Director of Leadership Giving

About the Organization:

At Junior Achievement we believe in "possible." Each day, we work to help young people discover what's possible in their lives. We do this by helping them connect what they learn in school with life outside the classroom. We let them know it's possible to invest in their future, to gain a better understanding of how the world works, and to pursue their dreams.

Junior Achievement's proven lessons in financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship are shown to positively impact the lives of young people. These lessons align with national and state educational standards and are delivered to millions of students across the country with the help of our education partners and volunteers from the local community. Research shows that JA Alumni are more likely to have a college degree, feel confident managing money, have career success, and have started a business as an adult.

In response to systemic poverty and inequalities in the region, Junior Achievement of Greater Boston set forth to implement against a bold strategic vision to close the wealth and opportunity gaps for youth in key impact communities in the Greater Boston region (currently Boston, Chelsea, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Quincy, and Somerville) by creating middle school to career pathways, igniting youth entrepreneurship, and preparing financially savvy youth.

Do you love working on behalf of children and young adults, fostering their growth and development? Do you want a job that is challenging, gratifying, and allows you the opportunity to impact thousands of youth each year? Do you want to work on a team with a culture of mutual respect and commitment to excellence? If so, please learn more about the role below.

For more information about JAGB, please see: Boundless Futures through Education | Junior Achievement of Greater Boston

About the Role:

Junior Achievement of Greater Boston (JA) seeks a Director of Leadership Giving (DLG). Reporting to the Chief Development Officer (CDO), the Director of Leadership Giving will contribute to fundraising and external relations that sustain and grow JA of Greater Boston’s annual budget. The current budget is approximately $3.1 million and expected to grow significantly in the coming years as we implement our evolving strategic vision. The DLG will serve on a Development Team comprised of five full-time employees and one part-time contractor.

The DLG plays a vital role in JA of Greater Boston’s success by securing contributions from new individuals and families, as well as retaining and maximizing current funders. The DLG will set and implement JAGB’s annual and multi-year individual giving strategy. Specific areas of focus include major gifts, multi-year commitments, donor advised funds, planned giving, a year-end appeal, and more.

The DLG must be a personable, team-oriented leader who is passionate about Junior Achievement’s mission of advancing educational equity. A Director of Leadership Giving will be highly organized, adept at forming and maintaining relationships, an exceptional communicator, a strong strategic thinker, and willing to think innovatively while taking risks.

This is a full-time, hybrid position, providing the option to work both remotely and in JA’s Innovation Centers in Charlestown and Lawrence. The DLG will be supplied with a laptop and monitor, must have reliable internet, and must have reliable access to a vehicle or be able to commute to sites, donors, and prospects without issue.

Core Responsibilities:

Contribute to Junior Achievement of Greater Boston’s $3.1 million annual fundraising goal:

1. Cultivate, solicit and steward a portfolio of individual donors.
2. Work alongside the CDO and CEO to secure major, multi-year commitments from individuals and families (IG).
3. Lead on the creation of an IG prospect pipeline. This includes qualifying donors within JAGB’s existing relationship database, as well as conducting research to generate new business.
4. Work alongside CDO to engage individual Board and Advisory Board Members in an annual giving strategy.
5. Work with CDO to develop structured, strategic engagement and stewardship plans for donors at mid-tier and top-tier giving levels. Coordinate these deliverables with the broader JAGB staff team.
6. Convert one-time donors into multi-year commitments at a range of giving levels.
7. Work alongside the CDO to engage Board Members and Associate Board Members to facilitate new partnership opportunities.
8. Work with the CDO to develop structured, strategic engagement and stewardship plans, in turn creating an excellent customer experience and encouraging a high rate of partnership renewal. Coordinate these deliverables with the broader JAGB staff team.
9. Coordinate with JA USA and other JA chapters nationwide as appropriate.
10. Collaborate with our part-time grantwriter to produce proposals, reports, or other written deliverables as required.

Support Junior Achievement of Greater Boston annual events and key initiatives:

1. Serve as primary project manager for one annual event: the Spirit of JA Breakfast.
2. Support the Program Team to recruit, train, and steward volunteers through annual programmatic initiatives, including the JA Company Program, 3DE by Junior Achievement, and Career Pathway for Alumni.
3. Cultivate JAGB’s robust annual volunteer base as donors.
4. Collaborate with the Events Coordinator to encourage attendance at/participation in annual fundraising events.
5. Work alongside the Corporate Partnerships Manager to identify individual donors at corporate partners, and leverage individual champions to make introductions at area businesses.
6. Track partnership activity, pipeline, and results using JA’s national CRM database.
7. Serve as the primary Development Team liaison to JAGB’s Associate Board. Work alongside the Chief Development Officer as appropriate to support the Board of Directors.

Develop new programs:

1. Lead in the launch of Junior Achievement of Greater Boston’s inaugural major gifts program ($1,000+).
2. Lead in the creation of JAGB’s planned giving program.
3. Operationalize collaboration between Program Team and Development Team to increase organizational conversion rate of volunteers into donors, as well as donors into volunteers.

Qualifications:

• Strong mission-alignment and passion for empowering young people from underserved communities; passion for philanthropy and nonprofit work;
• 4-6 years of related experience, either in the non-profit or for-profit sectors;
• A record of measurable results in organizing and implementing such activities as: major gifts, annual funds, planned giving, fundraising appeals, and more;
• Knowledge and experience with a CRM system, preferably Blackbaud (e.g. Raiser’s Edge) and Microsoft. Actively use and ensure development team uses CRM system to capture stakeholder contact information, interactions and for prospecting; familiarity with Asana a plus;
• Ability to thrive in an inclusive organizational culture that attracts and retains diverse talent. Experience working effectively in a team environment with diverse staff and stakeholders.
• Reliable with a high level of maturity and sound judgment. Flexible and comfortable with ambiguity;
• Leads with humility, and learns and grows from mistakes; willingness to participate in and contribute to a real-time feedback culture;
• A track record as an effective communicator; highly developed skills in writing and speaking;
• Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail and ability to reliably meet deadlines;
• The ability to work independently and as a team player, to work effectively virtually, while managing a balance of in-person meetings, now and in the future; ability to take initiative, and to manage multiple tasks and projects at a time;
• Outstanding customer service skills.

Compensation and Benefits

The range for this position is $115,000-$130,000. Compensation within this range is commensurate with experience. JAGB provides a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and 401(k) with employer match. Generous paid time off.

Interested candidates should send resume, cover letter and compensation requirements to : View email address on click.appcast.io.

Corporate Culture Statement

We hire the best people, not just the best talent. We work together as one team to deliver our mission. We treat each other with respect, communicate clearly, value diverse opinions, and challenge the status quo on our quest for continuous improvement. We value our people and offer them competitive compensation/benefits, schedule flexibility, and purposeful professional/personal development opportunities. We treat all our stakeholders as important contributors to our ultimate goal of delivering on our mission. JA provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants. We do not discriminate against any individual or group of individuals on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. We encourage applications from candidates who can complement our diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion work by offering unique perspectives and understanding of issues impacting groups that have been traditionally under-represented in the field.

JA of Greater Boston is committed to hiring staff who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Candidates of color, bilingual, and bicultural candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

The above position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related duties required by their supervisor. This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an "at-will" relationship.