Vice President of Development & Partnerships

Feb 6

The Solutions Project
Fully remote work model requiring regular travel on a national scale; ideally, the appointee would be based in a major, coastal metropolitan area such as New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, or the San Francisco Bay Area

Anticipated Start Date: ASAP

Description

The core charge of the Vice President is to bridge the urgent funding needs of grassroots climate leaders with much-needed financial resources and to build a sustainable financial base for the organization. The Vice President will leverage the transformational philanthropic investments TSP has secured to date to further increase revenue, establishing a stable, diversified revenue generation model that centers Solidarity Philanthropy and is data driven, major gifts focused, and sustainable over the long term.

This leader will work in close partnership with the Chief Programs & Operating Officer, to whom the position reports and will work in deep strategic alignment and collaboration with the President & CEO, to whom the position will enjoy unfettered access. The Vice President constitutes TSP’s second-ever staff member dedicated entirely to the development function and will supervise and collaborate with the Director of Development.

Responsibilities

At a fragile and regressive moment for climate and equity, The Solutions Project remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting grassroots climate leaders who continue to organize, build, and exercise power for justice. As TSP President & CEO Gloria Walton has said, “Now is not the time to retreat from climate and equity. It is the time to double down and invest in local organizing, power building, and frontline strategies. This is the moment to show up for one another.”

As President and CEO, Gloria Walton has charted a bold path forward for the organization to raise significant resources for the climate justice movement, rooted in a new Strategic Plan. This requires making big asks of potential and existing donors, expanding fundraising partnerships and exploring new and creative forms of revenue generation. A recent, transformative gift from MacKenzie Scott, accelerates progress towards TSP’s next revenue milestone to raise $100 million by 2030.

The Solutions Project is now seeking candidates for the newly created role of Vice President of Development & Partnerships (Vice President), who will build upon the tremendous philanthropic support TSP has received to date and oversee all fundraising and development activities working in lockstep with the President & CEO. The core charge of the Vice President is to bridge the urgent funding needs of grassroots climate leaders with much-needed financial resources and to build a sustainable financial base for the organization. The Vice President will leverage the transformational philanthropic investments TSP has secured to date to further increase revenue, establishing a stable, diversified revenue generation model that centers Solidarity Philanthropy and is data driven, major gifts focused, and sustainable over the long term.

The Vice President will have a creative, proactive and hands-on approach to expanding organizational revenue, building organizational assets and significantly expanding the donor base. They will be adept in traditional fundraising methods and approaches, but also excited to innovate and experiment with new ideas for revenue models, earned revenue streams, partnerships and alliances. This leader will work in close partnership with the Chief Programs & Operating Officer, to whom the position reports and will work in deep strategic alignment and collaboration with the President & CEO, to whom the position will enjoy unfettered access. The Vice President constitutes TSP’s second-ever staff member dedicated entirely to the development function and will supervise and collaborate with the Director of Development.

Requirements

While The Solutions Project will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

Key Experience, Qualifications & Skills

Twelve-plus years of fundraising experience including demonstrated success in a leadership role. Preference for a background that includes working at an early-stage organization.
Track record of building a sustainable development program including individuals, institutions, major gifts, planned gifts, digital, and annual giving; earned revenue streams; donor stewardship; and fundraising operations.
Proactive, entrepreneurial and creative approach to generating new fundraising partnerships across sectors.
Significant experience identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts from individual and institutional donors at the level of six to seven figures or greater.
Experience developing multi-year fundraising strategies and campaigns, including assessment, scoping, phasing and setting campaign goals and potentially including selection and management of external fundraising consultants.
Clear, concise oral communication skills with the presence and comfort level to serve as a highly visible, externally facing ambassador.
Excellent writing and editorial skills and proven ability to write and edit high quality donor materials and proposals.
High relational focus with the capacity to build strong, trusting relationships across TSP and the gravitas to build relationships with existing and potential donors.
Ability to manage, coach, motivate, and evaluate development staff.
Track record working cross-departmentally to achieve results. Strong preference for experience working successfully in a virtual team setting.
Financial acumen including experience collaborating successfully with Finance teams, managing budgets and revenue forecasts and setting sound budgets for donor proposals.
Experience collaborating with executives, senior staff, and board leaders on development-related activities, providing them with quality support and intelligence, and increasing their comfort with and success in fundraising.
Track record of advancing prospect discovery and engagement at all levels of giving as well as examination of existing donors who may have greater capacity.
Demonstrated ability in planning and executing strategic, integrated marketing and communications in support of development initiatives.
Demonstrated ability to integrate data into decision-making and strategy development.
Working knowledge of modern data management practices and innovations that can streamline development processes and contribute to the integration of related functions, ideally including use of Salesforce.
Unimpeachable integrity and mature judgment in handling sensitive information.
Authentic connection to and passion for TSP’s mission, social justice, climate action and advancing Solidarity Philanthropy. Credible, working understanding of the climate crisis and climate action strategies in the U.S.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Solutions Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly encourages leaders of color, women, and those who identify as LGBTQI to apply. TSP complies with federal, state and/or local laws that prohibit discrimination in employment based on race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, citizen or intending citizen status, disability, and veteran status. Information provided during the application or employment process will not be used to discriminate against any individual in any manner. The organization complies with ADA regulations as applicable.

Salary Range and Employee Benefits

The annual salary for this role is expected to range from $225,000 to $275,000, commensurate with experience.

How to Apply for this Job

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About the Organization

Less than 2% of climate philanthropy supports climate justice organizations doing work on the ground. The Solutions Project (TSP) funds and amplifies Black, Indigenous, Immigrant, and other people of color or women-led organizations across the United States who are creating and scaling climate justice solutions.

Through the funding of neighborhood level innovations aimed at solving multiple problems at once, from poor air quality and housing insecurity to exposure to extreme climate disasters, these organizations go well beyond reducing climate emissions to transforming the health, economic, and social outcomes of entire communities.

We seek to understand and strengthen pre-existing movement networks and currently grant to over 140 organizations. The Solutions Project is at the forefront of Solidarity Philanthropy, which builds on the foundation of trust-based Philanthropy with practices defined by grassroots organizers and racially-conscious movement work.

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