The Director, Institutional Advancement is a lead member of Teach For America - Detroit’s External Affairs team. The External Affairs team fuels essential components of our regional organization that enable our movement to achieve maximum impact. This team establishes and nurtures a positive brand through messaging across all our audiences; develops and executes assets and events that rally the inspiration and commitment that long-term movements require; and develops and stewards relationships essential to raising the resources necessary to sustain a healthy enterprise. The Director of Institutional Advancement, in partnership with the Executive Director and leadership team, will be responsible for managing the region’s efforts to secure at least $14 million in commitments over the next two years, and support the development of a regional board.
Leading candidates for the Director of Institutional Advancement will be aligned with Teach For America’s core values and believe in its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusiveness. The candidates will be able to navigate multiple projects and will thrive in a fast-paced environment. Finally, the candidate will enjoy work that requires innovation, personal ownership, and extensive attention to detail. The Director of Institutional Advancement is part of a highly collaborative team who reports to the Chief of Staff and collaborates frequently with the Executive Director.
Corporate and Individual Giving (90%)
In partnership with the Executive Director and the external affairs team, develop and execute a strategy that secures more than $14 million in support from individuals and corporations over the next two years.
- Own and manage a portfolio of individual and corporate donors through all stages of the donor life cycle, representing approximately 50% of regional revenue
- Act as a brand ambassador in all external spaces and in all written communications
- Support the vetting, onboarding, ongoing stewardship and support of regional board members
- Develop comprehensive meeting preparation for the Executive Director and other members of the external affairs team, including research, background, giving history, talking points, and other relevant information.
- Conduct prospect research to find and qualify potential partners for Teach For America
- Develop compelling profiles of corps members, alumni, and students to be compiled in a region-wide story bank
- Support the execution of large-scale mailings and communications and develop written collateral to support our regional impact narrative
- Support the development and execution of an annual alumni giving campaign to grow the number of alumni stewarding the organization annually with a financial gift
- Develop and manage program and teacher sponsorship programs to directly connect funders with classroom and school level impact
- Provide strategy, planning, and execution for all development events; including managing vendors, guest management, staffing plan, etc
- Maintain and track all donations and donor information in Salesforce with a goal of maintaining 100% accuracy in our record keeping
- Create and maintain region-wide development dashboards in Salesforce; create custom reports as requested to drive strategic decision-making and action
Ongoing Regional Responsibilities (10%)
Serve as an “all hands on deck” team member willing to support the region in various ways as needs and opportunities arise, by taking on the following:
- Participate in and support various regional and national efforts, including events and special projects that sometimes occur on nights and weekends, including corps member selection, recruitment and matriculation, corps member professional development Saturdays, fundraising and alumni networking events, staff meetings, functional team meetings and retreats, and regional pre-service.
- Complete general administrative responsibilities accurately and on time.
- 5-7 years of relevant work experience
- Contextual experience highly preferred, including experience working in a Teach For America region, within a non-profit organization in the education sector, or in a business development role in Southeast Michigan
- Connection and commitment to Teach For America’s mission is required
Skills
- Critical thinker who enjoys spending significant time solving problems and developing opportunities with an uncommon level of personal responsibility, exceptional goal orientation, and a proven track record of success
- Exceptional relationship builder across diverse constituencies with keen understanding of the beliefs, contexts and motivations of others.
- Strong verbal and written communicator: can speak compellingly about our organization, mission, and goals.
Work Demands
- Occasional weekend or evening work (3-4 times per month) is required
- Minimal overnight travel (1-2 times per year) may be required
- Ability to navigate facilities that may or may not be ADA-compliant
- Ability to lift and transport up to 30 pounds for work purposes