THE POSSE FOUNDATION, INC.
1515 Poydras Street, Suite 610
www.possefoundation.org
Title: Development Officer, Posse New Orleans
About The Posse Foundation:
The Posse Foundation is a nationally recognized youth leadership development and college access program that identifies, recruits, and trains diverse teams—Posses—of public high school students and sends them to top colleges and universities. To date, a total of 6,264 Posse Scholars have been accepted into top-tier institutions of higher education throughout the country. These young people have received $804 million in full-tuition leadership scholarships from Posse’s college and university partners and have been agents of positive change on their campuses.
Posse’s unique and carefully structured, three-month selection process identifies candidates using criteria beyond academic achievement, including leadership talent, desire to succeed and ability to work constructively with people from diverse backgrounds. Posse’s high school through college programming makes it one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind in the nation. In 2010, The Posse Foundation was identified by President Obama as one of 10 national non-profit organizations to receive a portion of his Nobel Peace Prize grant. The foundation is poised to double in size over the next ten years and dramatically increase its national impact.
Posse’s current university partners include Agnes Scott, Babson, Bard, Boston University, Brandeis, Bryn Mawr, Bucknell, Carleton, Centre, Colby, The College of Wooster, Connecticut College, Cornell, Dartmouth, Davidson, Denison, DePauw, Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Georgetown, Grinnell, Hamilton, Hobart and William Smith, Kalamazoo, Lafayette, Lawrence, Middlebury, Mount Holyoke, Northwestern, Oberlin, Pepperdine, Pomona, Sewanee, Smith, St. Olaf College, Syracuse, Texas A&M, Trinity, Tulane, Union, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, University of Rochester, University of Southern California, University of Texas, Austin, University of Virginia, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Vanderbilt, Vassar, Wesleyan, and Wheaton.
Posse’s 2014 budget of $17.8 million supports programs in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City and Washington, D.C. Posse has a staff of 146 nationally. There is a national board of directors, as well as advisory boards in each city.
Posse New Orleans is currently looking for a Development Officer.
Job Description:
The development officer supports Posse New Orleans’ individual, corporate and foundation giving. S/he is responsible for working with the site director and Posse’s national development team to meet the annual revenue goals and reach higher revenue goals each year. The development officer is responsible for grant reports and writing proposals with accompanying budgets, conducting prospect research, drafting thank you letters and other donor correspondence, planning events, soliciting corporate donations for events, managing development communications with the site director, gift entry, monthly financial reporting, and supporting the work of the rest of the development staff, locally and nationally. S/he also represents the program to board members, donors and various other constituent groups. The development officer reports to the director.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Write and submit foundation and corporate proposals, reports and letters in a timely manner. Track all proposal and report deadlines.
Maintain communication with all organizational donors (particularly foundation and corporate donors and prospects).
Work with director to identify and research prospects.
Track prospective donor contacts and set up prospect meetings. Assist Director with prospect meeting strategies.
Maintain all administrative development activities and maintain donor files, including electronic files through Raiser’s Edge Database.
Organize and implement several annual donor mailings.
Help facilitate communication and follow up with the New Orleans Advisory Board.
Manage logistics for development special events.
We are looking for someone who is collaborative, innovative, hard working and thrives in a fast paced environment. The successful candidate will have these qualities/qualifications:
Bachelors degree
Three plus years of work experience in development or related field
Motivated and able to work independently as well as with a team
Willingness to take initiative
Ability to multi-task, manage concurrent processes/projects, and focus on the small but important details in all projects while keeping the bigger picture in mind
Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including grant writing
Excellent office and computer skills. Proficient in Word, Excel and experience working with a fundraising database
Able to establish and maintain cooperative professional relationships with colleagues, donors, volunteers and the public
Strong public speaking and presentation skills
Demonstrated belief in Posse’s mission and values
How to Apply:
Please send your résumé and cover letter to:
Ebonie Williams, Assistant to Director
Posse New Orleans
1515 Poydras Street, Suite 610
New Orleans, LA 70112
fax: 504-910-9967
No Phone Calls Please.
Deadline for submission of application is 4:00 pm on Tuesday, May 12, 2015
The Posse Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. For more information about The Posse Foundation please visit www.possefoundation.org.