Full-Time Vice President of Development
Job Description
About the Organization
Founded in 1991, Accelerate Institute’s mission is to close the achievement gap by creating high-impact school leaders who accelerate student achievement. Grounded in the belief that demographics are not destiny and that all children can achieve at high levels given equal access to quality education, Accelerate Institute identifies and develops high-performing, results-focused leaders with a passion for closing the achievement gap in urban education. Through The Ryan Fellowship, The Accelerator, and Leadership Team programs, we draw on the leadership model used to achieve success at our nationally-recognized school, Alain Locke Charter School.
Accelerate Institute has trained more than 100 school leaders who are currently working in nearly 30 cities across the United States. With several decades of direct impact on student achievement and school performance, Accelerate Institute will scale its Accelerator program nationally, for the first time, partnering to support more transformational leaders and create more great schools in under-served communities outside of Chicago.
Read more about Accelerate Institute’s core values.
About the Position
The Vice President of Development is the organization’s first-ever dedicated fundraising senior leadership role. This is an exciting opportunity to support a large-scale growth plan that will increase our organization’s ability to impact students and schools across the country and further our mission of closing the achievement gap. The VP of Development will design a comprehensive, multi-year fundraising vision and strategy to drive regional expansion and to build out Accelerate Institute’s development ‘shop.’
The VP of Development reports to and collaborates closely with the CEO, engages the board of directors, and manages the Director of Development to meet ambitious goals, which will ensure long-term fiscal stability for Accelerate Institute. Ideal candidates love entrepreneurial, building contexts and have experience fundraising in growth or scaling contexts. The right candidates are energized by front line fundraising and interacting with a range of investors, as well as by building systems and designing strategy, and ideally have experience entering new regions or markets and raising at the $1-2M level.
Accelerate Institute is located in Chicago, Illinois. This position is ideally based in Chicago with flexibility for telecommuting and travel to Chicago as an option.
Key Outcomes & Responsibilities
• Create fundraising strategy and vision for the organization, with a focus on regional expansion plans
• Evaluate Accelerate Institute’s existing fundraising practices, systems, and strategy
• Gain deep understanding of Accelerate Institute’s mission, programming, and impact in order to communicate a compelling narrative to funders
• Identify and build prospect pool of local and national donors to launch a new Accelerator region in Summer 2020 by securing $2.5M in private revenue
• Build, manage, and deepen relationships with individual donors who have capacity for gifts of $250,000 and above
• Provide strategic leadership to the Director of Development
• Develop strategies to engage a more racially and ethnically diverse donor base that better reflects the students and families in our partner schools
• Closely monitor the development team’s progress to goal and metrics
• Build out fundraising infrastructure (systems, team) to align with fundraising strategy
• Prepare materials to inform the Board of Directors of ongoing regional development activity, successes, and needed resources
Key Requirements
The ideal candidate is:
• strategic and results-oriented, excelling at critical thinking and problem solving;
• a self-starter who is able to address problems creatively;
• adept at developing and maintaining strong internal and external relationships at all levels;
• able to effectively motivate and inspire others;
• extremely detail-oriented, organized, and able to execute ambitious goals;
• a highly motivated professional who thrives in a metrics-driven, fast-paced environment;
• a constant learner, always seeking opportunities to grow, learn, and improve; and
• committed to ensuring high academic achievement for all children and wants to positively impact the lives of children by improving K-12 public education.
Required Skills and Qualifications:
• Passionate about Accelerate Institute’s mission to close the achievement gap and create high-quality schools for all students
• Eight or more years of experience in fundraising or business development; with experience in raising at the $1-2M level and developing and managing a portfolio of high-net worth individuals
• Experience creating and implementing an organization-wide development strategy across multiple funding streams
• Experience fundraising in contexts of growth, scale, or expansion into new markets
• Passion for early stage, entrepreneurial contexts and track record building systems and processes
• Proven track record of leading a fundraising team to meet ambitious fundraising goals
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and writing skills
• Strong interpersonal skills; able to collaborate and develop relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders, including staff, Board members, program participants, donors, and potential donors
Compensation
Accelerate Institute offers a competitive salary based on prior experience and qualifications as well as a full benefits package. Benefits include: health, dental, and vision insurance; 3 weeks of vacation; 9 paid holidays with paid days off between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays; a paid floating holiday; paid sick and personal leave; paid parental leave; retirement plan options; long-term disability coverage; and basic life and personal accident insurance.
To Apply
This search is being managed by Axis Talent Partners. Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing their interest in our mission and qualifications for the position to: https://axistalentpartners.applytojob.com/apply
Our Commitment to Diversity
Accelerate Institute embraces diversity. It is something we have believed in and supported from day one. Having a diverse organization aligns with our commitment to an equal opportunity workplace. We celebrate equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, Veteran status, or other legally protected status. We are also ready to accommodate physically challenged or special needs individuals who require any special assistance. Accelerate Institute is proud of our history of diversity and is a strong supporter of the community.
How to Apply
Please apply here: https://axistalentpartners.applytojob.com/apply622 total views, 0 today