Chief Advancement Officer

MAB Community Services (New Kensington Group)

Job Description

MAB Community Services has been creating opportunities for people with disabilities since 1903.
 
Founded as one of the first social services organizations in the country to serve blind adults, Hellen Keller and other notable Bostonians served on our first advisory board. Today we serve individuals with a broad range of disabilities, helping them live full and satisfying lives in the community.  Our divisions are:
 
The Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI) provides an array of services to more than 1400 adults each year, who are blind or visually impaired.  Services include mental health counseling and peer support groups to help individuals adapt to living with vision loss, vision rehabilitation so that individuals can learn new strategies for continuing the activities they previously relied on the vision for, orientation and mobility, and technology training.  While the focus of MABVI's services is primarily on promoting independence, MABVI  also has a large and vibrant  program that matches individuals with 1:1 volunteers.
 
MAB Adult Disability Services provides residential and day programming for more than 300 adults with intellectual disabilities and brain injuries in Greater Boston and Central Mass.  The focus of the programs is on providing training and supports so that individuals can live as independently as possible, be full participants in their communities, and have agency over their own lives.
 
The Ivy Street School is a residential and day school servicing adolescents and young adults (ages 13 to 22) with brain injuries, autism spectrum disorders, and behavioral health challenges.  The focus of the school is on helping students gain the full range of skills and experience they need to lead independent and successful lives when they graduate.  
 
For more information, please review the website at www.mabcommunity.org.

Position Overview

This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and entrepreneurial professional to lead MAB Community Services’ philanthropic revenue generation. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Chief Advancement Officer will be an integral member of MAB Community Services Senior Leadership Team and will work closely with other senior leaders, such as the Executive Directors of MABVI, Adult Disability Services and the Ivy Street School, as well as MAB Community Services’  Board of Directors. The Chief Advancement Officer will lead the organization’s revenue growth.

With a wide range of support from some of Boston’s philanthropic leaders, MAB Community Services has a strong fundraising track record and an ambitious fundraising plan for growth over the next five years. A focus on attracting new major donors, maintaining its current base of outstanding supporters, establishing multi-year contributions, and identifying new funding sources will be expected.
 
In partnership with the CEO and the MAB Community Services Board, this position is responsible for leading MAB Community Services’ development, communication and marketing strategies.  The Chief Advancement Officer will lead a team of 6 high performing professionals to manage and implement the fundraising and marketing strategies for MAB Community Services. Specific emphasis is placed on managing and building relationships with high net worth individuals and current institutional supporters, as well as prospects, to maximize financial resources to help MAB Community Services achieve its revenue and strategic objectives. The role is responsible for ensuring the site meets its annual fundraising budget goals, with a focus on growing philanthropic revenue from $1.7M to $3M over the next five years. 
 
Core Responsibilities:

1.      Raise the philanthropic resources necessary to support and grow MAB Community Services programs and initiatives
a.      Directly 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.
b.      Achieve all annual and multi-year revenue goals, growing philanthropic support from $1.7M to $3M over the next five years.
c.       Identify new funding prospects to support the organization.
d.      Effectively implement, steward and grow MAB Community Services’ Leadership and Major Gifts Program to increase annual and multi-year support from the region’s wealth market.
e.      Build relationships with and invite clients’ families to participate philanthropically and contribute generously.
f.        Maintain and build MAB Community Services’ partnership programs, including support from the organization’s Marathon fundraising team, Team with a Vision.
g.      Develop and lead grant strategy, maintaining regular correspondence with foundation program officers and trustees to ensure strong long-term relationships.
h.      Serve as a passionate proponent of the organization and its mission.
i.        Appropriately represent the organization, its board and staff leadership to donors and prospects.
 
2.      Implement a comprehensive fundraising program.
a.      Implement fundraising strategies and programs, including a special emphasis on major giving, strategic partnerships, foundation and corporate relations, and deferred and planned giving program that increase the organization’s support from individuals, corporations, foundations and other sources.
b.      Provide leadership, strategic direction, management and coordination for all aspects of the program’s development efforts.
c.       Prepare the annual fundraising plan in collaboration with the CEO for presentation to the MAB Community Services Board; provide detailed reports about the fundraising progress on a regular basis, including but not limited to quarterly board meetings.
d.      Rebuild and strengthen the organization’s Development Committee to support all fundraising efforts.
e.      Oversee donor stewardship and recognition programs, as well as all annual giving programs.
f.        Continue to build volunteer programs to steward relationships with institutional and individual donors, and further investment in MAB Community Services' work and communities.
g.      Develop event strategy and oversee established annual fundraising events including smaller convenings to inspire interest and support.
h.      Ensure that appropriate systems and procedures are in place to support the program’s future fundraising goals.
i.        Ensure accurate maintenance and security of records and donor information in the database.
 
3.      Work collaboratively with volunteer and staff leadership to enhance their fundraising skills and to support their revenue generating efforts.
a.      Partner with and leverage the talents of the CEO to deploy her time and attention to focus on the greatest revenue generating opportunities.  Coordinate fundraising efforts of CEO, the development committee and the MAB Community Services Board, and other key fundraising team members.
b.      Work effectively with the MAB Community Services Board and other key volunteers, leveraging their talents, resources and ideas to identify new prospects, secure introductions, and engage and solicit prospects and donors.   Enhance fundraising activities; understand the Board’s giving patterns and desired involvement; enhance board members’ ability to identify fundraising opportunities and encourage their ongoing participation as donors and solicitors.
c.       Build strong relationships with MABVI, Adult Disability Services, and Ivy Street School’s leadership and staff; understand MAB Community Services’ programs; work collaboratively with program staff to integrate innovative development strategies to steward relationships and attract funding.
d.      Supervise the development, communications, marketing and community engagement (including the Marathon) staff to ensure team success. 
e.      Recruit, lead, evaluate, mentor, inspire and retain staff and volunteers with fundraising and marketing responsibilities to empower performance excellence in their roles.  
f.        Strategically grow staffing capacity as growth in resources allow and the acquisition and stewardship of those resources require.
g.      Create working environment that is supportive and rewarding to staff and volunteers.
h.      Recruit and motivate community and business volunteers to increase philanthropic attainment.
i.        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 MAB Community Services’ senior leadership team to advance the organization’s goals.
a.      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 MAB Community Services’ annual and long-term strategic plan/s.
b.      The CAO is responsible for developing a PR, media, and communications strategy to promote the organization's goals.  The media/PR plan should be integrated into the organization's fundraising strategies.
c.       Increase visibility of MAB development activities, maintain good public relations, and ensure design and development of marketing activities in alignment with MAB brand.
d.      Provide counsel and guidance to the CEO and members of the senior leadership staff team in order to incorporate the development, communications, and marketing perspectives.
e.      Lead and engage senior management team in developing effective messages for donor audiences.
f.        Embrace a culture focused on strong vertical and horizontal communication lines throughout the organization.
g.      Serve as a proactive problem solver.
h.      Ensure that philanthropy and fund development are carried out in accordance with the organization’s mission, vision and values.
i.        Help establish performance measures, monitor results and help the CEO, development committee 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.
j.        Build the skills, knowledge, and abilities of the development & communications team in areas including annual giving, major and leadership gifts, Marathon fundraising and events, donor relations, corporate and community partnerships, grants, communications, and stewardship.
k.       Incorporate and adhere to all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion learning, practices and commitments.
 

Qualifications 

  • Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred. 
  • 7-plus years of professional experience in a nonprofit organization; demonstrated success in a development function (creating and managing relationships with multiple donor sources). 
  • Experience with advanced fundraising systems and relationship management software.
  • Demonstrated experience in budgets and managing people through a lens of diversity, belonging, inclusion, and equity.
  • Demonstrable track record of personally identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and closing individual donors, corporations and foundations.
  • 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. 
  • High energy and passion for MAB Community Services’ mission is essential. 
  • Desire and ability to work with individuals of diverse backgrounds. 
  • Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail. 
  • The ability to work independently and as a team player, to take initiative, and to manage multiple tasks and projects at a time. 
  • Outstanding customer service skills.
  • Passion for philanthropy and nonprofit work.
  • Works well under pressure to meet deadlines.

Valid Driver’s License and access to a car preferred.  

Interested candidates should send resume, cover letter and compensation requirements to:  Chuck Gordon, President and CEO, New Kensington Group, at chuckgordon1979@gmail.com.