New Search! Chief Development Officer with Sandy Hook Promise

Pillar Search & HR Consulting is proud to partner with Sandy Hook Promise in the search for their new Chief Development Officer (CDO). The Chief Development Officer will set strategy for and execute fundraising strategies across giving channels including individual major giving, corporate, foundations, events and government funding, driving efforts to grow all giving channels nationally and develop strategies to expand into new giving channels (planned giving, DAFs, etc.)  while maintaining and strengthening relationships with all existing supporters. A member of the executive leadership team, they will have a vital role in driving Sandy Hook Promise’s mission and ensure support for the organization’s strategic growth to expand program reach and effectiveness.

ABOUT SANDY HOOK PROMISE:

Sandy Hook Promise is a nonpartisan organization that was founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. Sandy Hook Promise is dedicated to preventing gun violence and creating a culture of inclusivity, safety, respect, and kindness in schools and communities across the United States.

Sandy Hook Promise Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that offers a range of evidence-informed programs and initiatives designed to empower youth, educators, and community members to recognize the signs preceding violence and to take steps to prevent it. Their programs include educational resources for schools, youth leadership programs, and community-based campaigns to raise awareness of the impacts of gun violence.

Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) that champions a holistic policy platform that promotes gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education. The organization works at the state and federal level to pass nonpartisan legislation through inclusive partnerships, diverse grassroots education, and community mobilization.

Through its work, Sandy Hook Promise aims to build a movement of individuals and organizations committed to promoting gun safety, mental health awareness, and social and emotional learning. The organization has received widespread support from educators, parents, and lawmakers, as well as celebrities and public figures, and continues to play a vital role in the national conversation around gun violence prevention.

Learn more about Sandy Hook Promise here.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Sandy Hook Promise seeks an innovative, mission-driven Chief Development Officer (CDO) to lead and expand our national fundraising efforts. This visionary leader will develop and execute a long-term strategy to significantly enhance our gift contributions and drive the organization’s growth. The CDO will lead and manage a development team, cultivate transformational, high-level gifts, and strengthen constituent relationships by increasing awareness and building constituent support for the organization’s 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) work. The CDO will also identify, cultivate, and actively manage a donor portfolio through prospecting, qualifying, and cultivating high-level donors and collaborate with leadership to achieve fundraising goals and organization vision.

This role requires a strategic, visionary leader with a track record of success in major gift development and experience leading fundraising for national nonprofit organizations that, like Sandy Hook Promise, have been in significant growth mode across multiple revenue channels. They will possess the ability to effectively operationalize and implement such strategies into actionable plans and tangible results, collaborating with other departments and senior leaders across the organization. The CDO will be a player-coach responsible for motivating and developing a cohesive team while building and maintaining strong relationships with donors and focusing their energies toward radically increasing giving across all channels, including individual major giving, foundations, events, corporations, and government funding.

The ideal CDO will be a visionary and strategic leader with a proven track record of ensuring support for a best-in-class national nonprofit organization, both building on the current strong foundation of philanthropic support through the stewardship of existing supporters and the identification of new funding sources across the country to ensure continuous growth of support for the mission and vision of Sandy Hook Promise across both the C3 and C4.

REPORTING STRUCTURE:

This position will report to the Co-Founder and Co-CEO and will manage 5 direct reports and a total team of 8 fundraising professionals and additional fundraising consultants.

RESPONSIBILITY OVERVIEW:

  • Thoughtfully navigate the philanthropic landscape to identify and cultivate strategic partnerships that enhance and expand our fundraising efforts.
  • Develop and implement a bold, comprehensive fundraising strategy that aligns with the organization’s strategic growth plan and budgetary goals for the C3 and C4
  • Oversee and manage the organization’s fundraising programs, including major gifts, annual giving, foundation relations, corporate giving, government funding, and special events.
  • Serve as the leader of the development team, fostering a collaborative and goal-oriented culture amongst staff. Enhance the team’s effectiveness and productivity by providing coaching and mentorship, motivating team members with energy, passion, and clear expectations.
  • Position Sandy Hook Promise for long-term success by doubling major gifts revenue over the next 3-5 years, while expanding corporate and government contributions to surpass the $10 million threshold.
  • A forward-thinking innovator who will creatively expand the donor base nationwide, leveraging all giving channels to maximize impact and expanding into new channels (planned giving, DAFs, etc.). Work closely with the Marketing Department to leverage and upgrade SHP’s grassroots base through the donor cultivation cycle.
  • Personally manage a portfolio of high net worth, strategic key supporters, including the cultivation of six- and seven-figure gifts.
  • Leverage and deepen the relationships between the Development department and the Programs, Policy, Marketing, Finance, and Operations Departments to drive fundraising strategies that will support overall organizational goals and growth initiatives.
  • Oversees the development of a suite of donor communications materials, including strong cases for support and pitch materials to attract and engage a broader donor audience, customizing messaging and case for support for both our program and policy work. Additionally, ensure best-in-class donor gratitude, recognition, and stewardship of SHP donors.
  • Foster and leverage relationships of SHP’s leadership, including the Board of Directors, CEOs, advisory boards, senior leadership team, partners, and current donors to meet fundraising goals and grow our prospects and strategic connections.
  • Collaborate with executive and senior leadership to align the development team’s goals to support the organization’s strategic plan, building a long-term vision, with clear plans on how to operationalize the work, that fosters a creative vision that supports both C3 and C4 initiatives. Proactively identify and create new funding opportunities by deeply understanding organizational needs. Leverage data and technology to enhance systems, processes, and structures within the development department, while still maintaining a personal touch and donor-centric mindset.
  • Champion the SHP’s commitment to fostering REDI (Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) within the organization and with its partners.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Experience in an executive leadership fundraising role with a national nonprofit (c-suite preferred)
  • Proven track record expanding the donor base for national nonprofits that do not have a built-in donor base
  • Direct experience and expertise with individual and major giving including a track record of securing 7-figure gifts. Ideally, the CDO candidate will have a generalist background with additional experience with foundation, corporate, government, and annual/sustaining, as well as experience securing funding for both 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) giving.
  • The ideal CDO candidate will have, at minimum, fifteen years or more of progressive experience in nonprofit development, including ten years at the senior level of the organization and leading a team of experienced development professionals.
  • Track record of growing a nonprofit at the national level. The CDO will have a forward-thinking vision for fundraising that expands all fundraising channels across the country.
  • Demonstrated experience creating a compelling and ambitious vision and strategy and delivering a plan against that vision.
  • Recent experience directly managing, cultivating, and stewarding a pool of high-level donors is essential in this role.
  • A proven results-driven approach to scaling and achieving fundraising goals over the near- and long-term and a comprehensive understanding of various fundraising channels, including individual major gifts, corporate giving, foundations, government grants, planned giving, donor-advised funds (DAFs), special events, grassroots support, matching campaigns, and capital campaigns.
  • A balanced approach to leadership, with the ability to operate strategically and tactically, partnering with executive leadership and the board while managing both team members and a pool of donors.
  • Strong analytical and data-driven skills with a proven ability to drive development decisions and achieve strategic objectives using metrics while combining this with a donor-first mentality.
  • Skilled in comprehending, synthesizing, and articulating complex information into a compelling case for support that motivates prospective donors to contribute.
  • Possesses exceptional communication skills and the ability to collaborate with highly talented team members, donors, and other stakeholders to achieve fundraising efforts.
  • An inspiring leader with experience managing a high-performing team with a mix of experienced development professionals and new developing talent and has built synergy and a unified vision.  The CDO of Development will have a servant leadership mentality, focus on the continuous learning and growth of team members, be open and receptive to thought partnership, new ideas, and feedback.
  • The ideal candidate will be resourceful, adaptable, and has achieved results in past roles through persistence and a “hustle” mentality.
  • Stands as an agent for change with a deep understanding of and passion for gun violence prevention and related social justice movements.
  • Exemplifies the values and mission of SHP, inspiring and motivating others, including staff and supporters, building on SHP’s mission and vision for the future, and think entrepreneurially to inject new ideas and energy.
  • In addition to experience with 501(c)(3) organizations, experience with 501(c)(4) organizations strongly preferred.
  • Strong technical skills, including with donor management systems. Sandy Hook Promise currently uses Salesforce.

LOCATION:

Remote withing the U.S. with travel for in-person meetings/trainings as needed.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

The salary range for this position is $195,000 – $205,000 annually.

SHP offers a competitive benefits package, including:

  • Unlimited PTO
  • Paid holidays
  • 10 days sick leave
  • Paid parental leave
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Employer paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability
  • 401k match
  • Employer Paid Employee Assistance Program.

Sandy Hook Promise operates within a distributed workforce, allowing for location flexibility across the country for most positions. They provide remote office support for all staff, which includes a laptop, home office reimbursement, monthly Wi-Fi reimbursement up to $40, and monthly cell phone reimbursement up to $50.

Equal Opportunity Employment

SHP is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. They strive to be an employer of choice where a diverse mix of talented people want to come and do their best work. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. They are focused on promoting diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion and believe deeply in having a workforce comprised of people of all beliefs and backgrounds who seek to prevent gun violence and stop the tragic loss of life. Members of all under-represented groups are encouraged to apply.

TO APPLY: 

To apply or nominate a candidate, Please submit your resume and cover letter to jobs@pillarsearch.com. Those applying are asked to submit both a resume and cover letter.

Please note that, due to the high volume of resumes received for this role, Pillar is unable to have informational calls about the role. Only those candidates selected to move forward will be scheduled for introductory calls as part of our recruiting process.

Phone calls are not accepted.

About Pillar Search & HR Consulting:A woman-owned business based in Boston, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides executive search/recruiting and human resources consulting expertise to nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, working with senior leaders and the boards of directors to hire and develop the very best talent across all functional areas of the organization. Pillar’s Founder, Cindy Joyce, is a Certified Diversity Recruiter. For more information, please visit www.pillarsearch.com.

Search Success: Rodney Williams Joins Fab Foundation as Program Manager!

Fab Foundation and Pillar Search & HR Consulting are proud to announce the appointment of Rodney Williams to the position of Program Manager. Rodney joined Fab Foundation on January 4, 2023.

As Program Manager, Rodney will manage and implement educational outreach projects with corporate and private partners.  Rodney will primarily be responsible for US-based projects and select international projects.  In this role, he will develop key stakeholder relationships for the various partnerships formed for the relevant outreach projects and manage the overall day to day operation of the program(s). Rodney will work closely with project personnel, such as instructors, lab managers, teachers and others to implement outreach projects.

Prior to joining Fab Foundation, Rodney was the Director of Marketing and Communications with The Ancona School and began his tenure with the school as the Technology Integration Coordinator. Earlier in his career, Rodney was the Technology Specialist with the William K. New Sullivan Elementary School.

Rodney earned his Ed.D. in Educational Psychology and Technology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, his Master of Science in Applied Technology from DePaul University, and his undergraduate degree in Youth Development from DePaul University. Rodney resides in Chicago, IL.

About Fab Foundation: The mission of the Fab Foundation is to provide access to the tools, the knowledge, and the financial means to educate, innovate, and invent using technology and digital fabrication to allow anyone to make (almost) anything. They create opportunity. Learn more about Fab Foundation at https://fabfoundation.org.

About Pillar Search & HR Consulting: A woman-owned business based in Boston, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides executive search/recruiting and human resources consulting expertise to nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, working with senior leaders and the boards of directors to hire and develop the very best talent across all functional areas of the organization. For more information, please visit www.pillarsearch.com.

New Search! Chief Technology Officer with VolunteerMatch

VolunteerMatch, a nonprofit organization, matches inspired people with inspiring causes. It’s how volunteers and nonprofits connect to achieve remarkable outcomes.  VolunteerMatch has partnered with Pillar Search & HR Consulting on the search for their new Chief Technology Officer. This is an ideal opportunity for a talented technology leader who is mission-driven and has a proven track record of leading high-performance and remote teams.

With 1.3M monthly visitors per month, VolunteerMatch’s mission is to make it easy for good people and good causes to connect. Since 1998, more than 17M volunteers have connected with leading nonprofits through our platform. Today, our social innovations are powering volunteer engagement for a nation of nonprofits, businesses, campuses, and government agencies. We are in a vibrant period of growth and change: embracing being a fully cloud-based organization with no ties to a physical space; experiencing record amounts of philanthropic investment; the energy and inspiration of a new CEO; and establishing a new leadership team.

Role Description: Chief Technology Officer

Reporting Relationship: CEO

Direct Reports: 12 employees

Status: Full-time

Location: Remote within the United States

Compensation: Base salary range of $180,000 to $225,000 per annum, depending on prior experience of the candidate, plus bonus and competitive benefits

Responsibilities

VolunteerMatch is looking for an experienced technology and product leader in its new Chief Technology Officer.  They will own the evolution and execution of our products from whiteboard to source code to ongoing operations including design, product management, development, usability and QA.  As a member of the executive leadership team, the CTO will inspire and lead with vision, curiosity, and a growth mindset.

  • Drive a technology culture that seeks feedback, continuous improvement and innovation for social good.
  • Directly manage the senior team members of the product and engineering teams.
  • Align VolunteerMatch’’s technology with emerging trends and technologies Including artificial intelligence and machine learning.
  • Work across a diverse product set from APIs to mobile apps to the web.
  • Align the product and engineering team with execution of the organization’s strategic priorities in sales, marketing and customer success.
  • Communicate with employees, stakeholders, customers and investors.
  • Ensure that VolunteerMatch is in compliance with security and privacy requirements (e.g., GDPR, SOC2).

Desired Skills and Experience

  • At least fifteen years of prior experience as a senior engineering leader overseeing architecture and engineering for enterprise-wide technology platforms and leading SaaS technology platforms.
  • A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering or another relevant field, or equivalent work experience.
  • MBA or MA/MS in a related field of computer science will be an asset.
  • Proven ability to successfully lead in an agile, Scrum-based SDLC.
  • Demonstrated experience designing, building, and supporting successful revenue-generating API services.
  • Deeply committed to using your powers for social good, developing social innovations that address deep societal needs.
  • Demonstrated knowledge, skills and experience with human-centered design and design thinking.
  • Commitment to lean start-up methodologies, and pragmatic commitment to innovation.
  • Demonstrated people management skills and the ability to positively motivate a team with both a sense of urgency and joy.
  • Proven ability to build and manage diverse, inclusive, and high-performing teams.

About VolunteerMatch:

VolunteerMatch’s talented team work remotely and extends from Silicon Valley to New York City. We are passionate, collaborative, and mission-driven.

National nonprofit partners include Red Cross, California State Library, Easter Seals, Girl Scouts of the USA, National CASA, National MS Society. Their corporate partners include ADT, AT&T, Bank of the West, Choice Hotels International, Discovery Communications, Groupon, Humana, JetBlue, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal, Morgan Stanley, Nationwide, NBC Universal, Office Depot, Robert Half, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Starbucks, and Time Warner.

How To Apply:

VolunteerMatch has partnered with Pillar Search & HR Consulting to identify and their new Chief Technology Officer. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their resume, along with a cover letter (required) to Cindy Joyce, Founder of Pillar Search & HR Consulting, at cindy@pillarsearch.com.

About Pillar Search & HR Consulting: A woman-owned business based in Boston, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides executive search/recruiting and human resources consulting expertise to nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, working with senior leaders and the boards of directors to hire and develop the very best talent across all functional areas of the organization. For more information, please visit www.pillarsearch.com.

Talent Acquisition in the New Normal: 10 Ways to Position Your Organization for Success

It seems counterintuitive. How can you recruit if you have no open positions? What if you are in an industry or organization that is experiencing layoffs, furloughs, or a hiring freeze? The truth is a downturn can be an ideal time to time to assess and enhance your organization’s hiring efforts. After all, finding top talent is not a finite task, but rather an ongoing effort that requires time, energy and effort, even during a downturn.

I have been in recruiting and human resources since the mid-90’s, and have been through a few downturns, such as the dotcom bubble bursting, post-9/11, and the financial crisis of the late 2000’s.  While I was working in the investment industry during those, and now work with nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, the same principles hold true regardless of industry or sector.

Here are ten ways you can enhance recruiting now:

  1. Build a pipeline. When hiring is moving fast and furiously, it can be quite a challenge to find the time to look around and figure who at your competitors and other organizations you would LOVE to hire. Now is the time to do that. Who are the stars that you should proactively reach out to the next time a role is open?
    • Look on LinkedIn. Check in with those you know and connect with those you do not
    • Think of amazing speakers and attendees you have met at conferences and/or industry-related events, or those who write articles/white papers that have impressed you
    • Former employees who were top performers. They may be open to a return for the right opportunity
  2. Research ways to build diverse candidate pools. It is easy to post in the same places, but those same places will likely produce the same candidates. There are tons of organizations specific to people of color and women, those who are differently abled, LGBTQ, veterans, etc. In addition, there are job boards that are focused on diversity within certain areas of expertise, such as fundraising, IT, or marketing. Find the ones that work for the jobs your organization hires for so that you have that list at the ready when a job opens.
  3. Be focused with postings when a position does open. Just a few short months ago, it was a candidate’s market. Job postings may have only produced a handful of candidates. That has changed – big time – and while at first you will feel like you have your choice of candidates, you may realize that in this “new normal” you are spending an inordinate amount of time sifting through resumes and fielding endless calls from candidates, which will significantly extend your time to fill metrics. Rather than using the big, broad job boards, focus on the ones specific to your industry and the role, use LinkedIn to proactively reach out to candidates, and tap into your network.
  4. Revisit finalists from other searches. I am going to let you in on a little secret: at the end of each search, I make a list of the top candidates. I did this when I was recruiting in-house, and I do it now that I am an external search consultant. While we all hope that the person hired will stay in the role forever, things change. People get promoted, move, decide that it is not the right role for them, or perhaps your organization expands and decides that they need more people in that same role. Why reinvent the wheel when you already know great candidates? If you loved the finalists in your search, keep them in mind and reach back out if you are hiring for that role or a similar one in the future.
  5. Reach out to the ones that got away. Whether the candidate you made an offer to opted to accept a role elsewhere or received a counteroffer from their existing employer, it is never easy to lose out on your dream candidate. Stay in touch. You never know when the time will be right for them to make a move to your organization, and anyone that makes it that far in the search most likely got to know your hiring team and the organization and at the very least could be a great source of candidate referrals.
  6. Train your interviewers. When hiring moves at lightning speed, it is easy to let training go by the wayside. It should always be a priority, as you want to ensure that all interviewers are trained to avoid potentially unlawful and discriminatory interview questions, as well as how to avoid unconscious bias. Training also helps interviewers understand how to use the interview times wisely, how to create a positive experience for the candidate, and how to assess each candidate’s strengths and opportunities.
  7. Look at your careers/jobs page. Okay, I get it. There may not be a job posted right now, so it may seem like a pointless exercise. However, eventually candidates will look at the page. Be sure that the message of your careers page is on brand, explains how candidates should apply, shares information on things that will appeal to potential candidates such as training and advancement opportunities, what benefits you offer, what onboarding looks like, and what differentiates your organization as an employer. If you have no current openings, invite those interested in applying to submit a resume for future opportunities. This can help build out your pipeline for the future. Ask recent hires what they think about the career page, and what information would have been helpful to them.
  8. Streamline your process. Have you ever started the hiring process and find that you are adding more and more steps and interviewers as you go? That may cost you top candidates, as they will feel that the process is confusing or excessively long. Take the time now to look at how many interview rounds there will be, how many interviewers are needed, and who is involved in each step, making sure that each interviewer is essential and not just a “nice to have”. At the start of each search, recommit to those steps and be transparent with candidates about the recruiting process during your first interview.
  9. Review job descriptions. In the heat of the moment, it is easy to glance at your existing job descriptions in a rush to post. Look at the duties and responsibilities. Jobs evolve with time, technology, and changes to your organizational structure; make sure that the job description is relevant to the current role. In addition, take the particularly important step of reviewing job descriptions to ensure that you are not using biased language, as this could be discouraging diverse candidates from applying.
  10. Succession planning. If succession planning is something your organization does, or if you need to get started, now is the time to pay attention to it. When there is an economic crisis due to an extraordinary event, such as COVID-19, it is called a Black Swan. Black Swans often cause people to assess their life and work, and whether this is what they genuinely want to do. It happened to me – as the recession of the late 2000’s started to improve, I realized that I wanted to do something different and left the investment industry to work in the nonprofit sector. Others I know opted to retire, start their own business, stay home with children, or go back to school full-time. Having a succession plan in place will ensure continuity of leadership and productivity.

While the above tips are focused on your employees, many can also be applied to your board positions!

Remember, this too shall pass. If you do a thorough assessment of your talent acquisition efforts and take the steps to enhance it now, your organization will be in a much better position when hiring picks up again.

A woman-owned company based in Boston, Pillar Search & HR Consulting provides executive search and human resources consulting expertise to nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, working with senior leaders and boards of directors to hire and develop the very best talent across all functional areas of the organization. For more information, please contact Cindy Joyce at cindy@pillarsearch.com.