Director of Development and External Relations Emerald Necklace Conservancy Boston, MA Summer/Fall 2017 Tracy Marshall SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF EXECUTIVE SEARCH SERVICES Development Guild DDI 617.277.2112 x251 tmarshall@developmentguild.com developmentguild.com BOSTON NEW YORK
The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is seeking a highly motivated, creative and experienced leader to head its development and external relations team About the Emerald Necklace Conservancy The Emerald Necklace Conservancy (the Conservancy), founded in 1998, is a private, non-partisan, stewardship organization that maintains, protects and revitalizes the Emerald Necklace park system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The mission of the Conservancy is to restore and improve the Emerald Necklace (the Necklace) for the community. Boston s largest park system, the Emerald Necklace encompasses a seven-mile, 1,100-acre linear park stretching from Beacon Hill to Dorchester and includes parkways and six parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Back Bay Fens, the Riverway, Olmsted Park, Jamaica Pond, Arnold Arboretum, and Franklin Park. The Emerald Necklace is a world-renowned historic park landscape which provides significant environmental, health, educational and recreational benefits for park users, visitors and residents of greater Boston. The Conservancy connects people and parks and conserves the Emerald Necklace through projects and programs that enrich the visitor experience and restore and renew the landscape. To do this, the Conservancy undertakes maintenance and capital restoration projects, provides education, youth and visitor programs, offers free cultural events, and advocates for increased park access. The Conservancy collaborates with park owners (City of Boston, Town of Brookline, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts) and is the only entity that brings together the Necklace s residential neighbors, community and business leaders, park advocates, and government officials to work for the renewal and rejuvenation of this beloved and historic park system. President Karen Mauney-Brodek leads the Conservancy with the support of an engaged board of directors. The staff of eight full-time and two part-time members is augmented by a cadre of volunteers (over 1000) who undertake park projects, help plan events and provide regular office assistance. The Conservancy benefits from new and long-term supporters and positive relationships with the many park groups, important cultural, academic and medical institutions and other stakeholders. For more information on the Emerald Necklace Conservancy please visit www.emeraldnecklace.org 2
Major accomplishments of the Conservancy include: the completion of a comprehensive tree inventory and conditions assessment survey; development of a Tree Management Plan; the fundraising and delivery of over $7M in park improvements through the Conservancy s Olmsted Tree Society and the Justine Mee Liff Fund for the Emerald Necklace; renovation of the Kelleher Rose Garden including the reconstruction of its historic fountain; and successful advocacy for the Muddy River Restoration Project, a federal project that has to date completed $30M in improvements. About Philanthropy at Emerald Necklace Conservancy Over the last few years, donations to the Conservancy have made a significant impact on the Emerald Necklace s parks, facilities and programs including: The restoration of the Historic H.H. Richardson-designed Stony Brook Gatehouse to become the Shattuck Emerald Necklace Visitor Center, made possible by a successful $1.25M fundraising effort Special restoration and maintenance projects in five Olmsted-designed parks Franklin Park, Jamaica Pond, Olmsted Park, Riverway and the Back Bay Fens-- supported by The Justine Mee Liff Fund for the Emerald Necklace through $4.5M raised from Party in the Park The Emerald Necklace Youth Leadership and Green Team Program that provides environmental education, leadership training and summer jobs in the parks to underserved urban teens The Circle the City: Open Streets, Open Parks event for residents to walk, bike, roll, dance and play together through car-free streets connecting Conservancy parks 3
The Conservancy s additional short- and long-term goals include both an office expansion to increase park visitor services and education programing, and significant capital park improvements, including end-to-end bike and pedestrian paths, wayfinding and signage, and the complete restoration of the historic Muddy River. The successful Director of Development and External Relations (The Director) candidate will join the Conservancy at an exciting time as it expands its impact and greatly increases investment and support for the historic Emerald Necklace Park system. The Director we seek will help lead this future growth. About the Position The Director will serve as an integral member of the senior leadership team. Reporting to President Karen Mauney-Brodek, and overseeing a team of 3 full-time staff and outside consultants, she/he will manage a comprehensive program including annual giving, major gifts, corporate and foundation giving, communications, events and marketing. The Director will also have his/her own portfolio and will be responsible for actively engaging in the cultivation and solicitation of major individual and institutional donors and creating a pipeline to help ensure ongoing support. The successful Director will be an innovative leader, who brings vision, comprehensive development experience and creativity to this growing organization. Presence, passion and alignment with mission will be key attributes to work effectively with Board and staff leadership and to be able to serve as an effective ambassador and compelling spokesperson for The Conservancy. The Conservancy has retained the services of an Interim Director of Development and External Relations until the search is complete. It is the goal of the Interim Director to assess the current development and external relations program and make recommendations that will help launch new Director as effectively and efficiently as possible. Key Responsibilities Leadership Set goals aligned with the Conservancy s strategic priorities while maintaining accountability for achieving short and long-term targets and metrics As a member of the senior management team, participate in overall organizational planning and engage other senior leaders in the fundraising and external relations process as appropriate Manage a comprehensive program, ensuring that staffing, vendor relationships, systems, and budgeting yield impactful results Fundraising Build and leverage key relationships and contacts within and outside of the Conservancy s network to increase the stakeholder base to meet or exceed the annual $2.4M budget Develop and manage the fundraising capacity of the Board in partnership with the President of the Conservancy and Board Chair Provide leadership for the annual Party in the Park event (the signature event for the Conservancy) in partnership with the event Chair and a high-performing volunteer committee along with support from an events staff member in order to ensure that ambitious fundraising targets are met 4
Oversee the direct mail program, donor research and all Conservancy fundraising events in order to ensure the development of a robust and researched pipeline of donors and prospects who have both the inclination and potential to increase their support Manage the development team consisting of an Events Manager, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Development Coordinator and consultant Grant Writer External Relations Strengthen, refine and coordinate all aspects of communication, including social media and web presence, print materials, donor stewardship and external relations efforts Promote the work of the Conservancy through press releases and engagement, print materials, and social media with the goal of increasing brand awareness and park usage Continually improve, manage and update the Conservancy web site, social media strategies, and other technology-based outreach Key Qualifications 7+ years of diverse development experience Staff and volunteer management Strong communication, messaging strategy, marketing skills and detail orientation Demonstrated ability to think strategically and plan for short and long-term growth Proven track record of achieving ambitious revenue targets Success cultivating, soliciting and securing support from major donors and new prospects Strong partnership-building and event planning skills Experience setting strategy using data analytics and metrics Hands-on skills with technology and databases: Raiser s Edge experience a plus Positive attitude, flexibility, teamwork approach to management, and attention to detail High degree of initiative, creativity and integrity Genuine interest in parks, the environment, urban communities, and Boston and it s future. Please email your cover letter and resume in confidence to: encdod@developmentguild.com Tracy Marshall SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF EXECUTIVE SEARCH SERVICES Development Guild DDI For more information about the Emerald Necklace Conservancy please visit www.emeraldnecklace.org For more information about Development Guild DDI, please visit www.developmentguild.com The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is an equal opportunity employer with an institutional commitment to employ a diverse workforce. Interested applicants should submit resume and cover letter to encdod@developmentguild.com 5
About Development Guild DDI Development Guild DDI is a national management consulting firm partnering with leading nonprofits to deliver the strategy, talent, and philanthropic resources that impact organizations and mission delivery. We focus our work across the nonprofit sector, particularly in the fields of education, health & science, the arts, and social justice. More than 500 clients have shaped the regional, national, and global reach of our extensive relationships, knowledge, and results. Leveraging our work with nonprofit governance and leadership development, we deliver service in two areas: fundraising and executive search. 6