Chief Development Officer

Position Title: Chief Development Officer
Status: Full Time, Exempt
Reports to: President/CEO
Salary: $100,000 - $125,000 - Commensurate with experience and competitive with local market. In addition, a generous benefits package is included
To Apply: Please send cover letter and resume to Gail Putnam at gputnam@jewishallianceri.org.

Summary of Job Description:
The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is looking for a Chief Development Officer to help us reimagine Jewish philanthropy in Rhode Island. Working from the solid foundation of a $3 million annual giving campaign, the Chief Development Officer will work with the CEO to create new strategies to grow support for the Jewish community in the region. The Chief Development Officer will have the opportunity to provide strategic guidance to the entire organization as part of the Alliance’s Leadership Team. The person also leads a team responsible for all aspects of fundraising, including an annual campaign, endowment, supplemental campaigns, corporate sponsorships, grants, events, and other means of raising funds.

The ideal candidate possesses a record of successful fundraising, including prospecting, donor stewardship, cultivation of major gifts, and a clear understanding how fundraising connects to the larger success of the organization, as well as strong leadership skills. The candidate should have a curiosity and passion for building new relationships and securing new donors, as well as a positive outlook on the organization’s ability to inspire giving.

Primary Responsibilities:

Individual Giving, Annual Campaign and Supplemental Campaigns
• Plan, develop, organize, implement, direct, and evaluate the Alliance’s individual giving program, the core of which, is the Alliance’s annual community campaign.
• Manage a group of volunteers to ensure all volunteers make individual solicitations for the annual community campaign.
• Develop resource development strategies that respond to changing markets, evolving individual and organizational interests, and emerging fundraising issues.
• Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of the local donor environment, and philanthropic interests of key individual donors and prospects.
• Manage a portfolio of donors, and build and maintain relationships with those donors that result in increased giving to the Alliance.
• Monitor fundraising progress and take appropriate steps to meet objectives and goals.
• Annually assess fundraising results to identify areas of opportunity, growth, risk, and challenge.
• Work with a committee of volunteers to identify prospective donors to the organization and cultivate relationships with those potential donors that lead to gifts to the Alliance.
• Work with volunteers to brainstorm, plan, develop, implement, and evaluate supplemental giving campaigns that address specific community needs.
• Engage volunteers in the planning and development of stakeholder group events that increase fundraising to the organization’s annual campaign and supplemental campaigns. These groups include women’s giving as well as professional affinity groups.

Endowment and Donor Advised Funds
• Lead the Alliance’s efforts to grow its unrestricted and restricted endowments to ensure the long-term success and viability of the organization.
• Provide training to volunteers on how to have conversations with community members about creating endowments and the importance of doing so.
• Build relationships with donors capable of leaving endowments at the Alliance, and secure commitments to create those endowments.
• Develop a variety of strategies to increase donor knowledge of leaving endowments at the Alliance. Implement strategies and track progress.
• Ensure high levels of customer service for endowment fund holders and donor advised fund holders at the Alliance, including ensuring that statements are delivered to fund holders in a timely manner and disbursements are made in a timely manner.
• Build relationships with donor advised fund holders to better understand giving interests. Cultivate donor advised fund holders to give gifts to the Alliance for specific purposes.
• Work with the CEO to pass proposals through the Jewish Federation Foundation Board for use of unrestricted funds.

Other Fundraising and Community Development
• Develop and implement a schedule of high-quality events designed to deepen the relationship with existing donors and build relationships with new audiences.
• Develop and implement strategies to secure corporate sponsorships for all Alliance events, including two events with a fundraising-specific purpose.
• Develop and implement strategies to secure foundation and government grants for core areas of the Alliance work.
• Research strategies used by other nonprofit organizations and pilot best practice ideas at the Alliance in an effort to boost fundraising.
• Work collaboratively with other departments to better understand the needs of the organization, and develop fundraising strategies to address those needs – including research and coordination of grant opportunities.
• Recruit volunteers to support Alliance efforts, and to join the Alliance for fundraising missions, and national meetings of the Jewish community.

Organizational Leadership
• Serve as a member of the organization’s leadership team, responsible for strategy and operations of the Alliance.
• Provide feedback to and support for the implementation of the organization’s strategic plan.
• Provide staff support for the Financial Resource Development Committee of the Board as well as for the Board of the organization’s endowment. Be ready to interact with the Board of Directors on matters of Financial Resource Development.
• Lead the fundraising department, and provide supervision to the department’s staff.
• Ensure staff has adequate training, coaching, support, and resources to achieve individual and organizational goals.

Qualifications:
• Demonstrated experience with the Alliance’s core values and a clear commitment to them.
• Significant skills, knowledge, and demonstrated experience in fundraising, with at least 7-10 years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience building relationships with high-capacity donors and cultivating/securing major gifts over $10,000.
• Ability to design, implement, and manage effective cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies at the individual, family, corporate, and foundation levels.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Ability to set priorities and handle multiple projects. Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to manage staff, with demonstrated experience managing staff toward completion of goals.
• Enthusiastic and self-motivated individual who is comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, including occasional nights and weekends.
• Demonstrated experience implementing strategic plans and developing operational plans.
• Working knowledge of endowments and donor advised funds preferred.
• Knowledge of Jewish communal giving trends nationally and in Rhode Island a plus, but not required.
• Familiarity with software, including Microsoft suite as well as fundraising customer relationship databases preferred.
• Previous experience in a senior leadership role preferred, but not required.

Background on the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island:
The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island (the Alliance) serves to enrich the quality of life for Jews in Rhode Island, in Israel, and around the world. Today’s Alliance is where the community comes together as one to develop responses to critical issues facing Rhode Island. We do this through philanthropy, education and wellness opportunities, community relations, and by convening agencies, synagogues, and organizations to address issues of common concern. Together, we translate Jewish tradition and values into action. All of our work is guided by our core values:

Tzedakah: upholding the Jewish traditions of righteous giving and justice.
L’dor v’dor: securing a future filled with Jewish tradition and heritage.
Tikkun Olam: repairing the world.
Hineni: standing with others so no one stands alone.
Klal Yisrael: supporting worldwide Judaism and the State of Israel.
Torah: pursuing knowledge and lifelong learning.

To Apply: Please send cover letter and resume to Gail Putnam at gputnam@jewishallianceri.org.