Director of Development and Partnerships

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been the premiere youth mentoring organization in Vermont since 1975. We were founded as an innovative alternative to the juvenile justice system to create equity & empowerment for young people who needed us most. Today, this spirit will drive us to become the nation’s foremost JEDI Focused Youth Empowerment Organization (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion).

OUR MISSION: Create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

OUR VISION: All youth achieve their full potential.

We serve 120 children each year by creating, fostering, and supporting one-to-one relationships between youth facing adversity and caring volunteer adult mentors.

OUR PURPOSE: To clear the path to a child’s biggest possible future.

Standing Together to Defend Potential: In a world of causes, we make a difference by creating professionally supported, one-to-one Matches for kids 6 to 18 years old, to help realize their full potential.  Big Brothers Big Sisters professionally creates and supports these Matches, and we have been the premiere youth mentoring organization in Vermont since 1975. Our mission and reputation attract an exceptionally talented pool of employees, and our culture helps us retain that talent.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Development and Partnerships is a key member of the BBBSVT/NH Development team, supporting, stewarding, and strengthening the relationship with individuals, corporations and business partners that support BBBSVT. You will ensure corporate partners, sponsors, and donors are connected with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermont, seeing the personal, business, and mission impact they desire. You will have a natural ability to manage relationships, think creatively, and find varied ways for financial and community investment, including volunteer recruitment while keeping the organization’s mission at the forefront of all you do. This key person will also manage and grow the corporate partnerships throughout our service regions. In addition, you will be responsible for managing and growing your own portfolio of donors and partnerships to reach department revenue goals and drive impact for our mission.

This is a full-time (40 hours per week- though hours may be flexible for the right candidate) statewide remote-based position offering flexibility on the daily workday. This position will require travel throughout all regions of Vermont.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

●       Oversee and manage a portfolio of individual donors, corporate partners, and collaborative partnerships.

●       Build deep, powerful, and dynamic relationships with current and prospective partners, focused on developing their passions and fulfilling their expectations of experience and impact.

●       Manage donor giving/appeals and stewardship (weekly/monthly donor acknowledgment letters, stewardship postcards and other follow up communication).

●       Manage donor activity database updates, including new donor/prospect biographical information, contact reports of entry, and preliminary prospect research.

●       Gather more in-depth information as needed through various search and wealth screening engines.

●       Assist with the implementation, activation and stewardship plans designed to retain and grow partner engagement, community-building, and mission investment.

●       Represent and speak on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermont at events, fundraisers and meetings as needed.

●       Assist with fundraising events as needed.

●       Be ready, willing, and able to take on other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:

●       Minimum 2 to 4 years of experience in non-profit development/fundraising work.

●       Proven ability to steward and cultivate partners and effectively grow the pipeline of individual donors and corporate partners.

●       Articulate belief in the mission of the agency and the practices of youth mentoring and positive youth development.

●       Strong interpersonal skills. Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain professional relationships at all levels of the organization and build successful and effective relationships with external partners/donors.

●       A well-organized self-starter who can manage time effectively and possesses excellent written and oral communication skills.

●       The ability to engender trust and confidence of donors and prospective donors and to maintain confidentiality of donor information.

●       Must have experience and be comfortable with cold calling.

●       Must have a successful performance record of solicitations and closing deals/partnerships- for profit or non-profit.

●       Ability to solve problems, respond to changing priorities and meet deadlines.

●       Ability and willingness to travel with the regions we serve to meet with donors/partners.

●       High proficiency in MS office Suite and Salesforce required.

●       Valid state-issued driver’s license.

●       Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Performance Measures:  The Director of Development and Partnerships will be evaluated on their ability to perform the essential functions of this position; utilize their skills and abilities to meet annual organizational goals; complete projects and assigned tasks in an accurate, cooperative and timely manner; set realistic priorities; and maintain professionalism in interactions with staff, clients, donors, and other major stakeholders.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

BBBSVT is proud to offer competitive pay, a generous benefits package, ample vacation days, and a collaborative office environment. Management believes in helping our staff members learn and grow, offering professional development opportunities whenever applicable. BBBSVT values diversity and inclusion and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.