Senior Director of Development, Boston Market

April 2024 | Newton, MA
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Cradles to Crayons seeks a Senior Director of Development to lead and grow a high-performing fundraising program based on strong donor relationships with individuals, corporations, and foundations.

About Cradles to Crayons

Cradles to Crayons was founded in 2002 to provide children from ages newborn-12 living in low-income and homeless environments with the essential items they need to thrive—at home, at school, and at play. Cradles to Crayons supplies clothing, shoes, diapers, school essentials, and more, free of charge, with the vision that one day all children will have the essentials they need. 

Two in 5 kids in the United States currently face clothing insecurity, going without basic essentials like pants, shoes, diapers, and school supplies during their critical developmental years. Three of the top 10 reasons kids miss school are rooted in Clothing Insecurity—just one example of the significant short- and long-term social and economic costs when these needs go unmet. Cradles to Crayons is the only large-scale nonprofit organization that keeps clothing insecurity at the core of its mission by seeking to close this resource gap. Since its founding, Cradles to Crayons has distributed more than three million customized packages of essentials to children in Massachusetts, Greater Philadelphia, Chicago, and nationally through Giving Factory Direct—a first-in-kind online product donation platform launched in 2021. 

Cradles to Crayons takes a three-pronged approach to mitigating Clothing Insecurity: 

1. In-person Engagement—Tens of thousands of children and adults volunteer at Giving Factory warehouses to sort and package new and like-new donations from surrounding communities for their Service Partners to distribute to the children they serve.
2. Online Product Donations—Giving Factory Direct matches product donors directly to children who need those specific items. GFD is currently available in a growing number of communities as Cradles expands their reach nationally.
3. Advocacy and Awareness—Cradles to Crayons is uniquely positioned to raise Clothing Insecurity as a national issue through awareness campaigns, data/evaluation, and legislative outreach.  

Cradles to Crayons has earned the highest possible rating from Charity Navigator since 2009, a distinction achieved by only 2% of charities nationwide.

About Philanthropy at Cradles to Crayons                                          

Cradles to Crayons is growing. Currently, annual fundraising goals total $6M in Boston and $16M nationally for fiscal year 2024. About 50% comes from individuals through annual giving and major gifts. The other 50% comes from institutions with strong corporate partnerships both nationally and within various markets. Cradles has launched a national campaign to elevate private philanthropy by $20M in the next several years. All markets have individual and collaborative goals toward this fundraising initiative.

About the Position

Reporting to the Executive Director, Boston, the Senior Director of Development is responsible for the strategy and management of all fundraising efforts for Cradles to Crayons in the Boston market.

The Senior Director will lead and manage a comprehensive development program with funding from individuals, foundations, and corporations; will serve as a member of the Market Leadership Team (MLT), working creatively and collaboratively to meet organizational goals; will serve as chief strategist for fundraising in the Boston market; will maintain a portfolio of prospects and donors; and will provide support in fundraising for the Executive Director and Boston Board of Directors. In addition, the Senior Director will play a critical role in raising funds for the organization’s current campaign: a $20M effort to end Clothing Insecurity nationwide.

The successful Senior Director of Development has broad fundraising experience, will demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, will be comfortable making data-driven decisions, will possess strong relationship building and management skills, and will be comfortable serving as a spokesperson for the organization.

The Senior Director should expect to be in the office the majority of the time, with some flexibility for occasional weekend and evening work to accommodate donor, family, and corporate engagement events.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the overall fundraising strategy for the market, building on strong relationships and ensuring success within each fundraising revenue stream. 
• Manage a portfolio of current major gift donors at the 5-figure gift level and higher; continually build the pipeline and identify new individual, corporate, and foundation funders.  
• Ensure the fundraising program is optimally utilized to achieve both short-term annual goals – including the national campaign goal – and long-term sustainability.
• Lead and manage the eight-person fundraising team, including hiring, performance management, goal setting and professional development. Encourage professional development of team members by leading appropriate training, coaching, and mentoring in conjunction with the Human Resources team.
• Assess the effectiveness of current strategies and tactics and help the fundraising team pilot and trial new initiatives.
• Model and lead a positive “One Cradles” culture, underpinned by Cradles’ Cultural Values and related behaviors.
• Serve as a member of the One Cradles Cross-Market Development team and provide support for national philanthropic efforts.
• Develop annual expense budgets and revenue projections for the Boston Development Team.
• Serve as a member of the Boston Market Leadership Team providing strategic input on the growth and operations of the Massachusetts market, working in close collaboration with the Executive Director and Senior Director of Operations.
• Set strategic direction for the Development Committee, Corporate Advisory Council (CAC) and the Family Advisory Council (FAC) and drive revenue to achieve their financial goals in collaboration with the Executive Director and Development team. Liaise with the Boston Board of Directors to maximize their fundraising efforts.
• Lead the fundraising team as a strategic partner to execute two annual signature events: the Un-Gala and the Backpack-A-Thon.
• Act as “Ambassador” for Cradles to Crayons in the “Giving Factory” and in the community, with key constituencies, and at events and conferences throughout the year.

Key Qualifications

• 8-10 years of senior-level professional development experience with increasing responsibility, relevant sales and/or business development experience. Experience in the Greater Massachusetts philanthropic community is a plus. Four or more years’ experience managing a team.
• Fluency in Salesforce or other CRM and the ability to work with data.
• Proven ability to use metrics to drive development decisions and achieve strategic objectives.
• Knowledge of development best practices and the ability to apply them in innovative ways.
• Enterprising professional with a keen sense of diplomacy, strong negotiation skills, and maturity to navigate complex relationships.
• Experience participating in teams with shared responsibility for outcomes and decision-making while demonstrating outstanding interpersonal communication skills and a flexible, adaptable work style.
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently with the ability to think creatively and strategically as well as adapt to changing circumstances.
• Basic understanding of budgets and financial statements.
• Passion for the mission of Cradles to Crayons.
• Excellent ability to prioritize and organize with strong attention to detail.
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant social issues.

Diversity and Inclusiveness are core values at Cradles to Crayons, and we continuously strive to be a team where everyone feels welcome and supported. It is the policy of Cradles to Crayons to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. Individuals from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

Accommodations: In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, requirements may be modified to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. However, accommodations will not be made by Cradles to Crayons which may pose serious health or safety risks to the employee or others, or which impose undue hardships on the organization.

If you are interested in being considered for this search, please use the form below to submit your cover letter and resume in confidence.

Theresa Leinker

Vice President

Development Guild DDI