PUTTING IDEALISM TO WORK
                   To help keep students in school and on track to graduate.
 

About City Year
 
City Year is dedicated to fighting the national dropout crisis. This 25-year-old, education-focused nonprofit organization is committed to leveraging the talent, energy and idealism of the young adult AmeriCorps members to serve full-time in schools to help students stay on track – and get back on track – to graduate from high school.  Its corps members do this by honing in on the “ABC’s”, the three early warning indicators that have been defined through research at John Hopkins University: poor attendance, disruptive behavior, and course failure in math or English.  To find the students who need their help the most, City Year partners with schools and districts to identify students most at risk of dropping out, and provide them with targeted academic, and socio- emotional support. From devoted corps members serving full-time, to strong partnerships with school administrators, and to individualized support for students, City Year’s “Whole School, Whole Child” approach has made a measurable impact on the students and communities served.
 
City Year’s “In School & On Track:  A Plan for Transformational Impact”, a ten-year initiative, is designed to bring City Year corps members to 50% of all of the students falling off track in City Year’s U.S. locations, which will require expanding the number of corps members from 2,700 to 6,000 nationally, and engaging school districts, the private sector and the federal government as partners. In Jacksonville, this means growing from 58 corps members in six schools this year, to 285 corps members serving in 26 schools by 2021.  City Year is currently serving in 25 cities across the United States and in three international affiliate sites located in Johannesburg, South Africa, and, Birmingham and London, England.  City Year’s motto is simple and the aim is high – Give a Year. Change the World.
 
City Year's Long-Term Impact Goal is to reach 50% of students that are off track in the cities where it serves, to ensure 80% of the students in the schools where City Year serves reach 10^th grade on track and on time, and to serve in cities that produce two-thirds of the nation's dropouts.
 
City Year receives revenue through private philanthropy, as well as the federal government, through AmeriCorps, and from school districts and other local government sources. City Year has earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating since 2003, certifying their commitment to accountability, transparency and responsible fiscal management. Only 1% of charities have received this distinction for nine consecutive years, placing City Year among the most trustworthy nonprofits in America.
 
The Opportunity:  Director of Development, City Year Jacksonville
 
Since its founding, City Year has relied on its corporate, foundation, and individual philanthropic partners to create meaningful social change.  As the transformational leader of the City Year Jacksonville Development Team, the Director of Development will be responsible for leveraging the resources, talents and skills of the philanthropic sector to build City Year Jacksonville and create change in communities across the city.  The Director of Development will be an excellent communicator and will take the opportunity to interface and build vital relationships with many of Jacksonville’s power players in education, business, philanthropy, and government, as well as with City Year’s local and national leadership.  This position is that of a “player/coach” in that s/he will both lead and manage the development team, and drive his/her own revenue results.  The Director of Development will be an experienced, energetic and dynamic fundraiser, with a dual emphasis on idealism and action.  S / he will bring a demonstrated and proven success in generating revenue, managing and mentoring fundraising professionals, and leading a wide range of giving efforts. The ideal candidate will be familiar with the philanthropic climate in Jacksonville with a keen passion for the work of City Year and a strong working knowledge of education reform locally and nationally. The Director will be experienced in managing all areas of Development with an especially strong knowledge of and success in individual gift program strategy and implementation.
 
Performance Objectives
 
General Leadership & Staff Management

• Partners closely with City Year Jacksonville’s Executive Director to develop and implement overall fundraising strategy for City Year Jacksonville.
• Hires, manages and retains a team development professionals (currently the Director will have one direct report) to manage specific components of the development pipeline.
• Leads, motivates, and provides strategic direction for and supervision of fund development staff; holds staff accountable for achieving their fundraising goals.
• Provides mentorship and guidance; actively promotes growth and development of staff, including opportunities to learn new skills and advance both personally and professionally.
• Develops and maintains productive and respectful relationships with colleagues, City Year Board, other volunteers, donors, prospects, City Year team members, the philanthropic community and other related constituency groups.
• Plays an integral role on the senior leadership team of City Year that guides the entire Jacksonville-based organization, continually advancing the role and importance of philanthropy within the culture and represents the value of City Year’s mission.
• Works closely with City Year’s national Development team to advance organization-wide development strategies and initiatives, and participates in professional development activities and cross-site collaboration, as a member of City Year’s Development network nationally.

 
Fund Development

• Develops and implements an $3 million annual and five-year Revenue Generation Strategy in collaboration with the Executive Director, creates strategy to identify and secure individual, corporate, foundation, and government partnerships, works with development staff to develop target list of prospects, and creates customized engagement, solicitation and stewardship plans for donors.  Understands the marketing and business needs of corporations and foundations and develops and implements a revenue generation strategy that addresses these needs.
• Builds an effective individual donor base.  Identifies potential corporate, foundation and individual partners; identifies and tracks new and existing foundations and corporate funding prospects.
• Implements a Growth Campaign; works with the Executive Director, department directors and internal/external partners to develop, plan and implement a campaign to allow for City Year’s continued growth throughout Jacksonville.
• Oversees consistent weekly, monthly and quarterly reports of fundraising progress communicating the goals and strategies of the overall advancement efforts; and manages that progress against established benchmarks and an organizational score card.
• Serves as key liaison to Board Development Committee, and develops strong relationships with local Board Members.
• Leverages Board Members and champions relationships; maintains a personal portfolio of major donors while staffing and coaching the Executive Director and Board Members in managing their donor portfolios to increase support for City Year.
• Creates powerful communication materials to support philanthropic efforts; in collaboration with the development team, writes powerful and inspiring letters and proposals and prepares dynamic presentations customized for target audience.
• Manages all fundraising events; works with the development and program teams to oversee all development aspects of fundraising and cultivation events including annual dinner, cultivation breakfasts, and alumni events.
• Supports the Team Sponsor Program; reinforces the program that trains and enables AmeriCorps member to interact with and inspire their corporate partners.
• Ensures ethical and appropriate financial administration of contributed income, including overseeing the donor and prospect records, gift processing and donor stewardship functions.

 
 
 
External & Community Relations

• Serves as an articulate, passionate and visible spokesperson for City Year, and as the primary face of fundraising and development throughout the organization and particularly in Jacksonville.
• Maintains active membership and a strong presence in professional organizations, community groups, and other spaces relevant to the work of City Year and its mission.
• Provides strategic leadership to City Year’s efforts to effectively communicate the mission, goals and accomplishments to donors, prospective donors, and the broader community.
• Works with and provides training for City Year’s Board and senior leadership team to enhance fundraising activities, an overall culture of philanthropy, and to solicit and close gifts. 
• Creates and implements a plan to identify and build strong relationships with key donors, community leaders and volunteers, and engages organizations with which City Year should partner.
• Nurtures partnerships and relationships with current and prospective funders through donor recognition programs and stewardship. Cultivates long-term relationships to ensure continued funding and funder involvement.

 
Specific Requirements Include:
·      10+ years related non-profit experience, with a minimum of 5-7 years of fundraising/philanthropic leadership.
·      A Bachelor’s degree is required, and, CFRE preferred. Preference given to MBAs and/or other relevant advanced degrees.
·      Demonstrated passion for and commitment to City Year’s mission of delivering high impact service to youth and institutions in the Jacksonville community; developing young people in the AmeriCorps as powerful civic leaders and life-long active citizens; and promoting and advancing the concept of voluntary national service.
·      Ability to relate to all levels of a highly diverse and young adult workforce from frontline to c-suite, as well as Board Members and members of the community.

• Proven ability to develop a highly productive, effective advancement team by mentoring staff, building teams and enhancing professionalism within the department.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication and presentation skills, with the ability to serve as an advocate/spokesperson for the organization.
• Team player who can give and take advice and support in order to ensure the fulfillment of the City Year, Inc. mission.
• Entrepreneurial spirit, creative problem solver, and strong collaborator.
• A joyful and engaging personality; shares in the joy and excitement of a high-energy and fast-paced environment.
• Strong and efficient use of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint; knowledge of Raiser's Edge system a plus.

 
City Year, Inc. offers a competitive salary and benefit package for this exempt position. 
 
City Year, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. City Year is committed to a diverse workforce. Individuals from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
 
To Apply
 
The search is being managed by Laura Weinman, Senior Consultant of Alford Executive Search.  To apply, candidates should submit their cover letter and resume and complete the online application at http://alfordexecutivesearch.applicantstack.com/x/openings. No applications will be accepted via email. Questions may be addressed to Kathrene Wales at kwales@alfordexecutivesearch.com.
 
Alford Executive Search - The KEES to Effective Leadership is a retained search firm dedicated to providing placement services of exceptional quality.
 
More about City Year and City Year Jacksonville
 
History & Inspiration
 
City Year was founded in Boston in 1988 by Michael Brown and Alan Khazei, then-roommates at Harvard Law School, who felt strongly that young people in service could be a powerful resource for addressing America's most pressing issues.  They built City Year with the conviction that one person can make a difference; and since its inception, City Year has promoted the vision of service as a common expectation – and a real opportunity – for citizens all around the world. City Year corps members commit to a year of full-time service in challenged urban schools, where they serve as tutors, mentors and role models, with a focus on getting and keeping students on track to graduation. Since its inception, City Year has been a leader in the growing national service movement, leading to the establishment of AmeriCorps, the passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, and the creation of Voices for National Service.  City Year applies the principles of national service to its work with students and, in doing so, develops students as both learners and leaders.  City Year is a proud member of AmeriCorps and the Voices for National Service and ServiceNation coalitions.  Please find more information about the national organization at: http://www.cityyear.org/about.aspx
 
Thanks to strong support from AmeriCorps, Duval County Public Schools, the private sector and a strong local Founding Committee and Site Board, 58 City Year corps members are currently deployed in 6 of Jacksonville’s highest need schools. City Year Jacksonville’s service model was piloted in 2 schools during the site’s Start Up year in 2012-2013.
 
The District-wide graduation rate is 72.1 percent, about 10 points below the national average, and 53 percent of the students are performing satisfactory or higher in reading and math. “We are proud to have City Year Jacksonville help our students and schools succeed, and we look forward to seeing the results that will come from these young leaders,” said Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown. “As Mayor of Jacksonville, my goal is to have a 100 percent high school graduation rate and to see 50 percent of our population with college degrees. I believe City Year can help us get there.”
 
“What inspires me most about City Year are the corps members.  I look and see them putting greater causes over themselves, believing in all the children, believing in themselves, and giving so much time and energy and service,” said Kim Ward, City Year Jacksonville Board Chair. “They are showing students that they have all the tools within them to be successful, they just needed someone to believe in them.” Nearly one in three students in Jacksonville are at risk for dropping out. The consequences are real: students who drop out are eight times more likely to become incarcerated and three times more likely to be unemployed. When a student drops out of school it has a lasting effect on our communities.
 
By the 2015-16 academic year, City Year Jacksonville aims to work in 10 Duval County public schools and deploy 100 City Year corps members, all focusing their efforts on reducing the high school dropout rate.
 
 
LIVING IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
 
The River City (excerpted from Wikipedia)
 
Jacksonville, located in the First Coast region of northeast Florida and is centered on the banks of the St. Johns River, about 25 miles (40 km) south of the Georgia state line and about 340 miles (547 km) north of Miami.  Jacksonville is the state's largest city (and the country's largest in land area, with 800+ square miles).  Named after Andrew Jackson, the city was settled in 1816 and incorporated in 1832.  Destroyed during the Civil war, Jacksonville was rebuilt, becoming a major industrial city and a transportation hub. Three US Navy installations are in the area.  Today, Jacksonville is a growing city of around 850,000, with a young population and a strong economy that is diversified among technical, manufacturing and service industries. Inc. magazine ranked Jacksonville #8 on its list of Top Cities for Doing Business in America.
 
Jacksonville’s school system, Duval County Public Schools operates 183 schools and serves approximately 125,000 students. The school district is committed to providing high quality educational opportunities that will inspire all students to acquire and use the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a global economy, and culturally diverse world. DCPS is divided into four clusters: Elementary Turnaround Schools, Elementary Schools, Secondary Turnaround Schools and Secondary Schools. The county covers approximately 918-square miles and is populated by nearly 900,000 residents.
 
Communities:  There are more than 500 neighborhoods within the area of Jacksonville, Florida, the largest city in the continental United States by area.  These include Downtown Jacksonville and surrounding neighborhoods.  Additionally, greater Jacksonville is traditionally divided into several major sections with amorphous boundaries: Northside, Westside, Southside, and Arlington, as well as the Jacksonville Beaches.
 
Sports: Jacksonville is home to a number of professional sports teams, and the city has a long history of athletics.  The Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) compete at the major league level.  Additionally, the PGA Tour is headquartered in the suburb of Ponte Vedra Beach, where it hosts The Players Championship every year.  In addition, Jacksonville has a number of minor league sports teams.  Jacksonville is also home to two universities, Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida, which compete in NCAA Division I.  Several college sporting events are also held in Jacksonville annually.
 
Parks and Gardens:  Jacksonville operates the largest urban park system in the United States, providing facilities and services at more than 337 locations on more than 80,000 acres located throughout the city. Jacksonville enjoys natural beauty from the St. Johns River and Atlantic Ocean. Many parks provide access for people to boat, swim, fish, sail, jet ski, surf and waterski. Several parks around the city have received international recognition.  Hemming Plaza is Jacksonville's first and oldest park. It is downtown and surrounded by government buildings. Riverside Park and Memorial Park are the city's second and third oldest parks (respectively), and located in the historic Riverside area. Tree Hill Nature Center is a nature preserve and environmental education center located five minutes from Downtown Jacksonville.
 
Performing Arts:  The Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts consists of three distinct halls: the Jim & Jan Moran Theater, a venue for touring Broadway shows; the Jacoby Symphony Hall, home of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra; and the Terry Theater, intended for small shows and recitals. The building was originally erected as the Civic Auditorium in 1962 and underwent a major renovation and construction in 1996. The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, which opened in 2003, is a 16,000-seat performance venue that attracts national entertainment, sporting events and also houses the Jacksonville Sports Hall of Fame
 
Transportation: Jacksonville is served by the Jacksonville International Airport (JAX).  It is located 13 miles north of downtown and has 82 departures a day, with 27 nonstop destination cities. The Jacksonville Skyway is an automated people mover connecting Florida State College at Jacksonville downtown campus, the Northbank central business district, Convention Center, and Sou