Deputy Director, Development

Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Best Buddies is the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our programs empower the special abilities of people with IDD by helping them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy, and communication skills, and feel valued by society.

Job Title:Deputy Director, Development

Department: State Programs and Operations

Reports to: State Director
# of direct reports: varies

Position Overview: The Deputy Director of Development (DDOD) will collaborate with the State Director to secure revenue for statewide programs and to promote the mission of Best Buddies. Specifically, the DDOD is expected to ensure the success of state fundraising events and to secure grant funding.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 2-4 years’ of fundraising or related experience, including a record of success in expanding a donor base through cultivation and stewardship, grant writing, and/or event planning/implementation
• Experience recruiting, managing, training, and motivating volunteers
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, and familiarity/comfort with database and donor management systems (i.e., Raisers Edge, Salesforce)
• Strong initiative, drive for results, and self-assessment skills, and ability to lead individuals and teams in setting and achieving challenging goals
• Superior persuasive writing and presentation skills with the ability to exert influence, inspire others, and articulate the mission, goals, and activities of Best Buddies with passion and enthusiasm
• Superior relationship building skills, and ability to work directly with senior level positions, high wealth donors, and corporate executives
• Superior project management skills - including planning, analysis, decision making, and problem solving skills –with the willingness to multitask
• Must be comfortable engaging with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)
• Must be comfortable with frequent local/regional travel, use personal cell phone, and work evenings and weekends as necessary in order to accomplish job responsibilities
• Access to an automobile with applicable insurance

Job Duties include, but are not limited to:

Fund Development

• Manages Development initiatives and special events as assigned by State Director
• Expands Development initiatives based on goals
• Recruits and trains volunteers to form committees for all events
• Serves as staff partner for the Advisory Board Income Development Committee and/or Young Professionals Council (YPC) and event committees as appropriate
• Oversees event planning and implementation logistics, including assuming responsibility for meeting or exceeding revenue goals for events and for complying with event best practices, benchmarks and timelines
• Stewards donors and manages donor relations as appropriate
• Works with State Director and committee volunteers to research, identify and secure event sponsors
• Collaborates with State Director to create sponsorship proposals and event materials
• Establishes and maintains effective relationships to develop new sponsorship and donor opportunities
• Works with State Director to research opportunities and develop proposals to foundations, maintains accurate records, and submits reports as required by funders

Marketing

• Creates strong presence for Best Buddies locally through public speaking, community involvement, special events and other media initiatives
• Creates and distributes press releases to media for events or fundraising initiatives as appropriate
• Collaborates with Program staff on creation and distribution of monthly statewide e-newsletter
• Submits monthly website updates, including event listings, promotions, sponsor listings and awareness article
• Creates and maintains web pages for all state events - develops relationships with local graphic artists to support local needs

Programs

• Serves as a resource to state Programs staff to support their fundraising efforts
• Ensures that program participants, parents, and staff are appropriately integrated into statewide fundraising efforts
• Ensures that all fundraising events and initiatives are in alignment with program objectives and integrates program awareness and education into all fundraising activities

Operations

• Manages solicitation and stewardship processes for donors as assigned, including tracking relevant information, processing gifts, and sending thank you letters
• Maintains and updates the donor tracking system
• Manages local matching gifts process and serves as relationship manager for partner corporations
• Develops and maintains an efficient system for tracking information regarding event benchmarks, revenue/expenses to-date, task designation, and other logistics – provides regular progress reports to State Director and HQ Development Team
• Ensures that each event maintains an appropriate revenue/expense ratio per Best Buddies standards

Best Buddies® is an affirmative action employer, in addition to an EOE and M/F/V/PWD/PV employer. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are foundational to Best Buddies International’s core values and help the organization continue to achieve its mission. Here at Best Buddies, our goal is to lead and advocate for a more inclusive world.

Best Buddies offers a comprehensive and generous benefits program that include financial security, health and wellness and time off.