Senior Director of Advancement

Job Description

Job Description

Salary: $110,000 annually

About the Opportunity:

826 Boston seeks a dynamic candidate with a strong command of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles to serve as our next Senior Director of Advancement. The ideal candidate is someone who can lead large-scale projects while coordinating the work of others, build and leverage strong networks to cultivate meaningful external relationships, and approach challenges with creativity and speed. The ideal candidate will bring a track record of success and innovation with major fundraising campaigns and a passion for writing and youth leadership development.

The Senior Director of Advancement will have at least three direct reports and oversee the organizations entire Development and Communications department. The Senior Director of Advancement will also serve on the organizations senior management team, contributing to organizational decision-making and vision-setting.

Our Mission:

826 Boston is a nonprofit writing, tutoring, and publishing organization where students in grades K-12 and beyond can share their stories, amplify their voices, and develop as leaders in school and in life.

Responsibilities:

The Director of Advancement will work 40 hours a week. Regular in-person hours are required. Applicants must reside in Massachusetts before the role starts and be able to commute to the in-person location listed below

• In-Person Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9am - 5pm with potential flexibility on start and end time if needed
• In-Person Location: 1865 Columbus Ave., Roxbury, MA 02119
• Remote Hours: Most Fridays. Required all-team meetings, professional development, and tasks occur on virtual Fridays
  • Occasional departmental and organizational meetings will take place on Fridays at our Tutoring Center located at 3035 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119

Planning and Strategy

• Develops and executes an annual fundraising plan thats aligned with the organizations strategic plan and current five-year fundraising campaign, collaborating with the Executive Director, board members, and key team members
• Oversees the development and execution of an annual communication plan to elevate the work and impact of the organization with key audiences and stakeholders
• Partners with the Executive Director to establish appropriate goals, timetables, benchmarks, plans, and budgets for all fundraising events and activities
• Supports the development of internal communication plans and strategies to promote smooth operations and encourage cross-team collaboration
• Introduces and maintains best practices in development and communications through ongoing professional development for relevant team members and board members

Donor Cultivation and Stewardship

• Broadens, deepens, and diversifies 826 Boston's base of major donors and philanthropic profile, in partnership with the Executive Director and Board of Directors
• Ensures that touchpoints with high-level prospects and donors occur on a regular basis
• Oversees the donor solicitation and acknowledgment process, creation and maintenance of donor records, and funder information

Institutional Support

• Oversee the Director of Foundation Relations and the Associate Development Director to ensure that high-quality grant applications and sponsorship requests are submitted on schedule
• Seeks out opportunities to cultivate relationships with new foundations and giving institutions

Events

• Ensure board member and stakeholder attendance at signature fundraising events
• Manages team members to provide additional fundraising events, campaigns, and initiatives to meet annual fundraising goals

Communications and Marketing

• Oversees the Director of Communications to create marketing and publicity via social media, local, and national media outlets
• Manages the team that authors end-of-year appeals, annual reports, impact reports, organizational literature, and other external documents
• Oversees the team that ensures 826 Bostons website clearly and effectively communicates the organizations mission, purpose, and impact while remaining accessible and user-friendly
• Supports the Executive Director in identifying opportunities to participate as a thought leader in media, events, conferences, and similar settings
• Identifies applicable opportunities for the Director of Advancement and other members of the 826 Boston team to strategically represent 826 Boston publicly

Team Management

• Engages and supports the 826 Boston Board of Directors in their fundraising endeavors
• Fosters a positive, collaborative team culture within the Development and Communications department.
• Directly supervises at least three reports: Director of Communications, Director of Foundation Relations, and Associate Director of Development
• Serve on the senior management team to ensure progress toward strategic plan goals and identify areas of strength, opportunity, and vulnerability in infrastructure, resources, and staff
• Serves as staff liaison to the Boards Advancement Committee and guides its activities
• Helps identify professional development opportunities for the development and communications department
• Provides other services as reasonably requested by the Executive Director

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is a team player with a steadfast commitment to improving the quality of K-12 education, including adopting antiracist/anti-oppressive approaches, with a desire to work in a collaborative and inclusive culture, and a passion for youth empowerment through writing and publishing.

826 Boston recognizes that impostor syndrome and the confidence gap might prevent some applicants from applying. Few candidates will have all of the relevant experience listed below, but 826 Boston is committed to assessing candidates with transferable skills and a willingness to be trained for this role.

• 5+ years of experience in fundraising, communications, and advancement for non-profit organizations
• A successful track record of creating and executing fundraising strategies that consistently meet organizational goals
• Experience securing and managing major gifts, annual giving, grants, and/or capital campaigns of $500,000 or more
• Experience engaging and cultivating external stakeholders, including individual donors, foundations, corporations, and/or community partners
• Experience developing and managing team and project budgets
• Ability to forecast revenue and analyze financial reports
• Exceptional team management skills with the ability to mentor, coach, and develop staff, and build a strong sense of team identity and community
• Exceptional time management, project management, and resource management skills with close attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to incorporate anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices into their analysis, planning, and work
• Strategic and innovative thinker who is self-directed, adaptable, and deadline-driven
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Reside in Massachusetts and be able to travel between the 826 Boston offices and school partner sites
• Proficiency in Google Sheets/Excel, Salesforce (or another fundraising database), QuickBooks, and InDesign preferred

Salary and Benefits

826 Boston offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience in a similar position, with the potential for an annual performance-based bonus. The salary for this position is $110,000 annually.

We offer competitive salaries and benefits and are committed to equity, trust, and transparency in compensation. Basing compensation on someones ability to negotiate or their prior salary can lead to inequities and bias in how people are paid, particularly for groups experiencing historical oppression. Therefore, we do not ask for prior pay history from our candidates, and our offer-making process is negotiation-free for salaries and benefits.New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary based on internal equity and the budgeted amount for the role.

Benefits include flexible work from home options, generous paid time off (including 15 PTO days, 5 days of sick leave, 13 paid holidays, 6 Summer Fridays off, and an organization-wide two-week winter break); health, dental, and vision insurance (826 Boston covers 80% of premiums), parental leave, paid sabbatical, and more.

This is an exempt, full-time position that reports to the Executive Director. The ideal start date is June 1, 2026.

826 Boston Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

At 826 Boston, we honor and actively work toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across our organization. We are committed to centering the voices of the students whom we serve, to creating inclusive spaces, and to incorporating feedback from our community into our decision-making processes. Our DEI lens is always evolving through the courageous conversations in which we participate and the relationships that we build through our work and service. We strengthen our cultural competency through experience, training, and feedback, which informs the development of all new organizational practices and goals and the evaluation of all existing procedures.

826 Boston is dedicated to providing a platform for student advocacy through writing and publishing opportunities. In our work and mission, we are committed to dismantling white supremacy culture by recognizing that we are complicit in systems of racism and oppression. We will work to hold ourselves accountable in addressing these harmful structures and behaviors.

About Us

826 Boston is part of a national network of youth writing centers, co-founded by the award-winning author Dave Eggers and educator Nnive Calegari, that were named in GOOD Magazines 30 Places We Want to Work. Since opening in 2007, 826 Boston has delivered its free youth writing and tutoring programs to more than 35,000 students and has been recognized by The Boston Globe as one of the best places in the city to volunteer. 826 Bostons youth writers have published their work in The New York Times, The Boston Globe,and in numerous award-winning 826 Boston books, including A Place for Me in the World, which was hailed as a triumph of middle school education byThe Boston Globe. In 2013, the 826 National network garnered the prestigious American Literacy Prize awarded by the Library of Congress.

Accommodations

826 Boston provides reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities at every stage of the application process. Disclosing a disability or requesting a need for accommodations is a separate process from admissions and will have absolutely no bearing on a candidates application status. 826 Boston will make every effort to meet your request, but specific requests are not guaranteed. If you need to request an accommodation, please contact Catherine Gomez at View email address on ziprecruiter.com.

How to Apply

Please include why you are interested in 826 Boston and how your experience has prepared you for this position in your cover letter. The priority application deadline for this position is May 22, 2026. After that date, applications will be considered on a rolling basis. It is in your best interest to apply as soon as possible.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.