Director of Development and Communications

Overview of On The Rise, Inc.

On The Rise, Inc. is a dynamic, Cambridge, MA-based non-profit founded in 1995 that serves women and non-binary people currently/formerly experiencing homelessness throughout the region. Our Safe Haven and Keep The Keys Programs’ innovative approach has unprecedented success leveraging our participants’ initiative and core strengths to find safety and discover new possibilities. On The Rise is committed to social justice, dismantling oppression, and striving to be an anti-racist organization. 

On The Rise helps over 500 women each year take steps from surviving on the streets to living and thriving in their own apartments.  On The Rise’s programs and offices operate out of a dignified Victorian house near Central Square in Cambridge. On The Rise’s $1.6 million annual operating budget is raised primarily (70%) from private sources. Each year, over 1,000 financial gifts come from individuals and organizations, and over 350 individuals and groups volunteer and make in-kind donations.

Hours, Activities, and Responsibilities

The Director of Development and Communications (DDC) is a full-time, exempt position.  OTR’s normal business hours are 8-4 on weekdays (with additional program hours most Saturdays and holidays).  The DDC works around the framework of this schedule, flexing hours as needed to support stewardship and fundraising activities on evenings and weekends, while meeting work obligations that arise during normal business hours.

This position is part of On The Rise’s 3-person Senior Management Team. This position reports to, and works closely with, the Executive Director and Director of Programs, and supervises a full-time Development and Engagement Coordinator. The Development function is also supported by a summer/fall intern, and hundreds of community volunteers. On The Rise’s 2020 plan currently includes a third development staff position (mid-manager-level) to be added mid-year. In 2020, a comprehensive and inclusive strategic planning process is under way, and the DDC will be a key stakeholder in forming the plan that maps On The Rise’s future.

The DDC is responsible for building and stewarding relationships with individuals, foundations, and businesses - building and maintaining On The Rise’s community of support for the long term, while developing and executing an annual revenue plan that raises $1,200,000 in private funding. The DDC also oversees On The Rise’s Community Outreach & Education work, which builds and educates our community of support, and provides for many of the programs’ tangible needs, through volunteer service and in-kind donations.

FUNDRAISING AND DEVELOPMENT:  Planning and execution of development and fundraising efforts from individuals, family foundations, foundations, and corporations, including:  

• Create and monitor quarterly and annual revenue forecast
• Research, cultivation, stewardship.  Solicitations from $10 - $100,000, via personal asks and direct mail.  
• Research, write grants, build relationships, and report to foundations and corporations 
• All aspects of event planning and fundraising, especially:  (1) the Prepare for Winter Dinner which raises 15 - 18% of On The Rise’s annual budget in fall (in 2020, the event will incorporate celebration of the 25th Anniversary of On The Rise’s founding); and (2) the Empty Bowls event in Spring, which is rapidly growing into the second annual signature event in On The Rise’s portfolio.
• Collection, storage, turnover and management of in-kind donations of meals, clothing, toiletries and housewares that directly supply our programs.
• Gift processing and acknowledgment.  Management of donor database, other internal systems.

COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT:  Engage Board and other volunteers in our work through individual meetings and tours, written communications, supporting and planning events that benefit On The Rise.  Create and implement strategies for community visibility: develop and produce collateral (digital and print); manage press and social media presence.

Who we are looking for: 

The following qualities are essential in a strong Director of Development and Communication.

Mission and Values:

• Commits to On The Rise’s mission and values of inclusion, safety, self determination, diversity, relationships, wholeness, and community.
• Understands, articulates, and communicates On The Rise’s tenets of harm reduction, trauma inclusion, relational-cultural theory, strength-based de-centered practice, a wellbeing approach, and anti-oppression frameworks, to a diverse community.
• Participates in employer-sponsored activities acknowledging, confronting, and dismantling racism and other issues of oppression and examining the impact of racism on themselves, on On The Rise, and in the community at large.

Teamwork and Collaboration:

• Actively supports, challenges, and communicates with Senior Management Team and all staff; receives support and challenge with openness, curiosity, and humor.

Relationships and Boundaries:

• Builds authentic relationships with community of support (donors, volunteers, partners), fellow staff members, program participants, and outside collaborators, while maintaining appropriate boundaries.

Initiative and Agency:

• Exercises independent judgment, creativity in problem solving, and initiative
• Like all On The Rise employees, exhibits the flexibility required in a small organization, openness to change, and seeks out resources for personal and professional growth.

Skills and Expertise:

• 3 years of management-level development/fundraising or relevant experience
• “People person” with enthusiasm for conducting outreach and getting people interested and invested in On The Rise's work
• Experience in successfully creating and implementing a comprehensive development plan
• Compelling writing style with strong editorial skills 
• Comfort with public speaking and communicating with diverse audiences 
• Experience in foundation and individual prospect research 
• Experience planning events
• Comfort-level with data and quantitative analysis. DonorPerfect experience desirable.
• Valid driver’s license required

Hiring Process, Salary, and Benefits:

• Submit a cover letter and resume to hiring@ontherise.org. 
• Salary Range: $80,000 to $104,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• This is a full-time, salaried exempt position.
• Generous benefits package including 75% employer sponsored health coverage, retirement plan contribution, and paid leave.

On The Rise recognizes the importance and benefits of diversity in the workplace and the community. We are an AA/EOE, and we strongly encourage people who are bilingual/bicultural, people of color, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBQ/T community to apply.

On The Rise is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, contact hiring@ontherise.org.

More information about On The Rise at www.ontherise.org.