We are in the process of launching a Career Coaching Program for our Post-secondary students this fall and are interested in partnering with young professionals and diverse employees to volunteer as coaches and help guide our students through the steps of the job search process. The commitment would be one to two hours per month, either in-person or virtually, starting in November 2022 and ending in May 2023.

Interested?  Please email Robert Gannone at rgannone@summersearch.org for more information.

While young people from low-income communities – who are disproportionately young people of color – face systemic inequities in school, in the workforce, and in life, they possess unique strengths, resilience and tremendous potential. When provided with support and resources, these young people fulfill their potential and achieve success in school, work and life.

Through a combination of mentoring and transformative experiences, Summer Search supports young people to successfully transition from adolescence into adulthood. We aim to unleash the potential of our young people while also building a toolkit for navigating and challenging systemic barriers to higher education and career opportunities.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Summer Search Philadelphia is seeking a Post-Secondary Director to play an essential role in implementing, refining, and evaluating innovative ways in which we serve our increasingly growing high school students and post-secondary participants. The Director will have the opportunity to hire and lead an internal team to provide high-quality programming (e.g. advising, career coaching) to our high school seniors, college students and students who choose an alternative pathway. The best work does not happen in isolation, we are committed to enjoying this journey and experiencing joy in our work together.

WORKING AT SUMMER SEARCH

We are committed to staff learning, growth and development. Our holistic investment includes:

· Competitive and transparent salaries. This is an exempt position with a starting salary of $74,501.

· Medical insurance with up to 90% employer contribution

· Dental, vision, FSA, life and disability insurance plans

· 401 (K) and Employer Match up to $2,000 annually

· Generous time off including 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 18 ‘holidays’ (2 floating holidays of your choice, 10 company-wide holidays and a 1-week December closure.

· Individual, local, regional and national training; plus, a $200 professional development stipend for external training

· A commitment to developing leaders from within the organization

· An organizational culture that supports staff well-being and holistic self-care/community care

· Ample opportunities to connect with the students and communities we serve

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

With a staff that cares deeply about social justice and racial justice, we believe that diverse perspectives and backgrounds create a rich work environment and enhance our ability to pursue our mission. We are committed to building an organization with raised consciousness in order to impact how we work with students, as well as how we work together as a team.

Learn more about the Post-Secondary Director opportunity here.

In case it’s helpful, here’s my notes from the NASFAA call yesterday afternoon – not as helpful to me as I’d wanted it to be but I’m not a financial aid administrator. Towards the end, some semi-helpful info on work study. Big takeaway overall was that there are tons of rules that are mandated by law connected to finaid, especially “Title IV Funds” (AKA Pell, SEOG) so colleges hands are a bit tied on figuring that stuff out until Congress passes legislation. Bills were introduced in both the house and senate Friday, March 13, so we should see some movement but it won’t be immediate. Also, for student loan interest being put on pause – still nothing official from DOE on that, but it was mentioned in Trump’s address. So more to come there.

NASFAA Call:

State of Affairs – American College Health Association

• Uncharted waters dealing with this pandemic. Nothing like this since 1918 Spanish influenza.
• What this is not: no high fatality rate (Ebola, etc.)
• fatality rate (for college-aged students, <.02%; for elderly 14-16%)
• Pace by which happening: 4000+ cases, 75 deaths. When do measures we put in place start to level off?
• Right now: looking at extreme social isolation, campuses moving to remote learning. HSs easier to fully shut down than a campus. Some students still on campuses, transitional housing.
  • With that, host of issues: by moving students off campus, hopefully prevent spread but start running into food and housing insecurity, safe learning environments, technology access. Taking students out of an environment where had mental health supports, isolation leads to anxiety and depression. Continuity of care for folks with special needs.
  • Study abroad programs: most cancelled.
  • Need to keep eye on anti discrimination concerns
  • Faculty and staff: no one is immune to anxiety – must take care of ourselves and others.
• Balancing information sharing and not fatiguing folks with information, too.
• Think restrictions will be in place into summer. Possibility that there will be continued virtual learning – should plan for potential disruption beyond May. Fall is the big question mark right now. *Organizing study abroad will be different*
• We’re going to see social distancing become more extreme and then once flattens, concern around reinfection. There will be life after this with return to campuses, work, etc.
• Seasonality and reinfection: evidence is showing that this is a novel pathogen, qualities we don’t know. South America and Australia have growing cases in warmer climates. Reinfection will be a big issue.
• Dealing with lots of ambiguity – feel confident that DOE is hearing finaid admins and responding. NASFAA will keep everyone posted

Department of Education Guidance

• Issued March 5 – talked about different scenarios (ex: student was in study abroad right now, Student quarantined and missed classes, Campus moves online, Campus closes and stops all classes, Foreign school suspends
• Proposed Congressional Legislation
• DOE has to get congressional approval to change – congress is working on some legislation
• Friday: Senate and House intro’d support students bills
• $1.2 B in emergency grants to be able to give students up to $1500 for COVID-19 related costs
• Would give schools more wiggle room –
• Hopefully will make moves in the next week or two.
• Includes:
  • Education Preparedness and Support Grants Provides funding to institutions of higher education impacted by qualifying emergencies.
  • Emergency Financial Aid for Students Helps address basic needs created by unexpected college closures and COVID-19 related disruptions
  • R2T4 Relief Exempts students from paying back grants and loans through R2T4 process
  • Foreign Education Allows foreign institutions serving American students to provide distance education

Presidential Announcement

• Relief for student loan borrowers – waive interest from March 13 onward – nothing written by the DOE on this yet, but was announced by Trump Friday.
• Forbearance would be interest free

NASFAA Resource Page
Q&A

• If institutions are prorating R&B, online classes, etc, what adjustments do campuses have to make? DOE releasing more guidance on this. If institution refunds or provides a waiver of any institutional charges, DOE will not require finaid to modify COA. No need to make any changes to student finaid award.
  • If providing refunds: will likely create credit balances. DOE has not yet waived rules for Title IV (Pell, SEOG, etc) credit balances (finaid offices should be connecting with Business Office)
• Work study:
  • If can’t work: should be paid by their job regardless of working the hours or now – they will have to fill out time sheets for the hours they would have worked.
  • Students can work remotely if that is possible – schools can set students up to work remotely but they can still pay students their work study amounts for not working.
  • How much should they be paid? Will require some institutional discretion. According to DOE, student can be paid for hours were scheduled to work for time not on campus.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress:
  • With current proposed legislation, would waive SAP for this semester due to COVID 19 interruption.
• Any verification leniency?
• Nothing yet, but probably more to come
• Presidents announcement on loan interest – does include PLUS loans too. But again, nothing from DOE in writing on that yet.

Summer Search is an $18M national youth development non-profit in seven cities across the country. Since 1990, we’ve worked with low-income high school students to transform what they believe is possible for them­selves. We help them develop the skills and character traits they need to become college educated leaders who give back to their families and communities. We make a long-term investment in these students, at least five years, from high school through college. We partner each student with a professional mentor and build a circle of relationships around them. Then, we offer them experiential opportunities that crack open their view of the world and ultimately reveal what they’re capable of. Summer Search alumni, typically the first in their families to earn a college degree, are beacons of change who give back to their families and communities. 77% of Summer Search students are on track to get a college degree within 6 years; contrast that with fewer than 1 in 10 of their peers. 80% of surveyed alumni volunteered for social cause.

Powered by a successful $20M national growth campaign, Summer Search launched our five-year strategic plan in 2013 with the goal of serving more than 3,500 students by 2017. As the link between positive character traits and a child’s future success continues to gain widespread national attention, Summer Search stands at an exciting inflection point in its history. Recognized by the Non-Profit Times in both 2013 and 2014 as one of the 50 Best Non-Profits to Work for, Summer Search’s success can be attributed to our stellar team and we hope you will consider joining us. For more information, please visit http://www.summersearch.org.

Position Overview:

Summer Search Philadelphia has seen tremendous growth since its founding in 2006 and is now seeking a passionate, entrepreneurial, and results-oriented Director of Development to build the program’s fundraising capacity. Partnering with Summer Search National’s Deputy Chief Development Officer and Philadelphia’s Executive Director, the Director of Development will manage a portfolio of major donors and prospects, with the goal of raising approximately $900K in 2015. In addition, the Director of Development will supervise the Development and Operations Assistant, working collaboratively to ensure excellent development operations. This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced professional who is motivated to lead both the internal development operations and external donor relations of a highly successful youth development program.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee Summer Search Philadelphia’s development function, including building and implementing a strategic plan, in order to achieve a fundraising goal of approximately $900K in 2015 and grow to $1.3M in 2017
• Assume personal responsibility for managing an existing portfolio of 100-125 individual donors and family foundations, with the goal of raising over $750,000 annually
• Identify, research, qualify and cultivate new major gift prospects with the capacity to make five- and six-figure gifts
• Build donor-specific cultivation strategies, leveraging staff and Board leadership to solicit and steward prospects and donors
• Act as a key liaison to the Board, working with the group to promote a culture of philanthropy and offering proactive support and guidance for their development activities
• Supervise and mentor Philadelphia’s Development and Operations Assistant in order to ensure excellent development operations, including research, gift acknowledgment, and data tracking and analysis against fundraising goals
• Collaborate with local and national development staff to support key network-wide partnerships with corporate, foundation, and individual donors
• Serve as the project management and strategic lead for Philadelphia’s signature annual fundraising dinner, with administrative and logistical support from the Development and Operations Assistant
• Represent Summer Search at key networking opportunities and community events with external stakeholders

Qualifications:

• At least five years of professional experience in the non-profit development field, with a successful history of advancing individual relationships toward increased support, ideally at the five-figure level and six-figure level
• Proven success in growing a fundraising budget by creating and executing effective strategies
• Demonstrated experience and/or passion for Summer Search’s mission of helping low-income youth realize their potential and achieve academic success
• Proven ability to build strong and trusting partnerships, with both internal and external stakeholders, bringing a professional and warm demeanor and astute communication skills
• Demonstrated commitment to and track record of managing, analyzing and using data to build, implement and adjust fundraising strategy as needed
• Demonstrated experience in managing fundraising events
• Experience with fundraising databases and Excel required (Raiser’s Edge preferred)
• Prior experience in serving as a liaison to Board development activities preferred
• Staff management experience preferred
• Results- and mission-driven team player who thrives in an authentic, feedback-driven culture and excels in an entrepreneurial setting
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Strong attention to detail; organized and systematic in follow-through with all stakeholders

http://www.idealist.org/view/job/Nt74DhZH7Z5P