Chief Development Officer

About the Organization:

At Junior Achievement we believe in "possible." Each day, we work to help young people discover what's possible in their lives. We do this by helping them connect what they learn in school with life outside the classroom. We let them know it's possible to invest in their future, to gain a better understanding of how the world works, and to pursue their dreams. Junior Achievement's proven lessons in financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship are shown to positively impact the lives of young people. These lessons align with national and state educational standards and are delivered to millions of students across the country with the help of our education partners and volunteers from the local community. Research shows that JA Alumni are more likely to have a college degree, feel confident managing money, have career success, and have started a business as an adult. In response to systemic poverty and inequalities in the region, Junior Achievement of Greater Boston set forth to implement against a bold, new strategic vision where it seeks to close the wealth and opportunity gaps for youth in key impact communities in the Greater Boston region (currently Boston, Chelsea, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Quincy, and Somerville) by creating middle school to career pathways, igniting youth entrepreneurship, and preparing financially savvy youth. Do you love working on behalf of children and young adults, fostering their growth and development? Do you want a job that is challenging, gratifying, and allows you the opportunity to impact thousands of youth each year? Focusing on our three Pillars of Student Success: Entrepreneurship, Work Readiness and Financial Literacy, JA staff enjoy a culture of mutual respect and co-worker camaraderie.

For more information, please see: Boundless Futures through Education | Junior Achievement of Greater Boston

About the Role:

Junior Achievement of Greater Boston (JA) seeks a Chief Development Officer (CDO). Reporting to and closely partnering with the President & CEO, the CDO is responsible for leading fundraising and external relations to sustain and grow JA of Greater Boston’s annual budget. The current budget is approximately $2.5 million and expected to grow significantly in the coming years as we implement our strategic vision. The CDO plays a vital role in JA of Greater Boston’s success by leading the development team to secure new revenues, retain and maximize current funders, and diversify funding sources. The CDO will set and implement the annual and multi year fundraising strategy and lead the development team. Leveraging the President & CEO and the organization’s Board of Directors, the CDO will cultivate, solicit, and steward the organization’s top funders and prospects to secure transformative investments in JA of Greater Boston’s mission and strategic vision. As a member of the Leadership Team, the CDO will contribute to setting and achieving the organization’s strategic direction to safeguard its long term viability, while managing and encouraging staff excellence. The CDO will partner closely with program staff to maintain close alignment between programmatic goals and development efforts, ensuring the mission dictates the funding strategy and not vice versa. In overseeing the development department, the CDO will manage three direct reports, focused on corporate and foundation partnerships, event sponsorships, and development operations. The development department works closely with the Operations team, especially the Chief Operations Officer and her direct reports. The CDO must be a team oriented leader and extremely personable with internal and external constituents, demonstrating exceptional judgment and discretion. This is an exciting opportunity for someone eager to leverage their fundraising and strategic skills to amplify JA of Greater Boston’s impact on the region’s youth. This is a full time, hybrid position, providing the option to work both remotely and in JA’s Innovation Centers in Charlestown and Lawrence. The CDO will be supplied with a laptop and monitor, must have reliable internet, and must have reliable access to a vehicle or be able to commute to sites, donors, and prospects without issue. Core Responsibilities:

1. Raise the philanthropic resources necessary to support and grow JA of Greater Boston programs and initiatives.
   1. Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors who have the potential to provide significant charitable gifts to the organization. Cultivate, solicit and close annual, major gift and multi-year contributions. Achieve revenue goals;
   2. Identify, cultivate and engage new funding prospects to support the organization;
   3. Develop and lead grant strategy, maintaining regular correspondence with foundations, donors,and board members with a long-term relationship approach;
   4. Serve as a passionate proponent of the organization and its mission;
   5. Appropriately represent the organization, its board and staff leadership to donors, prospects, and the community at large.
2. Implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy and program.
   1. Implement fundraising strategies and programs, including a special emphasis on major giving, corporate partnerships, foundation relations initiatives, and deferred and planned giving;
   2. Increase the organization’s support from individuals, corporations, foundations and other sources;
   3. Provide leadership, strategic direction, management and coordination for all aspects of JA’s development efforts;
   4. Prepare the annual and multi-year fundraising plan(s)in collaboration with the CEO for presentation to the Board of Directors;
   5. Provide detailed reports about the fundraising progress to the CEO and Board of Directors on a regular basis;
   6. Oversee donor stewardship and recognition programs, as well as all annual giving programs;
   7. Develop and implement event strategy and oversee annual fundraising events, especially JA of Greater Boston’s signature events, including its Annual Gala (75thAnniversary Gala in September, 2025), JA Stock Market Challenge, JA Inspire, and JA Golf Classic and develop a plan for event revenue growth and expansion;
   8. Ensure that appropriate systems and procedures are in place to support the program’s future fundraising goals.
3. Work collaboratively with volunteer and staff leadership to enhance their fundraising skills and to support their revenue generating efforts.
   1. Partner with the President & CEO to deploy his time and attention to leverage the greatest revenue generating opportunities. Coordinate fundraising efforts of the President &CEO, the development committee of the Board of Directors, and other key fundraising team members;
   2. Work effectively with the Board of Directors and other key volunteers, leveraging their talents, resources and ideas to enhance fundraising activities; enhance board members’ ability to identify fundraising opportunities and encourage their ongoing participation as donors and solicitors;
   3. Manage the development team. Supervise and support the growth of three team members focused on corporate and foundation partnerships, special events and development operations, as well as any future development positions, to ensure team success;
   4. Build strong relationships and work collaboratively with the education team’s leadership and staff; understand JA of Greater Boston’s youth development programs;
   5. Lead, mentor and inspire staff and volunteers with fundraising responsibilities to excel in their roles. Strategically grow staffing capacity as growth in resources allow. Create working environment that is rewarding to staff and volunteers;
   6. Recruit and motivate community and business volunteers to increase philanthropic attainment;
   7. Lead staff and volunteers to institutionalize philanthropy and fund development within the organization. Foster a culture of philanthropy within the organization. Assure that the organization’s culture, systems and procedures support fund development and vice versa.
4. Serve as a member of JA of Greater Boston’s Leadership Team to advance the organization’s goals.
   1. First and foremost, maintain focus on achievement of the organization-wide goals, and build and implement the comprehensive fundraising program to support achievement of the goals set forth in JA of Greater Boston’s annual and long-term strategic plan/s;
   2. Provide counsel and guidance to the President & CEO and members of the leadership team to incorporate the development perspective;
   3. Embrace a culture focused on strong vertical and horizontal communication lines throughout the organization;
   4. Serve as a proactive problem solver;
   5. Ensure that philanthropy and fund development are carried out in accordance with the organization’s mission, vision and values;
   6. Help establish performance measures, monitor results and help the President & CEO, development committee(s) and board evaluate the effectiveness of the organization’s fund development program. Monitor all donor information; provide and present statistical analysis to board and senior leaders as needed.

Qualifications:

Strong mission alignment and passion for empowering young people from underserved communities; passion for philanthropy and nonprofit work;

• 10 plus years of professional experience in a nonprofit organization; demonstrated success in leading a similar sized or larger development function (and creating and managing relationships with multiple donor sources);
• Ability to thrive in an inclusive organizational culture that attracts and retains diverse talent. Experience working effectively in a team environment with diverse staff and other diverse stakeholders. Reliable with a high level of maturity and sound judgment. Flexible and comfortable with ambiguity;
• Management experience required. Strong aptitude for relationship and project management across all levels of the organization; high degree of organizational astuteness and leadership skills; Demonstrated experience in managing people and budgets;
• Leads with humility, and learns and grows from mistakes; willingness to participate in and contribute to a real time feedback culture;
• Knowledge and experience with a CRM system, preferably Blackbaud (e.g. Raiser’s Edge)and Microsoft. Actively use and ensure development team uses CRM system to capture stakeholder contact information, interactions and for prospecting; familiarity with Asana a plus;
• Demonstrable track record of personally identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and closing individual donors, corporations and foundations; track record of having planned and led special fundraising campaigns (i.e. growth capital, capital, endowment, anniversary, etc.);
• A record of measurable results in organizing and implementing such activities as: major gifts, annual funds, corporate and foundation giving, planned giving, direct response and special events;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with and quickly gain the respect and support of various constituencies, including board and staff members, donors, foundation and civic leaders; experience recruiting and organizing volunteers;
• A solid understanding of nonprofit/for profit fiscal management, principles and best practices;
• Creative, resilient, and strategic in approach;
• A track record as an effective communicator; highly developed skills in writing and speaking; competence at crafting proposals, donor correspondence and other kinds of materials; receptive and responsive to feedback; the ability to communicate the program’s mission and interests to a broad audience;
• Ability to give and receive feedback as a tool for growth;
• Flexible and adaptable style; a leader who can positively impact both strategic and tactical fundraising initiatives;
• Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail;
• The ability to work independently and as a team player, to work effectively virtually, while managing a balance of in person meetings, now and in the future; ability to take initiative, and to manage multiple tasks and projects at a time;
• Outstanding customer service skills;
• Works well under pressure to meet deadlines.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation commensurate with experience. A comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and 401(k)with employer match. Generous paid time off.

Interested candidates should send resume, cover letter and compensation requirements to:jobs@jagreaterboston.org.

Corporate Culture Statement

We hire the best people, not just the best talent. We work together as one team to deliver our mission. We treat each other with respect, communicate clearly, value diverse opinions, and challenge the status quo on our quest for continuous improvement. We value our people and offer them competitive compensation/benefits, schedule flexibility, and purposeful professional/personal development opportunities. We treat all our stakeholders as important contributors to our ultimate goal of delivering on our mission. JA provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants. We do not discriminate against any individual or group of individuals on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. e encourage applications from candidates who can complement our diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion work by offering unique perspectives and understanding of issues impacting groups that have been traditionally under represented in the field.

JA of Greater Boston is committed to hiring staff who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Candidates of color, bilingual, and bicultural candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. The above position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job related duties required by their supervisor. This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" relationship.