the DOP is responsible for the strategy and
implementation of the full donor lifecycle from identification
through stewardship, allowing us to serve our teachers, students
and school leaders in the Greater Boston area.  As part of
this work, the DOP will get to work with an engaged Advisory and
Associate Board made up of leaders from a range of different
sectors. 

The Director of Philanthropy partners with the Program Director
and Regional Executive Director on setting the region's priorities
and strategies, monitoring progress to goals, making decisions
about resources, and fostering a healthy and high performing
culture.  This position is for mission- and values-aligned
professionals who are both strategists and implementers, who lead
with kindness and thoughtfulness and thrive in  a high-energy,
entrepreneurial environment where innovation and creativity are
valued and expected.

This position will report to the BUILD Boston Regional Executive
Director (RED). The Director of Philanthropy supervises 2.5
FTEs.

Position Responsibilities:

In collaboration with the Regional
Executive Director, raise the BUILD Boston annual operating budget
and pre-raise at least 25% of the subsequent year’s budget, which
is expected to be approximately $2,000,000 in FY24.
Lead the development function for
BULD Boston. 
Collaborate internally on special
projects and provide leadership on cross-functional teams.
Supervise and develop the Senior
Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Individual Donor Manager and
Part-Time Grant Writer. 

Strategy and Planning

Collaborate with the Regional
Executive Director in the strategic advancement of the organization
through the creation of a multi-year development plan that will
facilitate the sustainable expansion of BUILD
Boston.  
Create donor lifecycle strategies for
all revenue streams. 
Collaborate with Program colleagues
on fundraising activities and strategic site visits.

Implementation

Oversee the implementation of the
corporate and foundation engagement strategy to identify new
prospects and steward multifaceted partnerships that yield funding
sources, sustainable pipelines of volunteers who work with our
students, in-kind donations , and event space. 
Oversee the implementation of the
individual giving strategy to ensure effective management of the
donor lifecycle from identification through stewardship. 
Support the Regional Executive
Director’s major individual donor ($10,000+) portfolio
including  those members of BUILD Boston’s Local Advisory
Board.

Personnel Management and Development

Provide high-quality supervision and
professional development coaching to the members of the Development
Team to ensure attainment of their role-related goals and
professional development objectives.  

Candidate Requirements:

At least 8 years of related
experience with demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting and
closing gifts of at least $10,000 from a variety of
constituents. 
Prior successful experience designing
and implementing comprehensive fundraising plans raising over
$1,000,000 from diverse revenue streams  including
individuals, corporate donors, and events.  
Experience engaging board members in
fundraising activities and stewarding board member
relationships. 
Ability to develop systems, practices
and operations that reflect best practices in fundraising and
personnel management. 
Strong familiarity with the
philanthropic community in the Greater Boston area.
Strong commitment to youth and
education.
Flexibility and ability to adapt
easily to changing situations as they arise. 
Successful experience working with
volunteer leaders and program staff to ensure an integrated,
organized effort, as well as goal oriented
accomplishments. 
Ability to use Raiser's Edge to
produce pipeline reports and successfully steward donor
relationships. 
BUILD requires vaccination
against COVID-19 for all employees. Reasonable
Accommodations based on a qualifying medical exemption or sincerely
held religious belief are being considered in accordance with
applicable law.

Successful candidates will demonstrate BUILD’s Core
Values and competencies through a combination of previous
education/work experiences:

BUILD’s Core Values:

• Keep Students at the Center - As
  BUILDers, we hold an unwavering passionate commitment and belief in
  the power and potential of youth.  Our organization exists to
  serve students. We seize each opportunity to contribute to the
  foundation of knowledge, skills, and networks from which students
  can build extraordinary lives. Our operating principles and
  decisions focus on what is in the best interest of our
  students. 

• Bring the Spark - As BUILDers, we excel in the
  entrepreneurial Spark Skills that we teach our students -
  Communication, Collaboration, Problem Solving, Innovation, Grit and
  Self-Management. We communicate through transparent and honest
  dialogue. We cherish teamwork, tenacity, and thinking outside the
  box. We demonstrate a relentless pursuit of excellence and approach
  work with a positive can do attitude. When we bring the spark we
  achieve great things together, and we model the way for our
  students. 

• Bridge Communities - As BUILDers, we develop
  and foster relationships in service of creating access and
  opportunities for our students, staff, and stakeholders. We
  value all who come to the table as partners to maximize our
  collective impact. By connecting the communities in which we work,
  we build empathy, equity, and social capital. 

• Promote Diversity and Social Action - As
  BUILDers, we understand that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  matters, but what matters even more is Action. We strive to create
  equity of voice, access, influence and power across lines of
  difference – both in and beyond BUILD, specifically for groups that
  have been historically denied social and economic justice. If we
  are not part of the solution, then we are part of the problem. We
  welcome, celebrate, and embrace the unique expressions and
  contributions of us all – our backgrounds, race, ethnicity, gender,
  language, sexual orientation, and social class. 

Role Specific Competencies:

Interpersonal Skills
- Use a variety of techniques, as appropriate, to connect with
others to build positive relationships.
Leadership -
Influence, inspire, guide, and direct a project or group of people
towards a defined vision or goal.
Strategic Thinking -
Take into account and analyze various points of view/relationships
and pieces of data to form a perspective appropriate to a
particular context/network.
Targeting Message to
Audience -  Ascertain the priorities of a particular
individual or group and craft persuasive written and verbal
communication given those priorities.
Thoroughness -
Ensure that one's own and others' work and information are complete
and accurate; carefully prepare for meetings and presentations;
follow up with others to ensure that agreements and commitments
have been fulfilled.
Written
Communication - Excellent written communication skills and
ability to articulate a compelling case for major philanthropic
support of programs, present organizational objectives
persuasively, and translate strategic concepts into compelling
fundraising collateral.

Position Details:

Full Time/Exempt
Location: Must be within the Greater
Boston area. This role works largely in a hybrid capacity but
external meetings and events require travel within Greater
Boston
Occasional national travel to other
locations in the continental U.S. is required during the year for
staff retreats and meetings

Compensation:

The salary for Director of Philanthropy ranges from
$105,000-$115,000 in accordance with BUILD’s equity focused salary
bands.  BUILD offers a competitive benefits package for
eligible employees.  This includes employer paid medical,
dental & vision coverage, flexible spending accounts (FSA),
employer paid life insurance, and a 403(b) plan with match. 
In addition, eligible BUILD employees qualify for generous
vacation, sick, paid Federal holidays, and December 24 through
January 1 off, a flexible work environment, professional
development and additional stipends for stretch projects.

Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter and
resume.  BUILD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages
candidates of all backgrounds to apply for this position. 

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that
women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless
they meet every single qualification. At BUILD, we are dedicated to
building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re
excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align
perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we
encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate
for this or other roles!