Greentown Labs seeks Vice President of Philanthropy
ob Title: Vice President of Philanthropy
Job Level: Full-Time Salaried
Compensation: Salary Range $120,000- $150,000
About Greentown Labs:
Greentown Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit catalyzing climate solutions through entrepreneurship, partnership, and collaboration. As the largest climatetech startup incubator in North America, Greentown brings together startups, corporates, investors, policymakers, and many others with a focus on scaling climate technologies. Driven by the mission of providing startups the community, connections, and resources they need to thrive, Greentown offers lab space, shared office space, machine shops, electronics labs, tool shops, software and business resources, and a large network of corporate customers, investors, and more. With incubators in Somerville, Mass., and Houston, Texas, Greentown is home to more than 200 startups and has supported more than 500 since the incubator’s founding in 2011. These startups have collectively created more than 11,000 jobs and raised more than $5.7 billion in funding. For more information, visit www.greentownlabs.com or follow Greentown on LinkedIn.
About the Position:
This inaugural position of Vice President of Philanthropy will report to and work closely with the Chief Executive Officer CEO and other members of the Executive Team. The position will collaborate with various departments to ensure programmatic integration of philanthropic giving within the larger strategic plan to achieve revenue goals. In this role, the VP of Philanthropy will work with a broad range of constituencies to stay well-informed of the current philanthropic climate to demonstrate the importance of Greentown Labs’ mission and impact.
The VP of Philanthropy will provide the overall vision for a new, integrated, and comprehensive fundraising program, with a particular focus on building individual giving/major gifts, foundation giving, and the potential for capital campaigns. They will be responsible for meeting the organization’s fiscal target in 2024, with the expectation that as we grow our new major gifts program’s financial targets will also grow. As part of the role, the VP of Philanthropy will oversee the foundation grants program and supervise two grant writers. Corporate giving will generally not be a primary part of the philanthropy program, since corporate partnerships are managed by another department within Greentown.
The role will require strategic development and coordination of all components of individual giving and building the necessary internal infrastructure to support a new development program. The VP of Philanthropy will initially have primary responsibility for building a major gifts fundraising effort and will be responsible for securing new major donors, including growing the prospective pool of individuals who have the capacity to give $5,000 – $500,000. In addition, they will be responsible for stewarding existing supporters, identifying new funding sources, and tracking all interactions in our CRM software.
The VP of Philanthropy will lead the development strategy and execution of a new development program for Greentown Labs. This includes:
1) Develop and implement an individual giving program, beginning with a major gifts effort and a modest annual fund/direct response fundraising program; 2) Identify, cultivate, and solicit a diverse set of prospects and donors, working closely with the CEO and other leaders; 3) Drive fundraising results through benchmarking, tracking, and reporting; 4) Oversee the foundation grants program; 5) Build internal infrastructure to support the development program, e.g., CRM database, prospect research, stewardship, and communications, using internal and external resources as necessary.
Primary Responsibilities of the Role:
- Demonstrate a commitment to Greentown Labs’ mission and maintain a comprehensive understanding of the current philanthropic climate to highlight the importance of Greentown Labs’ impact.
- Serve as the architect of Greentown Labs’ development strategy and plan, providing leadership and vision to the organization on individual major giving in particular.
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of Greentown Labs’ programs to inform creative and personalized proposals for donors and grant applications.
- Explore the feasibility of conducting capital campaigns to support capital investments in lab and office facilities and other initiatives.
- Work closely with the CEO to grow and diversify Greentown’s donor base and grant-funding sources in support of the organization’s financial revenue goals. Deploy and supply CEO and other senior leaders with major donor prospects, as appropriate.
- Oversee the foundation grants program and supervise the grant writers.
- Manage systems and maintain updated records within the CRM database to track performance toward monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue goals, as well as track prospective donors and grants through the cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and reporting stages.
- Work closely with the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer to establish benchmarks and regular revenue- and expense-reporting processes to measure the results of all giving activities. Draw on giving trends to inform strategies and evaluate ongoing improvements in fundraising practices.
- Develop and manage a portfolio of top major donors and prospects between $5,000 and $500,000 through face-to-face visits and personalized proposal development, as needed.
- Lead and oversee all programs for donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Collaborate with the marketing and events department to support any fundraising events and donor communications.
- Engage and retain existing donors, and encourage giving at higher levels.
- Work with Board of Directors members to secure their own gifts, cultivate their involvement in engaging new donors, and, working with the CEO, identify potential new Board members.
Skills & Experience:
There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We know people gain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences. We consider this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. That said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:
- Goal-oriented, with a proven track record for personally securing gifts and a comprehensive knowledge of individual giving vehicles.
- 5-7+ years of philanthropic fundraising experience and demonstrated success in developing and executing strategies to grow individual giving and grant solicitation.
- Highly collaborative, communicative, and transparent, with the ability to build strong and effective internal and external relationships.
- Excellent verbal, interpersonal, and customer service skills.
- Strong entrepreneurial orientation and ability to thrive as a self-starter
- Excellent writing and organizational skills; strong follow-through and attention to detail; high-level analytical, problem-solving, and presentation skills.
- Awareness and experience in engaging in conversations about all aspects of identity, as well as experience developing donor practices grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Adaptable and excels in a diverse, high-energy, and rapidly changing environment.
- Experience and aptitude for working with fundraising CRMs, including Salesforce.
- Commitment to the Greentown Labs’ mission.
- Experience with the entrepreneurial sector is a plus.
Compensation, Location, and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $120,000 and is commensurate with experience up to $150,000. In addition to a competitive salary, Greentown Labs also offers a generous benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, and 401k plan, and 25 days (5 weeks) of PTO plus holidays. This role is expected to be on-site at Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA, or Houston, TX at least three days per week, with the option to work remotely two days per week.
Employment with Greentown Labs is on an “at will” basis, which means either the applicant/employee or Greentown Labs can end the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, with or without prior notice.