Friends of the Children

Friends of the Children – Lane County is a vibrant, active chapter of a 30-year-old national professional mentoring network, proven to disrupt generational poverty by providing paid, professional mentors that work with children throughout their childhood and wraparound services for their caregivers.  12+ years – no matter what.  

Friends of the Children – Lane County is seeking a Development Specialist who thrives on building long-term relationships and partnerships. The successful candidate will be a stellar communicator with a sharp head for business, a splash of creative style, and spark thrown in. They will also be self-motivated, proactive, results driven, and deeply passionate about the mission of Friends – Lane County.

The Development Specialist is responsible for partnering with the Executive Director to champion external communications, cultivate stakeholders and meet annual revenue goals. They also are responsible for ensuring that marketing products and stakeholders events are successful in supporting and sustaining the mission of Friends of the Children.  

Are you looking to contribute to making a positive difference in the lives of children and families who need it most?  

As the Development Specialist you will be instrumental in creating and fostering the long-term funding relationships that sustain the organization. Your contributions will be key to maintaining and growing services to families we partner with, helping them navigate obstacles and change their trajectory.

Some of the things you will do in this role:   

• Create and implement a comprehensive Communications Strategy that guides engagements with donors/stakeholders.
• Develop and implement strategies to maintain and develop corporate donors to strengthen connections to the organization
• Collaborate with the Board of Directors and Executive Director on fundraising activities and campaigns and providing support and resources for Board members development efforts
• Develop all external communications to effectively build awareness and promote financial support for the organization
• Plan and implement donor engagement events, annual giving campaign and major gifts programs

The ideal candidate will have: 

• Passion for Friends – Lane County’s mission and a deep commitment to equity
• Excellent organization, time management, delegation, and follow-up skills
• Possess commitment to extreme attention to detail

• Exceptional interpersonal skills

• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills

What you'll experience: 

• A collaborative, mission-driven workplace that respects work-life balance and offers ongoing professional development. 
• A committed Executive Director who will partner with you on Development activities 

• An engaged, motivated Board that works hard, gives generously, and raises funds.
• Strong, cohesive local and national team support committed to innovation and high standards.

What we have to offer: 

• Salary: $55-85,000 based on Development experienced, specifically;
  • $55,000-65,000 - Professionals with less than 5 years of professional communications and/or development experience
  • Up to $85,000 - Professionals who have served as Development Directors or have 5+ years of professional communications and/or development experience may be considered for salary.  
• Comprehensive Benefits Package including healthcare, dental, paid vacation, sick leave, and 401(k). 

• Location: Eugene, Oregon, serving all of Lane County; some evening and non-traditional hours required 

Intrigued? Want to know more? To learn more about the position’s responsibilities and qualifications see below:

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended as a comprehensive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. 

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

In partnership with the Executive Director (ED) and the Board of Directors (BOD), The Development Specialist (DS) ensures that:

• All external communications, including, but not limited to, newsletters, social media and direct communications are consistent with the Organizational values and standard of excellence, and effectively build awareness of the organization and promote financial support of the organization;
• Sufficient stakeholder engagement strategies, including events and individual donor strategies are being deployed to sustain financial support of the organization;
• Visual, written and audio assets are created that enable compelling storytelling without putting on undue burden on Friends core activities and staff.

The DS is a member of the Friends -Lane County leadership team. They will demonstrate a range of skills and abilities that strengthen the organization’s collective wisdom and experience, and will contribute to strategic and operational planning, continued growth, and sustainability of the organization.

General

• Exude a passion for serving youth facing the most challenging situations
• Actively participate in aspects of planning, budgeting, and managing the growth and development of the organization through philanthropy

• Develop and maintain knowledge of local and national issues related to the organization’s mission in order to serve as an effective, compelling spokesperson for the organization.

• Make, and in some cases attend, appointments with/for ED with foundation officers and other donor prospects, arrange for onsite tours for supporters (foundation officers, foundation trustees)
• Prepare timely, specific, and relevant materials for development meetings and conversations, including providing strategic input and knowledge about potential return on investment for different outreach strategies
• Identify and utilize creative methods for gathering stories from Friends and the Family Engagement Specialist and design materials to be shared as appropriate
• Strive to ensure that organization’s commitment to equity is reflected in all decisions, communications, and processes.  
• Serve as a member of the Crisis Response Team, working with other team members to oversee the secondary response activity in response to an emergency.

Communications and Relationship Building

• Create a comprehensive Communications Strategy that guides annual engagement with donors/stakeholders including strategies and timelines associated with newsletters, emails, social media posts, event communications, direct outreach (phone/text/mail) and potentially advertising.
• Coordinate implementation of the communications strategy with other members of the organization as necessary.
• Develop, maintain stakeholder contacts and lists to enable effective segmentation of interests and build stakeholder engagement in communications. Segment stakeholder lists into categories based upon strategic outreach desires.  Cull donor lists quarterly, such that only people that have engaged in communications in the last <90 days remain on the list. Demonstrate and create processes for showing gratitude in timely, appropriate, and delightful ways.
• Create and implement strategies to have direct communications with existing, potential and corporate donors to strengthen connections to the organization.
• Oversee strategy, production and implementation of newsletters and reports to generate brand awareness and inspire financial support.
• Oversee all direct mail campaigns and development of mailing lists. Provide leadership for key messaging in alignment with other organizational messaging. 

 Development

• Participate as a key member of the BOD’s Development Committee, including helping support the BOD’s Committee lead
• Identify, evaluate, and provide research on individuals to use in advancing prospective major gift donor relationships. Work with Executive Director and Board of Directors to develop strategy for engaging identified prospective donors
• Update and maintain the Organization’s Donor Development Tool and Donor Database
• In collaboration with other members of the team:
  • plan and implement at least 5 successful donor engagement events each year, including at least one larger scale event aimed at cultivating new donors
  • implement an Annual Giving Campaign in conjunction with the end of the calendar year
  • Develop, implement, and sustain the organization’s major gifts programs, including the development and execution of strategies to ensure the effective and timely cultivation and solicitation of major donors and prospects
  • Create and implement board stewardship program; create systems to ensure board members follow up with prospects and engage new supporters for Friends of the Children.
• Coordinate with ED and board on revenue targets and achievements.
• Identify corporate funding sources; develop and implement a robust corporate cultivation and solicitation program that sustains current donors and expands to reach new ones, including senior business leaders.
• Prepare timely, specific, and relevant materials for development meetings and conversations

Essential Skills and Abilities:

• Exceptional interpersonal skills
• Excellent organization, time management, delegation, and follow-up skills 
• Be willing and able to attend and actively participate in team meetings, staff functions, and development events
• Possess commitment to extreme attention to detail, including but not limited to ability to implement self-checking procedures for data entry, produce accurate correspondence and reports, and produce and edit written materials accurately and consistently
• Have excellent project management and organizational skills to routinely manage and prioritize daily work and meet multiple deadlines simultaneously, especially during high-volume times of the year
• Demonstrate ability to work independently as well as in a team setting
• Be a self-starter with high level of initiative and willingness to learn
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to design and create stunning graphic communications

Required Education, Experience, and Abilities:

• Passion for Friends – Lane County’s mission and a deep commitment to equity.
• Associate degree required; bachelor’s degree preferred. 3+ years of fundraising experience in a non-profit setting or 2-3 years professional experience in sales, marketing and/or comparable experience.
• Professionals who have served as Development Directors or have 5+ years of professional communications and/or development experience may be considered for salary range of up to $85K.  Job seekers with less experience will be considered for a starting salary of $55-65K.

Additional Job Requirements: 

• Maintain current driver’s license, good driving record, and vehicle insurance;  

• Maintain First Aid/CPR certification;  
• Serve as a member of the Crisis Response Team, working with other team members to oversee the secondary response activity in response to an emergency

 Working Hours:

This is a full-time, exempt position.  Due to the nature of the work, work hours are somewhat non-traditional and may include late afternoon and evening work and possibly weekends. We recognize that each employee’s working schedule will balance the various elements of a unique role, the needs of the individual children and families, and the Chapter’s schedule.  Employees are expected to exercise appropriate discretion in this regard.  

 Benefits:

Friends of the Children – Lane County cares about the health and well-being of our employees We offer generous vacation and sick leave paid time off, paid holidays, a comprehensive medical benefits package, a 401(k)-retirement plan, and ongoing professional development opportunities.

Employees can add optional plans, at employee expense, which include medical coverage for dependents, a Flexible Spending Account, and supplemental life insurance.

Compensation:

$55,000 - $85,000 annually based on experience

Location: Eugene, Oregon. Serving all of Lane County 

Cover Letter: Applications without cover letters will not be considered; please use this as an opportunity to convey why you wish to join Friends of the Children - Lane County in this position! 

Friends of the Children – Lane County is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children provides fair and equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. 

 Friends of the Children is growing rapidly as communities across the country are experiencing the power of how “One” changes a child's story: One Friend. One Child. 12+ years. No matter what. #ThePowerOfOne.