Vice President of Development

Venture For America is changing the face of entrepreneurship. We scour the country for talented recent college grads who are eager to make a meaningful impact in their careers and in the community. We then place them in startups - in industries from ed-tech and clean energy to consumer goods - in cities across the U.S. and help unlock their limitless potential as creators and builders by providing access to programming, funding resources, and an expansive network. Visit our website to learn more.

This is an exciting opportunity to drive the support and resources for the growth of Venture For America nationwide. We're looking for someone who is a development//fundraising/sales powerhouse interested in building a community of donors and stakeholders to advance the mission of Venture For America. This person is passionate about fundraising, development, engagement, and organizational impact with a can-do attitude.

• Oversee and grow existing $5MM+ national donor portfolio, including corporate partners and national foundations.
• In conjunction with the CEO and the Board of Directors, identify, cultivate and solicit or maintain new and continuing sources of funding (foundations, corporations, government agencies).
• Partner with the Vice President of Community Partnership and with Community Directors to develop a strategy for implementing organization-wide donor cultivation and stewardship best practices.
• Work with members of the Board and the Board's Development Committee to set goals and determine strategy for board-driven fundraising efforts.
• In partnership with the Vice President of HR/Finance, ensure timely, assumption-based Revenue projections for at least 12 months out.
• Develop and manage an annual direct mail campaign.
• Work collaboratively with the CEO, Vice President of HR/Finance and Grants team to ensure timely submission of all grant proposals and the timely preparation and submission of grant reports.
• Collaborate with marketing communications to produce and disseminate informational materials (e.g. organizational collateral, annual report).
• Establish regular contact and foster positive relationships with private donors, including individuals and corporations, private funding organizations, including foundations, and local municipal agencies.
• Collaborate with the Vice President of Programs and Vice President of Talent to create best-in-class engagement activities to engage private sector partners as part of a broad corporate social responsibility strategy.
• Ensure fundraising systems are functional and efficient, including grant writing and reporting process, donor records, goal setting, pipeline tracking, and Salesforce data integrity.

• Oversee the development and execution of all fundraising, cultivation, and stewardship events and activities.
• Ensure all fundraising, cultivation, and stewardship events and activities are aligned with the larger strategic plan for Development
• Outline revenue strategy for existing fundraising events on a national scale
• Create a cultivation and stewardship strategy to convert event attendees and volunteer leadership to annual major donors.

• Provide general oversight and management of Fellow and Alumni board giving program
• Meet regularly with VFA Alumni committee and serve as an advisor for fundraising discussions, ensuring organizational alignment

• Serve as a leader throughout the organization, taking on org-wide projects outside of the Development team.
• Participate in organizational priorities such as the selection of Fellows, as is expected of all Team members
• Serve on the Senior Leadership Team

• 6+ years cumulative leadership experience as a fundraising and Development professional
• Leveraged flexibility and creative thinking to identify "big bets" - strategic funding opportunities that align with organizational goals to drive large innovation and transformation
• Direct experience in a non-profit organization or cause-based leadership role is strongly preferred.
• A proven track record cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors, foundations, and corporate partners
• Experience supporting or launching an Annual Campaign - generating $5 million+ overall

• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and build long-term relationships
• Expert storytelling and communication skills, both verbally and in writing, that share our story in a compelling, concise, insightful way to donor audiences while fostering long-term relationships
• Strong team management skills, but also a team player who will productively engage with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside of an organization
• Bachelor's degree required, CFRE fundraising professional certification preferred
• Ability to construct, articulate, and implement annual strategic development plan
• Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail
• First point of contact for all grant applications and reports (new and renewal) in partnerships with Strategic Partnerships Associate and Grant Associate

• Working with colleagues across the country leveraging remote technologies
• Ability to travel in various US cities as needed beginning in 2022
• Willingness to work some evenings

• High performers at VFA are given substantial opportunity to grow and develop
• You'll earn a competitive salary, commensurate with experience
• We offer a great benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), commuter benefits, flexible spending account, and gym, tech, and professional development stipends
• We have a generous vacation policy, plenty of paid holidays, and regular work from home Fridays
• VFA is a dynamic startup environment with varied responsibilities and a different challenge each day (we mean it - always plenty of interesting problems to work on!)
• You'll work alongside an inclusive team of exceptionally motivated, high-caliber people