Director of Development

Posted by How I Decide Foundation on January 15, 2019

Founded in 2014, the How I Decide Foundation is an educational nonprofit 501(c)(3) based in suburban Philadelphia.  Our team is composed of academics, educators, and business professionals, and our work synthesizes insights from mindfulness through the behavioral sciences to neuroscience.  For four years, we successfully developed and distributed award-winning and nationally recognized programs developing youth decision-making skills. We are now shifting our strategy from program development and distribution to building a movement to bring Decision Education to all students in Middle and High School. A dynamic and engaged Board supports us. They are committed to the new strategy and are active in identifying and connecting us with new contacts and relationships. We have formed a Development Committee of the Board to support the new Director of Development.

For more information, please visit howidecide.org.

Position Description:

Reporting to the Executive Director (ED), the Director of Development will set, guide, and execute the strategy for all development efforts. A new position in the organization, the Director will have the opportunity to build the development function. S/he will be responsible for developing our efforts to solicit gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations both for our operational support and for supporting other organizations and initiatives in the field of Decision Education. The Director of Development will ensure that the How I Decide Foundation is viewed as the central reference, disseminator, and conduit of funding within this diverse constituency.

The Director of Development will work closely with a senior peer group within the organization as the development partner on a variety of strategic initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and evaluate the annual fundraising plan both in the short-term and long-term
• Secure financial support from individuals, foundations, and corporations
• Develop and maintain ongoing relationships with major donors
• Oversee organization and execution of special events
• Develop and oversee a consistent call time program for Executive Director, Board Chair and others
• Write grants and support grant writing efforts of partner organizations
• Manage implementation of a development information system/CRM
• Collaborate with the Board’s Development Committee
• Hire, mentor and lead team members responsible for the How I Decide Foundation’s Development efforts
• Track and measure all aspects of Development efforts with clear accounting and accountability

Qualifications:

The How I Decide Foundation is seeking an accomplished Director of Development who has at least 10 years of development experience, ideally in an “in-house” leadership role within a complex (based on number and variety of constituents) nonprofit entity, and covering areas such major gifts, donor relations, grant writing, event planning, Board engagement, and information systems and reporting. We seek someone with the demonstrated skills to identify opportunities, develop promising approaches, work with high net worth individuals and corporations of every size, and shepherd stakeholders through all parts of the development life cycle. The ultimate goal is to build an engaged, sustainable, and growing base of financial support for the foundation and other participants in the field of Decision Education.

Qualifications of ideal candidates include:

• Highly collaborative style; experience developing and implementing development strategies
• Excellent writing/editing and verbal communication skills
• A strong track record as an implementer who thrives on managing a variety of key initiatives concurrently
• Ability to adapt to changing development conditions and focus
• Relationship builder with the flexibility and finesse to “manage by influence”
• High energy, maturity, integrity, and leadership with the ability to serve as a unifying force and to position development discussions at both the strategic and tactical levels
• Sincere commitment to work collaboratively with all constituent groups, including staff, board members, volunteers, donors, program participants, and other supporters
• Self-starter, able to work independently, and entrepreneurial; enjoys creating and implementing new initiatives
• Experience working with individuals or organizations within the financial sector a plus
• Experience or interest in education and/or cognitive science is a plus

Application Process:

Please email your resume, a cover letter (stating minimum salary requirements), and samples of previous development related writing to employment@howidecide.org by February 1, 2019.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.  The How I Decide Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.