As the Managing Director, Institutional Advancement you play a critical leadership role for the Connecticut regional team. Institutional Advancement is responsible for building the support network to resource and sustain our regional work by rallying commitment from individuals and institutions who share our aspiration that every student in Connecticut have access to excellent educational opportunities. Over the next 5 years you will lead the team to raise nearly $30 million in regional revenue and grow and strengthen a coalition of champions for Teach For America’s work in Connecticut. You will set a bold vision and forge strong and dynamic relationships with public and private partners to position Teach For America – Connecticut as a thriving and enduring institution in the state whose impact and members are driving change across the system to improve outcomes for kids. You are highly ambitious, are a compelling communicator, and have a track record of influencing others to outcomes through sophisticated relationship management. You directly manage the Director-Corporate Foundations Relations and Manager-Institutional Advancement. You report to the Executive Director.
- Create the long–term regional development vision and annual strategic and operating plans for all donor streams to raise $5MM in revenue in FY19 and approximately $30MM over the next five years
- Set ambitious yet feasible revenue, donor retention, and acquisition benchmarks to achieve both immediate (current fiscal year) and long-term (next 3-5 years) development goals
- Strategically broaden and diversify our fundraising base to promote long-term organizational sustainability
- Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of donors through meetings, events, and correspondence
- Design a stewardship strategy to maintain our strong connections and ongoing communication with existing donors and consistently engage new prospects
- Serve as the primary external relationship holder and solicitor for the region
- Directly manage two full-time staff members and support their professional development and growth through providing regular feedback, meeting weekly to track progress-to-goal, and serving as a thought-partner and coach
- Regularly assess team-wide progress to goals, identifying what is driving and impeding progress and developing strategies to expand opportunities and overcoming barriers
- Prioritize the right actions for the Executive Director to take in order to cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and prospects and prepare/support ED to execute
- Suggest and agree upon the strategic ways that best leverage the ED’s time and talent with regards to fundraising
- Collaborate with the Executive Director to prepare for and participate in board meetings, lead board members on development specific projects or activities, and communicate with board members as needed
- Take on special projects at the direction of the Executive Director to maximize results and organizational impact
Regional & Organizational Stewardship
- All team members meet submission requirements for reimbursements (monthly), timesheets (weekly), and American Express reports (monthly, as needed) to support the organization’s financial standing
- Support team–wide goals for Connecticut and the National Breakthrough Results through participation in corps member recruitment, selection and matriculation, regional events and programming, team meetings, professional development, and participation in the city-based events to which the team member is assigned, if applicable
- 6+ years of previous work experience preferred; previous experience working for a non-profit or in education preferred
Work Demands
- Willing and able to work some early mornings, evenings or weekends as needed
- Willing and able to travel 2-3 times per year for professional development purposes
Skills
- Uncommon level of personal responsibility with exceptional goal orientation and a proven track record of success
- Demonstrated ability to both motivate and manage superiors, peers, and direct reports to achieve ambitious, measurable results
- Exceptional strategic and critical thinking skills
- Experience representing Teach For America to external parties
- Ability to build strong relationships with varying constituencies, even in challenging situations (including regional board members, funders, vendors, etc.)
- Ability to deeply understand the motivations of donors, corps members, alumni, and external partners and compel them to take action
- Able to use data and sound judgment to solve complex problems and prioritize action
- Able to work across multiple stakeholders on critical, time-sensitive projects
- Strong verbal and written communicator: can speak compellingly about our organization, mission, and goals and has a mature presence