Our Mission: Helena Food Share serves our neighbors in need by providing food in a respectful and dignified way and by working with others to eliminate hunger in the greater Helena area.
Our Vision: Creating a hunger free community.
Helena Food Share is seeking a development professional prepared to lead the organization’s fund development and communications activities. The Development Director reports directly to the Executive Director, is a key member of the management team, and plays an important role in helping shape and implement initiatives that support the organization’s short and long-term, mission-focused goals. Working with the Executive Director and in collaboration with other staff, governing board members, and volunteers, the Development Director holds overall responsibility for developing, coordinating, and implementing the organization’s ambitious development program. This is a high-performing position, requiring professional fundraising competence, excellent organizational development skills and effective relational qualities that can be applied toward building constructive relationships in all segments of the community. The Development Director functions with a level of autonomy that usually accompanies management team positions, and is called on to proactively perform the duties of the position.
Helena Food Share, located in Helena, Montana, is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. Eleven staff members carry out the necessary operations of the organization. Generous donors and hundreds of volunteers generously support Helena Food Share. In our Lewis Street Pantry, we respectfully assist 1,500 households each month by providing 5,000 pounds of food to an average of 100 clients per day. We also distribute food through external programs such as Kid Packs, the East Helena Pantry, Mobile Pantries at low-income senior residences, Senior Commodities and Senior Farmers Market and through other collaborative partnerships. More information about Helena Food Share and the services it offers is available at helenafoodshare.org.
Helena Food Share’s annual revenue has grown by nearly 25% in the last two years. The organization’s current annual revenue goal is nearly $900,000, and is raised through gifts from more than 2,500 local donors. It will be crucial to grow future annual revenue to meet adopted strategic goals. In addition to maintaining funding for our current programs (which continue to increase due to demand) and supporting possible new programs and services, we also envision a capital campaign in the near future. The Development Director will have a crucial role in both the process of getting Helena Food Share financially ready for such an endeavor and in carrying out the campaign.
This is an exempt, salaried position. The salary range is $45,000-$55,000, based on experience. Compensation also includes paid holidays, annual leave, sick leave, and health insurance premium payments to an employer-sponsored health insurance plan.
Responsibilities
Development Plan and Strategic Direction
Works in collaboration with the Executive Director, staff and Board of Directors to chart the near- and long-term strategic direction of the organization’s fund development program.
Creates the annual fund development plan, with specific goals, strategies and performance metrics, which will deliver revenue necessary to support the initiatives of Helena Food Share.
Develops and gains approval for the annual development and communications budget.
Helps establish performance measures, monitors results and helps the Executive Director and Board of Directors evaluate the effectiveness of Helena Food Share’s annual development plan. Provides quarterly performance reports to the Executive Director and the Board of Directors.
Implements the fund development plan using best practices and ethical fundraising principles.
Holds a comprehensive understanding of the priorities of Helena Food Share and makes a persuasive oral and written case for support for key programs and projects, effectively matching the interests of prospective donors to specific programs and initiatives.
Communications
Develops, with the Communication and Events Manager, a comprehensive communication plan to promote Helena Food Share to its donors, volunteers, and external partners.
Oversees external communications projects, including message framing, press releases, printed publications, and social media, online and website content.
Coordinates the design, printing, and distribution of appeals, marketing, and general agency communications. Oversees and creates the completions of all written appeals.
Donor Cultivation, Stewardship, and Management
Stewards a multi-channel approach to individual giving including corporate gifts, major donors, monthly donor programs, individual donors, and planned giving.
Creates and implements a successful major donor program including identifying, strategizing, and cultivation efforts. Leads and assists the executive, key staff and board members with necessary efforts to identify, cultivate and solicit major donor gifts.
Oversees the creation and development of a comprehensive planned giving program including a legacy gift communications strategy, legacy gift society and long-range program plan.
Refines and continues implementation of a Benevon-style fundraising program, including monthly engagement lunch tours and an annual Beyond Hunger luncheon and pledge event.
Develops and manages timelines for direct mail campaigns, written appeals and all ongoing cultivation campaigns.
Works closely with staff charged to maintain donor database. Oversees donor management software, Donor Perfect Online, ensuring clean, reliable data.
Ensures appropriate donor acknowledgement is occurring in a timely manner.
Responsible for organizing Board thank you calls and letters of acknowledgment.
Event Management
Works with the Communications and Event Manager and other staff to coordinate all fundraising events that are part of the development plan.
Coordinates the Helena Food Share “Mardi Gras” event, a gala-style fundraiser. This requires oversight and active solicitation of corporate sponsorships, silent auction items, and in-kind support. Oversees volunteer recruitment for ticket sales, event-night auction and raffle coordination, and decorating. Staffs and manages “Mardi Gras” event committee.
Organizes monthly “Meet Helena Food Share” facility tours and lunch.
Coordinates the annual “Beyond Hunger” luncheon and pledge event, including securing sponsorships, table captains, venue, catering, and program.
Grant Research, Writing and Management
Leads the agency in its expanding grant-writing strategies, and oversees its grant program.
Works with the Executive Director and Program Director to identify funding needs and programs to be included in grant proposals
Ensures grant proposals are prepared in compliance with all requirements, are submitted accurately, and in a timely fashion. Ensure all grant reports are completed accurately, properly formatted, delivered on time and satisfy all requirements. Ensure foundation revenue goals are met.
Supervision and Management
Provides supervision and direction to the Communication and Events Manager, Donor Relations Manager, and direction for development work to the Administrative Coordinator.
Staffs the Board of Directors’ External Affairs Committee, including working with the committee chair to develop meeting agendas and an annual calendar so the committee can fulfill its responsibilities effectively.
Works with all HFS staff to bring understanding of their role in fundraising and community cultivation.
Oversees the recruitment, training and supervision of volunteers who work on development projects.
Works with the Executive Director, Board Chair and the External Affairs Committee Chair to assist board members with fulfilling their appropriate fund development roles and annual giving activities.
Manages the day-to-day operations of the development team and functions and evaluates the effectiveness of activities through coordination with staff and development volunteers.
Follows established personnel procedures for supervisees, including conducting regular performance evaluations.
Performs other duties, as assigned by the Executive Director, including core program work when needed.
Desired Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications
The ideal candidate for this position will:
Have superior interpersonal skills needed to interact with staff, board members, volunteers, donors, media representatives and other external partners;
Effectively manage competing priorities and deadlines, prioritize, and fulfill commitments;
Be organized, flexible, creative and willing to learn;
Have demonstrated experience and confidence asking people to contribute time and money;
Know how to work independently, and as part of a team that knows how to have fun, and thrive with a high volume of deadline driven tasks;
Be able to firmly commit to and work to achieve the mission of Helena Food Share; and,
Be able to work at a desk with a computer for long periods and lift 25 pounds.
Knowledge and experience of the following is vital: the nature and dimensions of philanthropy, fundraising ethics, motivations for giving and volunteering, research and cultivation practices, standard fundraising techniques, including face-to-face solicitation, proposal writing, special events, and direct mail.
The required knowledge, skills, and abilities are typically acquired through a combination of education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree and 5 years’ demonstrated and progressive fundraising experience. Other combinations of education and experience will be considered on an individual basis.
How to apply
This position is open until filled. Please submit your materials by email to: bruced@helenafoodshare.org. Direct any questions to the Executive Director, Bruce Day, at 406-443-3663 ext. 108 (office) or 406-439-7850 (mobile), or by email to bruced@helenafoodshare.org.