Full-Time Development Manager
Job Description
Hours: Full Time
Location: Boston, MA, mix of in-person and virtual/remote
Compensation: $76,500, plus a benefits package (see below)
About Boston Food Forest Coalition
At the intersection of racial equity and climate resilience, the Boston Food Forest Coalition (BFCC) is a community of neighbors transforming vacant lots into public edible parks placed into permanent community control and ownership. Together, we are building resilience in Boston through more equitable access to healthy green space and greater connection to each other and the natural world.
Boston Food Forest Coalition (BFFC) was founded in 2015 to address Boston’s history of racism in its neighborhood development policies. These policies have created drastic inequality in access to green space and magnified the impact of climate change on certain neighborhoods. According to The City of Boston’s Preparing for Heat Report, there is a 20% disparity in parkland between mostly white Boston neighborhoods and majority communities of color, 7.5-degree disparity in daytime temperature, and 39% disparity in trees.
The Development Manager will play a key role in transforming the City of Boston by helping BFCC raise the needed visibility and funds to deliver our plan of creating 30 new Food Forests in Boston by 2030. This is an ideal opportunity for an emerging leader with development experience to use their skills to achieve real and lasting change in Boston and create a model that will inspire other cities to do the same.
Job Description
Reporting to the Executive Director (ED), the Development Manager is a full time position that serves as a key leader of Boston Food Forest Coalition and is an active participant in making strategic decisions affecting the organization, while continuing to build and strengthen the organization’s development team and program. In partnership with the ED, this position is directly responsible for planning, managing and overseeing the execution of all fundraising and development activities.
The Development Manager will play both an internal and external role and have primary responsibility for establishing and implementing the systems, infrastructure and team needed to grow a $750k budget to $1.8m+ by 2025. This will include helping forge new relationships to build BFFC’s visibility and financial support through the solicitation of major gifts, federal, state and city grants, and corporate and foundation support.
Over the next several years the development team at BFFC will continue to grow. This is an opportunity for a rising leader in fundraising to help build a fundraising program and, with success, advance to a Director level role overseeing the entirety of the program and managing other staff.
BFFC is in an entrepreneurial stage of learning and growth in a cutting-edge field, with clear priorities centering diversity, equity, and inclusion. This requires all staff to think creatively, collaboratively, and with an action mindset.
Responsibilities
Development Strategy
- Guide the development and execution of a comprehensive fundraising strategy in partnership with the ED, including individuals (primary), corporate, foundation, and government grants.
- Collaborate with the Associate Director and Director of Finance to develop and implement a financial strategy that supports the strategic goals of the organization.
- Support and partner with the ED and board members on all major fundraising initiatives.
- Lead research of funding sources and trends to position BFFC ahead of major funding changes or trends.
- Monitor and proactively report on the progress of the development program; create and present analysis to board and senior members of the BFFC team.
- Proactively solicit and incorporate feedback from various stakeholders for learning, inclusion, and improvement.
External Fundraising
- Support the ED to ensure increased philanthropic revenue year-over-year to achieve BFFC’s goals.
- Actively manage a portfolio of donors to secure financial support from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
- Expand and diversify BFFC’s donor base/pipeline and work closely with other team members to identify, prospect and build relationships with new funders.
- Work closely with ED on board management including board recruitment strategy, onboarding and stewarding new board members, supporting board operations and taking meeting minutes, and partnering with the board to reach fundraising goals.
- Oversee the development and execution of all grant proposals and solicitations; proposal and reporting calendar; and relationships with grants and foundations.
Fundraising Management, Team and Systems
- Work in partnership with the ED to further refine and develop all the systems needed to support a successful fundraising strategy including but not limited to: donor database management, solicitations, gift tracking and thank you letters, and grants and foundations calendar.
- Develop and implement, in partnership with ED, an appeals calendar and stewardship program aimed at cultivating deeper ties with donors and increased retention.
- Monitor all donor information and support ED’s fundraising by providing weekly updates on which donors to be connected with and supporting preparation for meetings and follow-up notes and action steps.
- Hire, develop and manage future staff for responsible data entry and donation processing.
- Work closely with the board of directors and support some board members as they take on a more active fundraising role.
*This is a new role for Boston Food Forest Coalition, so the right candidate must be willing to take on other responsibilities as this role and the organization evolve.
Qualifications specific to this role
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- 3-5 years of related professional experience with demonstrated success increasing year-over-year funds raised across multiple donor segments (individuals, foundations, etc).
- Demonstrated track record of successfully identifying, building relationships with donors, soliciting, stewarding and increasing donor giving over time and managing a portfolio or area of a fundraising program.
- Skilled in creating powerful, compelling written and oral communications for fundraising. Ability to convey complex ideas through brief, simple materials.
- Some experience assessing, packaging, and presenting fundraising data and trends for organizational budgeting and decision-making.
- Some experience successfully managing staff toward goals, supporting individual professional development and team learning, implementing decision rights, and creating a culture where team members feel accepted and respected.
- Knowledge of Boston’s philanthropic community.
Qualifications for all BFFC employees
- Excitement for BFFC’s mission and ability to convey passion for our work.
- Action-oriented with a flexible and adaptable style.
- Excellent organizational skills and capacity to prioritize and manage time well, with strong attention to detail.
- Ability to work as a self-starter without oversight, and as a team player who productively engages with others within and outside the organization.
- Ability and desire to learn and grow in new situations and from mistakes; actively integrates feedback to improve.
- Experience proactively communicating goals and updates, and eliciting input from various stakeholders.
- Familiar with using web browsers and Google suite tools (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets), or similar with willingness to learn Google suite.
Benefits
- Salary: $76,500, commensurate with experience
- Competitive health and dental insurance
- 40 days Personal Time Off annually (includes: holidays, sick days, and vacation)
- Retirement match
- Professional development stipend
- Cell phone and laptop stipend
- Travel stipend
- BFFC is committed to internal equity for salary and benefits and therefore does not negotiate compensation.
- BFFC is committed to sustainability and supports staff in taking time off to balance evening and weekend hours.
Location
- This is a Boston, Massachusetts-based position that will require travel within and outside of Boston to meet with donors.
- This position will include a mix of in-person and virtual/remote work.
- We ask all staff to abide by COVID-19 guidance set by the City of Boston.
How to Apply
- Please submit a cover letter detailing your qualifications for this position, along with a resume to: hiring@bostonfoodforest.org.
- The email subject line must read: Your First & Last Name - Development Manager.
- We will review all submissions, identify viable candidates, and contact only those individuals selected to continue in the search process.
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