Senior Vice President, Advancement

July 2024 | Lancaster, MA
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RFK Community Alliances seeks a Senior Vice President, Advancement to lead an ambitious and strategic communications and philanthropy program

About RFK Community Alliance

With a mission to promote meaningful and sustained well-being, RFK Community Alliance (RFKCA) provides high-quality care and support to people and families facing complicated challenges. As a multi-service agency, RFKCA offers a wide range of programs serving a variety of needs including educational, developmental, and mental health needs across all ages from infants to seniors. As ‘team players when it comes to caring, RFKCA works with the people they serve, their families, schools, and other community partners to develop a network of support. They provide opportunities to build skills and confidence, while nurturing strengths, determination, and resilience.

RFKCA grew out of two organizations – Doctor Franklin Perkins School, founded in 1896, to educate and care for children with developmental and intellectual disabilities at a time when society refused to fully include them – and RFK Children’s Action Corps, founded in 1969, to carry on the life and legacy of Robert F. Kennedy by helping children who were facing challenges who didn’t have privilege or a voice.

RFKCA embraces the core values of: Collaboration, Compassion, Excellence, Learning, Inclusivity, Integrity, and Hope;  25 programs across 8 service areas reflect these values. Support services for adult services, therapy & behavioral health, community services, early education, and youth residential care are offered across the state of Massachusetts and adoption, and youth justice transformation programs are nationwide with the goal of helping people “overcome adversity and develop abilities, resilience, relationships, and achieve positive outcomes.”

For more information about RFK Community Alliance, please visit www.rfkcommunity.org.

About Diversity, Belonging, Equity, and Inclusion at RFK Community Alliance

RFK Community Alliance is dedicated to working together to build capacity and change systems in order to be a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. RFK Community Alliance recognizes they still have work to do to fully understand and dismantle all forms of oppression and discrimination faced by team members and the people served. They acknowledge that they are on a journey to celebrate and appreciate every identity (diversity), ensure all voices are heard, and those unique perspectives are brought to the table (inclusion). They also strive to remove barriers to participation (equity). Yet, they also know they must ensure equity (fairness) before getting to equality (sameness).

As an organization focused on a  mission to promote meaningful and sustained well-being for children, youth, and adults facing challenges, RFK Community Alliance strives to be an anti-racist organization, to support team members to be advocates for the voiceless, to bring awareness to racism and inequities, and to be purposeful in supporting team members from all backgrounds by creating a better belonging environment for them. RFK Community Alliance understands that equity work requires a lifetime of learning, unlearning, and dismantling injustices, along with ensuring that they give people what they need to show up as their best selves.

RFK Community Alliance is dedicated to being on the right side of history. Learn more about their approach to DBEI, led by Dr. Jessica Pepple, Chief Diversity and Culture Officer, here.

About Philanthropy at RFK Community Alliance

RFKCA has a solid base of philanthropic support from the community. In FY 2023, RFKCA raised $1.2M from the following sources: 64% from events, 21% from institutional funders, and 14% from individuals.

The Leadership of RFKCA has endorsed a  2027 Vision that informs organizational priorities and which provides exciting opportunities for donor investment:

By 2027, the Robert F. Kennedy Community Alliance will deepen our  impact, expanding programming to meet unmet needs for the individuals and communities we currently serve and to reach some new individuals and communities who need us. We will do so by being—and being known as—expert in the work we do. And we will do so by being—and being known as—a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace with an outstanding culture where all who work with us feel like they can excel and grow in their careers. (Strategic Plan 2023-2027)

Fundraising can bridge the gap between the mission and financial sustainability in many ways including the following –

• Fills the funding gap
• Provides care above and beyond contracted services
• Supports program innovation
• Provides long-term stability
• Builds community engagement

Philanthropy plays a significant role in the ability of RFK to fulfill its mission. The goal for the current fiscal year is $1.3M and the new SVP will be charged with increasing giving and diversifying funding sources.

About the Position

Collaborating with the agency’s Executive Team, key agency leaders, and the Board of Directors, the SVP reports to the President and CEO and serves on the Executive Leadership Team. They will manage a department of 5 and will have 3 direct reports with responsibility for individual giving, operations, marketing and communications, events, and annual giving.

The SVP will oversee all current fundraising, marketing, and communication activities to ensure that they meet or exceed annual goals and will create a plan to identify new prospects to grow the major gift pipeline and broaden the base of support. The SVP will partner with staff and volunteer leadership to engage and solicit donors to contribute to meeting bold long-term development goals as well as increasing brand awareness and visibility of RFKCA. They will also be responsible for ensuring that the donor and prospect engagement capacity of the Board is maximized and that there is a strong pipeline of prospective new board members from the major donor base. The SVP will also serve as an Ambassador for RFKCA in the communities it serves.

RFKCA has retained the services of an Interim SVP to manage the day-to-day activities of the department and serve as a point person for the team. The Interim SVP will also conduct an assessment of the development program and make any necessary recommendations to help lay the groundwork for a successful transition for the new the Senior Vice President.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising and Marketing

• Serve as a key external figure for the organization, creating and maintaining significant relationships for the organization both for fundraising and community engagement purposes.
• Oversee and develop annual fundraising, marketing, and communications goals, campaigns, in conjunction with the Executive Leadership team.
• Create pathways, particularly through major donor work, to increase historical fundraising over the course of the next few years.
• Collaborates with fellow Executive Team leaders to identify opportunities for support from communities and to support agency strategy and directions, as well as to support program needs from marketing materials to funding or contract proposals.

Leadership and Management

• Lead a dynamic team that is responsible for fundraising, communications and marketing, grant writing, events, and community engagement.
• Engage the Board of Trustees in building and implementing the agency’s fundraising strategy, including events and appeals, and engage Trustees around their own giving commitments.
• Assemble the Board Development Committee multiple times per year to engage them in strategy and results and discuss specific initiatives where they can lend their expertise
• Approach colleagues and all job-related activities from a perspective that recognizes, honors, and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Key Qualifications

• Strong development and marketing background with progressively increasing responsibility, including at least 5 years of leadership-level experience
• Experience as a strategic, goal-oriented and experienced fundraising professional who is skilled in relationship management
• Proven track record of securing 6+ figure major gifts with demonstrated ability to grow a donor prospect base
• Experience building and sustaining relationships among high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and corporations
• Significant experience building, managing, and mentoring development staff
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Exceptional project management ability with ability to manage multiple competing priorities
• Team-oriented attitude
• Deep commitment to the mission of RFK Community Alliance
• CFRE certification a plus

People of color and candidates from the Greater Boston area are encouraged to apply.

This position allows for a hybrid work schedule.

RFK Community Alliance is dedicated to a culture where everyone can show up to work as their full authentic selves. Diversity and inclusion don’t happen by accident, it’s by design.

Together we’re the designers. RFK Community Alliance believes that a diverse and inclusive workplace makes our organization stronger and cares about including diverse perspectives and experiences throughout every level. This is why they are committed to honoring, celebrating, and fostering diversity and inclusion on their team, in their clientele, and within their community. RFK Community Alliance believes that their team must reflect their community and vice versa. They value, respect, and support all types of diversity across all identities including, but not limited to, ethnicity, race, gender, LGBTQIA, age, religion, and abilities. RFK Community Alliance takes responsibility for the community we’re creating here are here to contribute to the progression of our society to a more inclusive and equitable one.

Compensation: This position has a salary of $150,000+ commensurate with experience.

Tracy Marshall

Executive Director, Search Practice

Senior Vice President, Principal

Development Guild DDI