Philanthropy Officer

Boston, MA

UNITED SOUTH END SETTLEMENTS

United South End Settlements (USES) offers programs that support the whole family in achieving economic mobility. USES help parents and caregivers develop their own capacity to reach their goals, increase their income and assets, and connect with new networks of people through One-on-One Coaching combined with opportunities for personal development through Family Mobility programming. For children and youth, USES provides quality education and enrichment opportunities that foster personal development and social-emotional skills such as perseverance, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Programs include Early Childhood Education, club48 out of school time programming, and Camp Hale on Squam Lake in New Hampshire. USES believes that as families increase their income and assets, become more resilient and connect to a diverse network, they and their children are more likely to develop the necessary skills to disrupt the cycle of poverty

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As United South End Settlements celebrates its 130th year and beyond, the organization is now reaffirming its founding vision of an inclusive community where neighbors from all walks of life work together so that all can thrive, while implementing a bold, new model designed to promote economic mobility and social capital to break the generational cycle of poverty.

USES firmly commits to advocating for all residents of its community, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. The organization’s deep roots in Boston’s South End have fostered connections with—and responsibility to—its diverse, underrepresented neighbors. Over the organization’s 130-year history, USES has consistently endeavored to address systemic racism and advance equity and opportunity through programming, services, support, and friendship. Its mission—to harness the power of its diverse community to disrupt the cycle of poverty—provides a higher purpose and throughline for all decision-making. The values of opportunity, community, and diversity guide the behavior of USES employees, families, and supporters. Through its influence as a neighborhood lifeline, USES commits to transformational family experiences that offer accessibility, equity, and inclusion and lead to true belonging.                                  


Philanthropy Officer

What You’ll Do: 

As the Philanthropy Officer you will be a frontline fundraiser who manages USES’s major gifts pipeline and increases philanthropic support for annual programming and capital campaigns.  The ideal candidate is an experienced fundraiser who will bring a creative, entrepreneurial growth mindset.  Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, you will build out a relationship-driven major giving program that provides meaningful engagement with USES’s programming and constituents.  You will maintain a portfolio of 150+ individual donors.  In this role, you will develop systems, build relationships, and will enjoy the opportunities and challenges that are present in a growing development team.

What You’ll Love

  • Developing and implementing the organization’s major gifts strategy in partnership with the Chief Development Officer, which will support the expansion of USES’s two-generation model

  • Identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of 150+ current and prospective donors 

  • Partnering with Program leadership to create opportunities for meaningful engagement with donors that support USES’s programming and mission

  • Leading the Neighborhood Gala Host Committee; working closely with the Chief Development Officer and the Host Committee to strategize and solicit individual event sponsorships, identify major gifts prospects, and build an engagement pipeline to convert gala sponsors and guests to annual major donors

  • Creating and maintaining systems for strategic donor stewardship and cultivation

  • Overseeing and assigning requests for donor/prospect research

  • Collaborating with the Chief Development Officer and Development & Communications Manager to develop compelling fundraising materials

  • Co-leads Friends of Camp Hale Committee with Director of Camp Hale

  • Overseeing day-to-day operations related to gift tracking, pledge fulfillment, and gift acknowledgment

  • Overseeing Salesforce systems, data, reporting, and best practices for the Development team for individuals

  • Collaborating closely with the Development Team to maximize opportunities for individual relationships to expand opportunities with corporations and foundations, and vice versa.

  • Representing USES at neighborhood events to build external relationships

    • Will be required to work weekends and evenings as events and meetings require

What We’re Looking For: 

USES is seeking an experienced development professional who has the experiences, ambition, and mission alignment needed to organize and lead our major gifts program, including the following: 

  1. Commitment to USES’ mission

  2. Three or more years experience in major gifts fundraising

  3. Proven track record cultivating prospects, securing five-figure gifts, and stewarding relationships

  4. A growth mindset with the ability to thrive in a fast paced environment

  5. Strong interpersonal skills

  6. Excellent communication and organization skills with strong attention to detail

  7. Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office software, Salesforce experience is a plus

  8. Familiarity with the South End Community is a plus

  9. Must be able to exercise sound judgment and confidentiality 

  10. Ability to work independently and as part of a team

  11. Ability to prioritize and work on multiple tasks

  12. Ability to take initiative and is a self-starter

  13. Valid driver’s license, ability to travel regionally, and work some nights and weekends

WHAT WE OFFER

The salary for this role is $75,000. - $85,000. We'll promote your professional growth and development by providing access to a benefits package, including medical and dental insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, paid vacation, and more.

WORK EXPECTATIONS AT USES

This role may be in-person or hybrid. Some nights, early mornings, and weekends will be required on occasion for donor meetings and events.


USES Core Values 

  • Community: We believe in engaging the entire community as a catalyst in our model of service that helps children and their families build strong, trusting and mutually beneficial relationships.

  • Diversity: We believe that we achieve the greatest positive impact on children and their families when we include people from various backgrounds, skill sets, and perspectives in disrupting the cycle of poverty.

  • Opportunity: We believe that all people have potential and deserve access to top quality educational and economic opportunities.

USES Organizational Norms and Behaviors

  • Collaboration: Finding ways to Work Together with each other and across our departments and positions 

  • Positivity: Having a “Can Do” Attitude even when things are tough or stressful

  • Transparency: Having Open Communication by sharing successes, challenges and ideas with each other

  • ExcellenceDoing the Best We Can all the time with everything we do