Director of Philanthropy

Position Overview

Courageous Sailing Center (CSC) seeks an experienced philanthropy professional with a passion for nonprofit excellence. As a member of CSC’s senior leadership team, the Director of Philanthropy will create, execute and evaluate all philanthropy strategies with a donor-centered philosophy to ensure a diverse and sustainable revenue portfolio to support CSC’s mission. They will focus the majority of their work on preparing for and executing an upcoming major capital campaign (~80%), while overseeing and supporting CSC’s ongoing development activities. (~20%). They will report directly to Dave DiLorenzo (ED) and work in close collaboration with CSC Leadership.

Responsibilities 

• Partner with the ED and the CSC Leadership to create a comprehensive and sustainable philanthropy strategy and operating plan that aligns future goals (capital campaign) with present needs (annual fund.) 
• Manage and collaborate with external development resources/consultants on capital campaign strategy and execution.
• Build and steward capital campaign prospect pipeline and meet agreed upon targets for securing commitments.
• Augment the current team to effectively engage and steward all current CSC donors and Board members; and lead solicitation of new potential partners. Make donor and potential donor appointments, calls and visits and solicit funds and other resources for the organization.
• With ED, Board and development team, plan and implement corporate and individual donor cultivation, stewardship, outreach events and activities.
• Maintain a streamlined system for current and potential individual, foundation and corporate donors using an in-depth understanding of databases, from the conceptual to the tactical.
• Coordinate funding requests, prep donor materials and maintain efficient development systems in partnership with the development and communications teams.
• Regularly evaluate philanthropic strategy and operating plan and make recommendations to the Executive Director and Board based on experience and a deep understanding of the organization’s strategic goals.

Qualifications

At Courageous Sailing, our highest priority is finding the best candidate for the job. Research has shown that people of color and women are less likely to apply for jobs if they don't believe they meet every one of the qualifications described in a job description. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of our described qualifications or you have a less traditional background. We are looking for applicants with the following qualifications:

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of professional experience in philanthropic development required, ideally in a rapidly-evolving institution
• Excellent written communication
• Flexibility to be present, in-office, at the CSC Charlestown (and Jamaica Plain) locations; attend meetings and events in the evenings/on weekends when necessary 
• Comfort engaging with high-potential donors; demonstrated ability to successfully engage in one-on-one solicitation and ongoing donor stewardship and build a culture of philanthropy within an organization 
• Prior experience building capital campaigns or equivalent initiatives  
• Track record of advancing prospect discovery and engagement at all levels of giving, examination of existing donors that may have greater capacity, and utilizing innovative methods of constituent engagement and connectivity
• Comfort and facility with a wide range of philanthropic work, including solicitation and stewardship of individual, foundation and corporate donors, donors and potential donor cultivation and research
• A successful track record in executing on strategy, setting priorities, managing multiple projects and working effectively under pressure to achieve individual and organizational goals
• An innate and impressive ability to listen to and balance, negotiate and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, reliable and flexible; thrives in a fast-paced environment; a driving force who manages toward clarity, finds solutions and is able to think strategically about the organization
• Knowledge of and fundamental adherence to the principles, ethics, and best practices of modern fundraising, including the integration of various giving methods to diversify the funding base and cultivate greater donor commitments
• A passion for youth development and ​​ensuring equitable access to natural resources; sailing a plus

Note: The hiring team is open to candidates who are interested in either a full-time/permanent or long-term consulting opportunity. 

Salary Range

$160,000.00 , commensurate with experience