The United Methodist Children’s Home
of the North Georgia Conference
“Healing Children, Uniting Families, Saving Lives”
Position Opening
Title: Vice President of Development
Reports to: President and CEO
Are you ready to fully utilize your senior leadership skills and experience to help transform an organization and make a real difference in the lives of others?
Come join our dynamic and growing organization with a strong legacy of organizational and financial stability. We provide meaningful, positive change that dramatically impacts the lives of children and families within the North Georgia community. Maximize your considerable fundraising, strategic marketing and communications leadership experience to help us transform, rebrand, build and grow the United Methodist Children’s Home (UMCH) organization. Partner with senior leaders and share your vision, strategic thinking, entrepreneurial skills and innovative approach to help inspire, lead, fund and grow the organization. Help us to develop our compelling story and share our message, build UMCH brand awareness and grow volunteer, partner and donor support and participation. Become part of our team and experience the true joy of helping effectively fulfill our mission: to help children to heal emotionally and spiritually, to unite families and to bring the wholeness of God’s love to each of them through Jesus Christ.
Organization
The United Methodist Children’s Home - An Exciting and Important Ministry
The United Methodist Children’s Home is a safe haven for children, youth and their families, and we have been since the founding of the organization in 1871. Our stable, resilient organization has a strong foundation and legacy as a steadfast source of hope and healing to those whom we serve.
We provide a loving and safe home for abused and neglected children in the state foster care system. Our service offerings include Foster Care and Adoption for children of all ages, Independent and Transitional Living for older youth, Nurturing Connections Second Chance Program for parenting teens and their babies, and Higher Education assistance.
We also work to prevent abuse and strengthen families and believe that the best way to provide a safe and loving home for a child is to help create that same safe and loving experience in his or her own family. Our family preservation services – Family Counseling, Parenting Classes, Financial Aid and residential Family Housing – help families stay together and become stronger. Our summer and after-school program, Jesse’s House, also provides a safe place for children. Whether through adoption, reunification, staying together or standing independently, we help our children, teens and families find their permanent home.
History:
The United Methodist Children’s Home has a rich history of serving children and families in our area. The Home was originally established in 1871 to care for children orphaned during the Civil War. Originally called the Methodist Orphans’ Home and located in Norcross, the Home moved in 1873 to our present location in Decatur. By the early 1930s, the Home was serving large numbers of children who could not be termed “orphans”; therefore, in 1934 the trustees approved changing the name to Methodist Children’s Home. Elementary students continued in the on-campus school until about 1950, when they were absorbed into the DeKalb County system.
In 1977, the United Methodist Children’s Home opened the first district office in Augusta to better serve children and families throughout north Georgia. The district office in Dalton opened in 1984, the office in Rome opened in 1996, and the office in Gainesville opened in 2006. Over the years, the Children’s Home began offering additional programs and services to children, teens and families.
In 2010, the United Methodist Children’s Home made significant changes to the program offerings, including the Family Housing program on our campus and the addition of a new program in 2011: Jesse’s House (an after-school program and summer day for under-served children). We also serve increasing numbers of older youth in our Independent Living and Transitional Living programs, and children and youth of all ages in Foster Care.
Today, we are again in the midst of exciting organizational change! UMCH is working to build increased awareness in the community for our programs and services and to increase funding designed to help us strengthen existing programs and services and provide new offerings to serve even more children and families in our area.
Mission:
To provide redemptive, healing services that bring meaningful change to the lives of children and families. Grounded by scripture and the tradition of the church, we seek to bring the wholeness of God’s love to persons through Christ.
Position Summary
Reporting to the President and CEO, and serving as a key member of the executive leadership team, the Vice President of Development will be a strategic, results-driven, creative, innovative thinker and servant-leader. Leadership experience, combined with a strong passion for the vision, mission and goals of the United Methodist Children’s Home (UMCH) as well as for the constituents, with whom the Vice President of Development works and serves, is critical to success in this role.
Key responsibilities include leadership, strategic planning and oversight of the development, implementation and direction of results-driven UMCH marketing and communications strategies, as well as volunteer recruitment and management. This individual will be an ambassador for the organization and will work to build strong relationships with volunteers, donors, partners, the Board of Directors and other key stakeholders and constituents.
The Vice President of Development will also partner with the CEO to provide leadership and develop all UMCH fundraising strategy leadership for UMCH; recruit, direct and manage a fundraising staff and volunteers to engage, solicit and close donors and partners through various fundraising campaign activities. In addition, the Vice President of Development will personally travel in the field approximately two days per week to cultivate, solicit and close gifts from current and prospective donors, with an emphasis on soliciting major gifts.
Local and regional is travel is required approximately 2 days per week within the North Georgia area, with the remainder of the time spent working in the office onsite at the UMCH headquarters in Decatur, Georgia.
No relocation assistance is available for this opportunity.
Duties and Responsibilities
Fundraising, Strategic Marketing and Communications Leadership
· Partner with the CEO and Board of Directors to plan, execute and direct cost-effective, results-oriented strategies for prospect/donor cultivation and solicitation
· Provide strategic leadership, planning and oversight for all aspects of the organization’s marketing, fundraising and communications activities aligned with UMCH vision, mission and goals
· Lead and direct all marketing, fundraising and communications campaigns and develop and implement associated policies and procedures
· Analyze current marketing programs and events; present fresh, creative and innovative ideas for unique, cost-effective, results-oriented strategic marketing plans, programs and events
· Lead, mentor and manage the fundraising and communications department staff and provide professional development opportunities
· Oversight of volunteer management program including: working with other departments to identify volunteer opportunities; engage, recruit and manage volunteers to maintain the campus, provide services to residents, and raise funds to support the UMCH programs and services.
· Manage staff efforts to produce and implement various fundraising events and promotions
· Develop, execute, monitor and evaluate staff development plans and results; set goals and metrics and performance objectives; measure, ensure and encourage staff progress toward results-based goals and objectives
· Participate as a member of the executive team to develop the strategic and operational plans including development and management of the fundraising and marketing budgets
· Personally participate in fundraising campaigns to cultivate, solicit, close and steward gifts from current and prospective donors, with an emphasis on major gifts in excess of $10,000
· Oversee organizational communications with current and prospective donors through appeals, letters, newsletters, publications, website, social media, email alerts and all other organizational communications efforts.
· Utilize data gathering and analysis tools; perform meaningful analysis and reports on data from various sources including current programs, market data and donor database
· Gauge progress toward goals with monthly and annual reporting; set performance objectives and metrics; monitor and provide periodic progress reports to CEO and senior leadership
· Perform other duties as may be assigned
Supervision and Responsibility
· Position reports to CEO
· Manage all aspects of departmental staff of up to 6, including training, recruiting, hiring, coaching, mentoring and career development
· Volunteer recruitment and management
Qualifications
· Bachelor's degree in a related field such as business, marketing or communications; Master’s degree preferred
· Minimum of 10 years’ leadership experience in one of more of the following areas: fundraising, strategic marketing, communications, business development or related field
· Minimum of 5 years’ experience in effectively managing staff, teams and budgets
· Demonstrated experience and leadership in managing strategic marketing programs, comprehensive strategic communications, media relations, database management and fundraising programs to advance an organization's mission and goals
· Proven ability to provide and implement creative, innovative approaches toward full utilization and implementation of marketing campaigns and new media technologies; ability to operate as an effective tactical as well as strategic thinker
· Strong analytical skills with prior experience and ability to mine and analyze donor and market data; evaluate and prioritize various courses of action toward results-oriented, successful outcomes
· Experience in recruiting, hiring, mentoring and coaching to build a strong and effective team of fundraising, communications staff and volunteers; oversight of volunteer management programs.
· Superior leadership and management skills; proven ability to influence and engage staff, direct and indirect reports, peers and volunteers
· Knowledge, experience and proven success in managing fundraising initiatives with demonstrated experience and competency in a minimum of three or more of the following areas:
· Annual Campaigns
· Capital Campaigns
· Major Gifts
· Planned Giving
· Grants
· Sponsorships
· Proven experience with strong ability to cultivate, solicit, and close gifts from current and prospective donors, both personally and through a staff of volunteers and team, with personal fundraising efforts that have produced multiple major gifts in excess of $10,000
· Demonstrated skill and comfort in proactively cultivating, developing and building strong relationships across all functions and at all levels
· Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal and presentation communication skills (both internally and externally)
· Experience and ability to effectively communicate complex ideas and influence senior management and Board of Directors as well as interface with all other constituents, stakeholders, volunteers, partners and donors
· Ability to make decisions and exercise good judgment in a changing environment with ability to anticipate future needs
· Strong creative problem solving, negotiation and conflict resolution skills
· Willingness and ability to travel approximately 2 days per week or as may be required in the North Georgia region
· Computer skills:
· Microsoft Office – strong proficiency and experience in working with Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
· Intermediate level experience in working with and understanding of Internet applications and programs
Desired Experience
· Prior knowledge and experience with CRM tools preferred: Raiser’s Edge © (preferred), Salesforce.com or similar tools
· Prior knowledge and experience with planned giving software, such as Crescendo, preferred
· Established contacts or network within the Atlanta community
Ideal Candidate Attributes include
· Strong passion and affinity for UMCH’s vision and mission and constituents
· Visionary, innovative leader, highly entrepreneurial and professional, with ability and organizational expertise to effectively inspire donors, partners, staff and volunteers while collaborating with the Board of Directors
· Influential, credible, confident persona with strong personal stature and authenticity
· Creative, progressive, innovative thinker with a track record for translating strategic thinking, results data and information into action plans and measurable results
· Strong analytical skills with ability to investigate, uncover, analyze and translate data into meaningful, actionable information to create maximum impact
· Self-starter; self-directed, results-oriented problem solver
· Balanced approach to work with high tolerance for risk
Compensation:
United Methodist Children’s Home offers a competitive salary plus bonus incentives program and benefits package including:
· Major medical, dental and vision insurance
· Retirement plan with matching contributions
· Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
· Short and Long-term Disability Programs
How to apply
Send resume and cover letter with salary requirements to . Please include “Vice President of Development” in the subject line of your email.
Additional Information
**Please, NO phone calls or third party recruiting agency submittals or inquiries.
Due to the volume of applicant submissions, we regret that we are unable to respond to each inquiry. If you are selected to move forward in the process, we will reach out to you concerning details and next steps in the process.