Friends of the Children

Friends of the Children – Twin Cities is a nonprofit that is impacting generational change by empowering youth through relationships with professional mentors. We do this by providing children facing the most obstacles with a long-term, salaried, professional mentor, who we call a “Friend,” from kindergarten through high school graduation, 12+ years – no matter what. We are currently seeking a Development Director to help lead us into our next chapter—someone who will build and drive our fundraising strategy as we grow our impact in the Twin Cities.

Job Description:

Our Development Director will play a critical role in achieving the fundraising goals of our Twin Cities chapter. Working in close partnership with the Executive Director (ED) and Board of Directors—and with support from staff, our community of Friends, and the national Friends of the Children network—this leader will drive efforts to align our fiscal goals with our mission and values. They will be instrumental in building the systems, relationships, and strategy that will sustain and grow our impact.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Passion for serving youth facing the most challenging situations  
• Work effectively – with ED, Board, National team, and independently -- to identify and cultivate donors including individuals, corporations and foundations
• Support the ED and Board of Directors with creating and implementing a development plan, systems and strategies as necessary to move our fundraising to the next level  
• Perform prospect research on individuals, public sources, corporations, and foundations, and evaluate prospects for corporate and foundation grants, to diversify our funding sources
• Demonstrate and create processes for showing gratitude in timely, appropriate, and delightful ways
• Actively participate in aspects of planning, budgeting, and managing the growth and development of the organization through philanthropy
• In partnership with the team, plan and implement a minimum of two successful events each year
• Excellent organization, time management, delegation and follow-up skills  
• Coordinate with ED and board on revenue targets and achievements 
• Plan and execute special funding opportunities (end-of-year-end appeal, Annual Report, etc.)
• Collaborate with Operations Director on a basic communications plan that will focus on educating and raising visibility for donors and prospects. This should include social media channels and electronic newsletters
• Familiarity with state, local, and national philanthropic, governmental, and business communities   
• Ability to research, prepare, submit, and manage grant proposals and reports
• Make, and in some cases attend, appointments with/for ED with foundation officers and other prospects, arrange for onsite tours for supporters (foundation officers, foundation trustees)
• Prepare timely, specific, and relevant materials for development meetings and conversations
• Identify and utilize creative methods for gathering stories from Friends to be shared as appropriate
• Strive to ensure that organization’s commitment to core values is reflected in all decisions, communications, and processes  

Essential Skills and Abilities:

• Experience designing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy, including events, grants, and campaigns
• Be willing and able to attend and actively participate in team meetings, staff functions, and development events
• Maintain our donor database, LittleGreenLight
• 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 the ability to work independently as well as in a team setting
• Have a passion for serving youth facing the most challenging situations
• Be a self-starter with a high level of initiative and willingness to learn
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Be social media savvy

Required Education, Experience, and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree or 7 years equivalent experience required
• Provide specific evidence of success in fundraising (demonstrated success in individual giving, major gifts, and donor stewardship)
• Comfortable using fundraising databases/CRMs (e.g., Salesforce, LittleGreenLight, or similar)

Preferred Experience, and Abilities:

•        5–8 years of progressive fundraising experience, ideally in a nonprofit or mission-driven setting

SALARY RANGE

$88K - $95K annually  

BENEFITS

Comprehensive

PROFESSIONAL LEVEL:

Director

At Friends of the Children – Twin Cities you get to think globally and act locally. We are a newer chapter (established in 2022) within a growing established national network that provides professional mentors to thousands of children across the country.  As the Development Director, you’ll receive expert support from our National team, which is located in Portland, Oregon. You’ll also work with a talented team of leaders from the 41 other sites, who collaborate to support the award-winning National scaling plan. 

Friends of the Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices, and to working toward racial equity. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children provides fair and equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, disability, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. 

To learn more about Friends of the Children – Twin Cities, go to: www.friendstwincities.org