Job Description

About Room to Grow 

Room to Grow is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the vision that one day all parents will have the resources they need to unlock their families’ potential and become champions for babies and their community. Its mission is to offer structured parent support, material goods, and community connections to support parents as they activate their natural strengths and expand their knowledge, so children thrive from the start. Room to Grow was founded in New York in 1998 and expanded to Boston in 2005, currently partnering with over 1,500 families with an annual budget of $5M and a team of 45 passionate and dedicated staff members. 

Room to Grow uses a two-generation, preventative, and strengths-based approach to engage families. Through its unique program, parents and caregivers partner with program staff to develop strategies to support their child’s development, select the material items that their child needs, and connect with community resources that can expand their support network. Room to Grow program staff work alongside parents and caregivers as they build upon their existing skill sets and parenting styles and promote the well-being of their children and family. 

As an entrepreneurial and growth-oriented organization, Room to Grow is in an exciting period of development as it continues to expand its reach and impact in Boston and New York and potential future locations. In 2020, Room to Grow adapted and digitized parts of its model to continue supporting families during COVID-19, and it will continue to leverage best practices and resources to support low-income communities as circumstances evolve.

The Room to Grow Core Values

Our core values apply to working with each other, our families, partners, donors, and other collaborators.

Integrity: Consistently conduct business in a way that is accountable, authentic, transparent, honest, and ethical.

Respect: Treat people equally and with compassion. Value differences and affirm the dignity, potential, and contribution of all staff, partners, clients, volunteers, and the public.

Growth: Challenges are a learning opportunity. We cultivate an environment that promotes ongoing education, coaching, continuous improvement, and innovation.

Collaboration: Our mission depends on the quality of our relationships and linkages cross-regionally, cross-departmentally, and with community partners and collaborators. We work together to support our individual and collective goals.

Community: The health of our organization relies on supportive interactions within our community, built on shared beliefs in responsibility, generosity, enthusiasm, humility, and levity.

Inclusion: An open-minded, inclusive work environment that fosters diversity, creativity, and empowerment in everything we do.   

Position Summary

Room to Grow is at an exciting inflection point as an organization. We are preparing for ambitious growth and need expanded capacity to create a proactive and sophisticated development strategy to capitalize on an increasing volume of prospects in our network. Therefore, we are eager to bolster our Development team.

Reporting to the Director of Development, the Manager of Development will support with developing and implementing organization-wide fundraising strategies and tactics, covering the areas of individual giving, foundations, government funding, and development operations. This particular person will serve as our in-house special events expert, bringing Regional and National event visions to life. The Manager of Development will join a goal-aligned and collaborative development team of four. Additionally, the Development Department has the added support of the Communications Department and Community Engagement Department, which participates in generating prospects and stewarding relationships through their work with volunteers and corporate in-kind partners.

The right candidate is a natural relationship builder and an agile and collaborative leader. This position would be an ideal opportunity for a vibrant, creative, and tenacious individual looking to take on a leadership role in advancing the reach of a promising program model. 

Position Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Strategy Development & Leadership: Build upon Room to Grow’s current fundraising strategies to develop, implement, and monitor a comprehensive and actionable multi-year development plan to establish and meet current annual revenue goals ($5.6M in 2022) and prepare for expansion to $6M+ annually. 
• Frontline Fundraising: Coordinate and support Executive Directors, the CEO, Board Directors, and staff in fundraising efforts, specifically in the areas of:
  • Individual Giving: Support overall individual giving strategy and org-wide major gifts program by cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of existing major donors, as well as identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding prospective major donors throughout the year. 
  • Special Events: Serve as special events support lead in New York, Boston, and National (e.g., program development, talent recruitment, committee management), including annual galas (with auction), house parties, and other related activities.
• Development Operations: Support centralized operations and administration of the department (e.g., comprehensive gift management/CRM system, analysis, and reporting) ensuring quality decision-making and action.
• Cross-Department Collaboration: Partner with other departments in order to maximize fundraising efforts and enhance work across the organization. Examples include:
  • Liaise with program team and other departments to maintain up-to-date knowledge/understanding of program activities, outcomes, and needs
  • Collaborate with the Community Engagement Department in activities related to fundraising opportunities, such as city council funding applications and corporate partner engagements to raise funds, inventory, and awareness (e.g., cause-marketing)
  • Work with the Communications team to create print and digital materials, tools, and campaigns to support fundraising efforts (e.g., event collateral, year-end appeal)
  • Work with the Finance & Operations team to develop the infrastructure and compliance systems for fundraising activities (e.g., grants management, restricted funding)

Qualifications and Experience

• A passion for the mission, vision, and core values of Room to Grow

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) candidates are strongly encouraged to apply
• 3-5+ years relevant experience with proven success in individual fundraising and event planning; management experience a plus

• Demonstrated track record in independently managing a portfolio of external relationships and building meaningful partnerships with key donors and stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills – articulate and persuasive, with the ability to craft resonant messaging and diligent follow up
• Ability to comprehend and interpret impact data for effective donor communications
• Demonstrable creative instincts in event planning and management
• Ability to adjust course as needed and thrive in a nimble, fast-paced, and flexible organizational culture
• An exceptionally high level of integrity, accountability, and judgment
• Action-oriented, proactive, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to work
• Familiarity with and relationships in New York City and/or Boston philanthropic networks a plus
• Experience working with CRM databases (Salesforce preferred)
• Some travel within the US required (in alignment with current COVID protocols)

Core Competencies

Mission & Culture Alignment – Allows a candidate to thrive at Room to Grow and to be highly motivated by the organization’s work and mission. A successful candidate:

• Embodies our core values of: integrity, respect, growth, collaboration, community, and inclusion

• Articulates an authentic passion for and belief in Room to Grow’s mission, demonstrating a commitment to and literacy around the issues of equity that undergird our work 

• Demonstrates comfort with ambiguity and navigates changes in direction with ease

• Presents as collaborative and flexible with a strong service mentality

• Ability to navigate a local/national structure

• Approaches work with a learning orientation, continuously seeking to improve their own work and the work of the organization

Relationship Building & Fundraising Strategy – Enables a candidate to build deep relationships with a broad range of stakeholders and raise funds for Room to Grow. A successful candidate:

• Understands and appreciates the importance and complexity of relationships and builds rapport with a wide range of people
• Possesses excellent communication skills and the ability to initiate, cultivate, and maintain meaningful relationships with diverse stakeholders, such as board members, funders, volunteers, community leaders, program participants, and celebrity ambassadors

• Is motivated to lead fundraising for Room to Grow, with a demonstrated track record of successfully raising funds and knowledge of fundraising best practices including annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, and donor communications

• Thinks strategically about communications as an engagement tool, with the ability to tell the organization’s story with an inspiring voice and message
• Is a dynamic storyteller who can represent program participants’ stories in an authentic and compelling fashion with an eye towards the audience and an awareness of the limitations of one’s own perspective

Strategic and Creative Thinking – Allows a candidate to synthesize information and extract key findings and trends in order to develop, communicate, and execute strategy. A successful candidate: 

• Has a track record of translating a vision for a team, department, or organization into effective strategies for execution, setting ambitious goals, and delivering results 
• Demonstrates disciplined, entrepreneurial, and creative thinking, with experience developing and adapting strategies in the face of complexity and ambiguity 
• Has a hunger/curiosity for learning and seeks out internal and external resources to understand new concepts or content areas
• Excels at unpacking quantitative and qualitative data, synthesizing information, and extracting key insights or trends in order to communicate to different audiences
• Understands the big picture and how granular information connects to the macro level
• Generates and develops fresh ideas, while also inspiring and building creative thinking in others
• Ability to respectfully and productively question the status quo

Organizational Leadership – Enables a candidate to lead and motivate the team toward results while managing organizational priorities and operations. A successful candidate:  

• Models strong management instincts and the ability to build a collaborative and service-oriented culture among Room to Grow staff 
• Translates concepts into actionable plans and ensures clear communication of goals, responsibilities, and deadlines
• Demonstrates the ability to partner effectively with leaders across organizations 
• Can effectively manage their responsibilities and is able to shift priorities quickly when the situation warrants, applying independent judgment even in high stress situations
• Demonstrates self-leadership, being proactive and learning from one’s own experience

Compensation and Benefits

Salary and benefits will be competitive for our field and commensurate with experience. Room to Grow is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds.

How to Apply

To Apply

Submit your application via Room to Grow’s career portal. Candidates based in New York and Boston will be considered. 

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 60,000 - 80,000.

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