The Organization

The Lenny Zakim Fund (LZF) is an innovative, values-based Boston non-profit organization that funds and supports grassroots organizations and people who are changemakers in their communities.  LZF was born 25 years ago, out of the example of Lenny Zakim, a civil rights leader who dedicated his life to shaping a better society.  LZF works to develop deep relationships with those in the community who are at the forefront of change and to build bridges among people and communities to advance social, economic, and racial justice.  Our mission is to listen to those most impacted by inequities at the grassroots and provide the funding, essential resources, and support they need to create lasting change.

The Opportunity

LZF seeks a mission-driven, experienced fundraising professional to lead its growing philanthropic and engagement activities, while contributing to the establishment and stewardship of a culture of philanthropy within the organization and its Board of Directors. 

In collaboration with LZF’s Executive Director, the Director of Development will lead, design, and implement LZF’s annual and long-range strategy for securing gifts from a variety of sources, including individual donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Responsibilities include strategic planning for a comprehensive fundraising program with annual and long-term fundraising objectives covering all aspects of development, such as annual giving, in-kind donations, major gifts, grants, and events. The Director of Development will translate big picture strategy into clear and detailed action plans, with responsibility for relationship building, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors to increase funding revenue.

This position reports to the Executive Director and works closely with the Program and Office Administrator, Board of Directors, committee members, funders, and other key stakeholders to achieve or exceed the annual revenue goal of $1.5M. After-hours and weekend work may be required. They will also attend internal and external meetings and LZF events as required and perform other duties related to resource development as needed.

The Ideal Candidate

This is an excellent growth opportunity for a professional with at least 5-7 years of experience who is ready to make their mark in philanthropy and take their career to a new level while supporting grassroots organizations and leaders.

• High-level of drive and passion for LZF’s mission and the desire to grow professionally.
• Experience designing and implementing comprehensive fundraising plans for all funding streams including but not limited to individuals, corporations, foundations, events, and annual giving.
• Management experience and the technical capacity to implement industry best practices in donation management, data input, gift acceptance policies, donor acknowledgement, and constituent relationship building.
• Experience planning and managing fundraising events, and working with board committees, volunteers and vendors.
• Demonstrated experience in creating a donor pipeline; prospecting, soliciting major gifts, and maintaining long-term relationships with all constituents, including donors, volunteers, and vendors.
• Demonstrated experience researching and writing successful grants to foundations and corporations.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple projects and operating with purpose, urgency, and accuracy in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
• Creativity, imagination, problem-solving skills, and the ability to adjust direction and strategies.
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills to analyze data and understand its relationship to the overall fundraising objectives and ability to provide a written assessment.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Passion for and commitment to social, racial, and economic justice.
• Friendly, active listener who is eager to get to know people from various backgrounds.
• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Commitment and demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and a high degree of accuracy.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook and the Microsoft Office suite of software.
• Knowledge of project management software, Asana, Constant Contact, and DonorPerfect a plus.

Responsibilities

Development Operations

• Contribute to the establishment and stewardship of a culture of philanthropy within the organization that includes the Board of Directors and ensure accuracy in the documentation of the charitable intent of donors.
• Manage and track donor cultivation activities in the database and deliver reports and analysis as requested.
• Ensure proper data integration between DonorPerfect, Constant Contact, and other social media tools.

Donor Management

• Proactively manage and improve all aspects of the donor experience.
• Cultivate and sustain relationships with donors and volunteers at all levels with an emphasis on the Board of Directors, Development Committee, and identified major donors and prospects.
• Design and implement new strategies to increase giving across the board; with a focus on individuals and corporations.
• Assist in the preparation, execution, and follow-up for all donor meetings.
• Develop and manage donor engagement activities, including donor and/or prospect-focused cultivation events and opportunities to interact with LZF staff, board, and key constituents.

Development Planning and Implementation

• Continually update and revise the Annual Development Plan throughout the year in collaboration with Executive Director and Development Committee.
• Develop and manage the implementation of the individual, grants and corporate fundraising strategies of the development plan and plan for future growth, including revenue projections, tracking, and reconciliation.
• Generate content and data for all development materials including direct mail appeals, campaign-specific, and project-specific solicitation materials.
• Strategically leverage the time of the Board of Directors to support fundraising efforts, including developing the capacity of the board to execute development goals.
• Maintain annual grants calendar and track foundation proposals to develop a pipeline of new grant and sponsorship opportunities and to ensure grant application and reporting deadlines are met for institutional funding.

Communications & Events

• Coordinate communications efforts across all development programs.
• Communicate with donors through calls, emails and letters on a continual basis and update the database accordingly; share relevant information with ED, board, or other volunteers.
• Create and manage content on online fundraising pages, social media platforms, and in print materials.
• Manage ongoing development of content for e-newsletters, social media posts, and other communications efforts.
• Coordinate logistics for all special events, including solicitation of corporate sponsorships and vendor management.

Administrative

• Serve as advisor to Executive Director and Board of Directors, providing thought leadership around emerging areas of programmatic focus and represent LZF via participation in conferences, associations, and other circles.
• Provide knowledgeable back-up for ED’s administrative duties, including routine financial management and reporting, annual audit, board management, and operational functions.
• Work with ED to prepare and monitor annual budgets and assume leadership on special projects as assigned.

Compensation:

Salary commensurate with experience in the range of $65,000 to $80,000; with benefits including generous paid time off, health insurance, retirement plan, and a supportive and friendly work environment dedicated to social justice.

To Apply:

In one PDF document, please send your resume and cover letter to [email protected] with “Director of Development” in the subject line. No calls, please. Not all applications will receive responses. LZF is an equal opportunity employer continually seeking to diversify its staff. We’re dedicated to broadening opportunities for individuals from demographic groups historically underrepresented in philanthropy.