The Organization
What if we lived in a world in which young people, regardless of circumstances, have the opportunity fulfill their potential and lead their families and communities to thrive?
Through a combination of year-round mentoring and transformative summer experiences, Summer Search aims to unleash the potential of young people while also building a toolkit for navigating and challenging systemic barriers to higher education and career opportunities.
Since our founding in 1990, Summer Search has reached more than 7,000 young people and currently serves more than 3,600 high school and college students in five region across the country – San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Our alumni are three times more likely to graduate with a 4-year degree than their peers and become the kind of leaders our country needs – civic leaders, advocates, industry leaders, teachers, mothers and fathers. Their collective leadership ripples out into the community and future generations and contributes to a more equitable society.
Position Overview
In support of a new strategic plan, Summer Search is seeking a National Director of Foundation and Corporate Giving. This hire will join an 8-member national development team and collaborate closely with our CEO, Dr. Marc Spencer, national and regional leadership, and board members. Building upon a track record of investments from supporters like Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, AT&T, Aspire, PwC, Deloitte, SAP Concur, this hire will craft opportunities for institutional funders to play a transformative role in growing Summer Search’s impact nationwide.
Specifically, the Director of Foundation and Corporate Giving will:
- Design and implement a bold institutional giving strategy aimed to 1) increase engagement of current institutional partners and 2) generate new relationships with corporate and foundation partners. Raise $1M+ annually through the management of a portfolio of 50-60 institutional accounts.
- Qualify and initiate relationships from a pre-identified list of 150 funder prospects with the potential to make $100K+ gifts.
- Partner with and leverage the CEO, COO, VP of Program, VP of Marketing, five regional Executive Directors and Board members to cultivate donors and “package” investment opportunities that are tailored to programmatic priorities and a variety of funding interests e.g. workforce development, financial literacy.
- Motivate and inspire a cohort of institutional development staff across five regional program sites to ensure consistency in communicating Summer Search’s vision, mission, and strategic direction. Facilitate cross-site collaboration and proactively identify opportunities to partner across geographic boundaries.
- Lead the crafting of proposals, letters of inquiry, briefing materials for meetings and site visits, internal memos, and other grant-related materials. Manage an institutional calendar to ensure that proposals, renewals, and reports are submitted on time.
- Partner with the Senior Development Associate to utilize a moves management system for donors and prospects in Raiser’s Edge, ensuring that all touchpoints and projections for gifts are tracked with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy.
- Leverage data, stories, and knowledge of educational landscape and communities in communications with funders and donors. Communicate an understanding of the cultural context surrounding our young people and elevate students’ voices and assets in all fundraising activities.
- Collaborate with Summer Search’s marketing department to raise the profile of Summer Search in the philanthropic and corporate communities.
- Represent Summer Search at meetings, conferences, and events to cultivate and steward donors and stakeholders, proactively engaging thought leaders and champions within the philanthropic community.
- Manage and coach a 2-member institutional giving team, providing ongoing supervision and creating opportunities for professional development.
The Director of Foundation and Corporate Giving calls for:
An experienced fundraiser with a track record and passion for institutional giving. You bring success in and enjoyment of every step of qualifying, cultivating, and stewarding funding relationships of $100K+ with foundations and corporations. Experience at a national or multi-site nonprofit is a plus.
A collaborative leader with the proven ability to guide and influence others. You are successful in motivating, coordinating, and directing others towards a defined vision or goal. You “manage up” to senior leadership and effectively work across functional areas. You coach and mentor direct and indirect reports to high performance.
An emotionally astute relationship builder who easily forms meaningful connections with others. You have a warm, energetic, and authentic personality that translates to building lasting relationships both internally and externally. You demonstrate active listening and credibility in all interpersonal interactions.
A “big picture” thinker teamed with the ability to implement tactically. You approach challenges and opportunities through an analytical lens and take a hands-on approach to translating strategy into tangible activities. You are competent in the technical aspects of fund development, including donor qualification, portfolio management, and data management (Raiser’s Edge experience is preferred.)
A compelling storyteller and communicator. You bring a track record in crafting strong presentations, case statements, letters of inquiry, grant proposals and reports, and other donor communications. You demonstrate an understanding of context surrounding an organization’s mission and elevate constituents’ voices and assets in all communications.
A flexible and well-organized team player. You are comfortable with ambiguity and can succeed in a highly entrepreneurial and fast-paced environment. You possess strong attention to detail and capacity to balance competing priorities.
A passionate advocate who is committed to Summer Search’s mission and values. You believe that students have innate potential, and that through relationships and experiences, students can fully realize their potential. You thrive in an organization that values authenticity, gratitude, relationships, well-being, and a commitment to social emotional learning and personal growth.
A catalyst for equity, diversity, and inclusion. You possess cultural sensitivity and humility, with an understanding of systemic and institutionalized racism facing communities of color. You actively work to ensure that Summer Search’s equity, diversity, and inclusion principles are infused fundraising activities.
How To Apply
Click here to submit a resume and targeted cover letter that answers the question, “What excites you about Summer Search and the National Director of Foundation and Corporate Giving opportunity?” Please address your cover letter to Megan Sussman, Vice President of Development.