Director of Development

Director of Development at Parkinson Voice Project

A Unique Opportunity

Parkinson Voice Project seeks a full-time Director of Development with a proven track record as the organization enters its 20^th Anniversary Year. This fundraising professional will strengthen current relationships with individuals and family foundations, identify and cultivate new ones, and secure major gifts to help our organization achieve greater financial stability and build its endowment for future patients.

Our organization has the leads. We have received many $1,000+ gifts from unknown donors from across the U.S. who have been helped by our organization. We also receive letters and emails each week from grateful patients and their families. We want our new Director of Development to connect with these generous individuals, cultivate these relationships, and share our vision and goals to secure greater support.

In 2021, Parkinson Voice Project launched a $20 Million “Campaign to Reach America.” This ambitious campaign aims to make our SPEAK OUT!® Therapy Program accessible for no charge to patients throughout the U.S. We are designating one university speech clinic in each state as a “SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center.” We have raised $15 million so far and have established 26 Centers that are treating patients, training graduate students, and conducting research. The Director of Development will be responsible for raising the final $5 million for this Campaign.  

The Director of Development will also work with the Director of Digital Marketing and Corporate Connections to develop two online fundraising campaigns each year. In addition, these two professionals will secure corporate sponsorships to fund:

1. Annual distribution of ~ 20,000 SPEAK OUT! Therapy Workbooks ($300,000).

2. Two hundred and sixty online SPEAK OUT! Home Practice Sessions ($100,000).

These workbooks and practice sessions are provided at no cost to people with Parkinson’s. Sponsors could be recognized in various ways (e.g., during online sessions, including marketing material with workbook shipment).

About Our Organization…

Parkinson Voice Project was founded on December 13, 2005. Our mission is to help people with Parkinson’s REGAIN and RETAIN their speech and swallowing. An estimated ten million people worldwide live with Parkinson’s, and ninety percent need our services.

In 2010, we developed a highly effective, evidence-based speech treatment for individuals with Parkinson’s called the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program. We treat patients throughout Texas from our clinic in Richardson, Texas (in-person and online). We are also replicating our SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program across the U.S. and abroad by training speech-language pathologists and graduate students worldwide. Our SPEAK OUT! Therapy materials have been translated into ten languages so far.

Since 2008, we have uniquely funded our 501C3 nonprofit organization without a separate development team. We have provided all our patient care services at no charge. We don’t bill Medicare or insurance either.

We do not host galas, 5K runs, or silent auctions. Instead, we follow Jim Collin’s Good to Great principles, keeping our focus and resources on what we are passionate about and what we do best – helping people with Parkinson’s and related neurological disorders worldwide regain and retain their speech and swallowing. In turn, grateful patients and their families Pay It Forward to help future patients. We have never been in debt.

We have impeccable financials with clear annual audits. We’ve secured a $5 million gift to endow our 10,000-square-foot clinic, along with its maintenance. We have consistently spent 85%+ of our budget on patient care services. We have a Four-Star rating with Charity Navigator and earned Platinum Transparency for 2024 on GuideStar.

With the help of business consultants who selected our organization for a $200,000 pro-bono consulting project, we’ve developed an elaborate Monthly Operations Reporting System to continually track our progress and make logical and sound adjustments to help us achieve our global mission.

Each week, we receive testimonials from grateful patients. Here are a few:

“We went out to dinner with friends the other evening, and for the first time in ages, I was able to join in the conversations!”
-Debbie, Georgia

“With the arrival of grandchildren, I was looking forward to singing lullabies. Unfortunately, the best I could do was barely hum a tune. Today, after only five weeks of SPEAK OUT! Therapy, I can sing a song all the way through. I feel confident again now. I sing around the house. I lift my voice into the far corners of the family room.”

—Jackie, Arizona

Before SPEAK OUT! Therapy, there would be times when I swallowed food, and it would get stuck in my esophagus. It was hard to breathe. As you can imagine, I was experiencing a bit of anxiety. Since being in the program, this has not happened to me at all - NOT ONCE! It makes for a much more relaxing and enjoyable mealtime.”

—Roger, Florida

Visit www.ParkinsonVoiceProject.org to learn more about our organization.

If you want to be part of a genuine, efficient, and high-performing team while making a profound impact on the lives of people with Parkinson’s and their families worldwide, we invite you to apply to be our Director of Development. Parkinson Voice Project offers a competitive salary with bonuses, healthcare benefits, and a 401k plan with a 5% match.

Please submit your resume with a cover letter to Hilary Byatt, Chief Operating Officer, at hbyatt@ParkinsonVoiceProject.org.

Qualifications:

• Graduate Degree Preferred
• 10+ Years’ Development Experience
• CFRE or ACFRE Certification Preferred
• Ethical and Maintains Confidentiality
• Excellent Data Management Skills
• Authentic Communicator
• Superior Writing Skills
• Servant Mindset
• Well-versed in the fundraising practices of Jerold Panas
• Proven track record for cultivating trusting relationships and securing major gifts