You are highly strategic and results-driven, a hunter and a closer, and an expert manager with strong emotional intelligence. You love to bring structure to chaos, build teams and infrastructure, and are most satisfied when your work has deep, meaningful impact. At Defy, your challenge will be to build and manage a cutting-edge development operation that allows Defy’s life transforming program to scale its impact nationally.
We look for the following when evaluating new teammates:
Culture fit: we have an ambitious and spirited culture that is passionate about redeeming lives and restoring communities. We strive to display heart, empathy, and resolve in our daily interactions with one another.
Execution machine: you thrive under pressure, consistently meeting expectations and commitments on tight deadlines, all while managing a variety of tasks and relationships in an efficient and meticulous manner.
You will work in close partnership with the CEO, COO, CPO (Chief Program Officer), Board of Directors, and other key stakeholders to define and refine organizational strategy.
You will be entrusted with your own share of massive responsibility.
You will have the support of teammates who look out for you and want you to succeed.
You will make a difference in the lives of America’s biggest underdogs.
Although Defy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we take pride in our application of corporate best practices and operate as a lean, results-oriented startup.
Responsibilities
Actively work with the senior leadership team to develop and implement a comprehensive, multi-year development strategy to include individual giving, planned giving, corporate giving/sponsorships, foundation and government grants, fundraising events, etc
In coordination with the CEO, play a lead role in the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts with potential and existing donors; regularly engage the CEO, board members, program staff, existing funders, and others in donor cultivation and solicitation of funds as appropriate.
In coordination with the COO/CIO, assess, refine, and strengthen Defy’s development infrastructure, tools, and systems (donor database, gift acknowledgments, renewals, online giving platform, mailings, and communications calendar) to ensure efficient and effective support and resources for staff, board members, and volunteers engaged in fundraising efforts.
Provide overall leadership to the Development team (grant writer, marketing, and junior fundraisers). Motivate, inspire, manage, and develop staff so they are informed and passionate about the mission, and committed to working effectively toward continual process improvement and results. Structure the team to align human resources with long-term development goals.
In partnership with the COO and CPO, develop and manage fundraising targets that both inform organizational budgets and reflect organizational requirements.
Ensure best practice use of analytics, data, and metrics to track progress and success of fundraising strategies and tactics.
Lead efforts to identify and secure new foundation support; maintain and strengthen relationships with current foundation funders. Assume primary responsibility for the development and execution of all proposals and report writing, and coordinate the process with the appropriate Regional Executive Director, grant writer, and relevant staff.
Assist the CEO in creating a board development plan focused on identifying, recruiting, and managing a high-profile, engaged, and high-performing board of directors that is focused on fund development.
Ensure funder portfolio diversity in order to proactively address potential shifts in giving patterns and mitigate risk.
Build and maintain an evolving funder pipeline focused on growth, sustainability, and opportunity.
Requirements
Ability to close the deal.
At least ten years of experience as a development leader in a complex organization with extensive major gifts ($25K+) expertise. Experience in an organization with both national and regional funding sources strongly preferred.
A record of measurable results in personally identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individual donors, corporations, and foundations for support and moving existing donors toward increased levels of giving.
Proven success in creating and executing fundraising strategies focused on building a sustainable and diverse revenue stream.
Experience in recruiting, managing, and developing a high performing development team; capacity to enforce accountability, cultivate entrepreneurship, and learn the strengths and weaknesses of the team so as to put people in a position to succeed.
Superb organizational skills, with the proven ability to create and implement efficient development systems, plan strategically, allocate work, set and manage objectives, analyze and mitigate risk, and create and manage projects.
Solid understanding of financial management including budgeting, revenue projections, and risk analysis.
Ability to excel in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, diverse, results-oriented environment, and to handle multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines.
Excellent verbal communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills to effectively work with a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
Professional, precise, and persuasive writing and editing skills.
Flexible and adaptable style; a leader who can positively impact both strategic and tactical fundraising initiatives.
High energy and a passion for Defy’s mission is essential.
About Defy Ventures
The mission of Defy Ventures is to transform the lives of business leaders and people with criminal histories through their collaboration along the entrepreneurial journey.
Defy harnesses the natural talent of currently and formerly incarcerated men and women, and channels it towards the launch of successful careers and the creation of legal, profitable businesses. Defy’s programs include intensive character and leadership development, competition-based entrepreneurship training, executive mentoring, financial investment, and business incubation. In our signature business event, Entrepreneurs-in-Training (EITs) engage with corporate leaders from around the world in Shark Tank-style business pitch competitions that award seed financing to winning ventures.
To date, Defy has:
Served 700 post-release EITs and 311 incarcerated EITs across 11 states (majority in NYC/Bay Area)
Increased graduates’ income by an average of 83% and achieved an employment rate of 95%
Achieved a recidivism rate of less than 3% (national recidivism rates are 50-70%)
Created a national expansion strategy that leverages a blended online learning model to bring Defy’s program to people with criminal histories and their families throughout the U.S.
Financed and incubated over 100 startups founded by EITs that have created over 200 employment opportunities (in addition to the EITs/founders)
Disbursed $400,000+ to EIT’s startups through business pitch competition awards and microloans
Engaged 3,000+ executive volunteers from hedge funds, investment banks, venture capital and private equity firms, Fortune 500 companies, and entrepreneurial ventures. These volunteers contributed 13,000+ hours as business pitch competition judges, mentors, training center faculty, resume editors, and business coaches
Been showcased in national media including Fast Company, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, Forbes.com, The Harvard Business Review, and Richard Branson’s blog.
Founded in 2010, Defy Ventures provides a scalable solution to the outrageously expensive problems of incarceration and recidivism in the United States. With more than $8 million in private funding from individuals and foundations, Defy is well on its way to achieving its vision of equipping formerly incarcerated men and women to defy the odds.
How to apply
To apply, please email your resume to careers@defyventures.org and write “Chief Development Officer” in the subject line. Please also include a customized cover letter that discusses what motivates you to work for Defy.
For more information on Defy Ventures, please visit our website at http://www.defyventures.org