Posted on November 6, 2012

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Vice President of Development and Philanthropy

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP: The Vice President of Development and Philanthropy will report to and work closely with the CEO, Mary Wittenberg. He/she will also partner with the Development Committee of the Board of Directors and be a member of the senior management team.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS

New York Road Runners (NYRR), a 501(c)(3) founded in 1958, is dedicated to empowering individuals of all ages and abilities – from beginners to competitive athletes, the young and the elderly, and from all backgrounds – to improve their health and well-being through the power of running.

NYRR’s races, community events, youth programs, instruction and training resources give hundreds of thousands of people each year the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to start running and keep running for life. NYRR’s premier event, the famed ING New York City Marathon, attracts the world’s top professional runners and committed amateurs alike while also raising millions of dollars annually for charity and driving economic impact for the City. NYRR is equally committed to the runners of tomorrow, passionately providing youth fitness programs that educate and inspire more than 115,000 kids in underserved communities in New York City, across the United States, and around the world.

Headquartered in New York City with a budget of approximately $70M and a staff of 160, NYRR implements a unique nonprofit model that combines contributed and earned income to make its efforts possible and promote the power of running.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

New York Road Runners seeks a seasoned Vice President of Development and Philanthropy to strategically guide, implement and grow NYRR’s fundraising initiatives, comprised of individual donors, institutional and government funders, and the Team for Kids program. Going forward, NYRR intends to substantially increase its major individual donor initiatives.

Currently, NYRR’s Team for Kids program raises around $4.5M annually and composes the majority of the philanthropic revenue raised by NYRR. Team for Kids is a group of committed adult runners who receive entry into an exclusive endurance event, such as the ING New York City Marathon, while raising funds to support NYRR’s youth programs. The new Vice President will oversee and direct the entire program including fundraising and programmatic components.

Working closely with the CEO and the Board of Directors, he/she will systematically harness the fundraising potential of NYRR and drive a culture of philanthropy. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to play a leadership role at NYRR to build upon the approximately $6M of contributed income and cultivate a more comprehensive, high-performing fundraising program to support NYRR’s ambitious goals.

Fundraising

• Design and execute a fundraising strategic plan in conjunction with the CEO and the Board Development Committee that implements innovative fundraising efforts uniquely suited to the NYRR and NYC running communities and expands upon NYRR’s individual, institutional, and Team for Kids fundraising activities.
• Cultivate existing relationships with individual, corporate and institutional donors and conduct prospect research to identify and grow the donor base and increase revenue.
• Oversee NYRR’s fall benefit, spring and winter fundraisers, and various seasonal donor recognition and cultivation events.
• Direct all aspects of the fundraising process including: drafting grant requests and funder updates, crafting donor communications, facilitating relationships with elected officials, providing government agency updates, etc.

Board Relations

• Engage the Board of Directors and Board Development Committee in the overall fundraising activities of NYRR and encourage a higher level of involvement in fundraising.
• Provide leadership to the Board Development Committee in identifying potential new board members where appropriate.

Internal Management

• Represent NYRR’s commitment to fundraising and philanthropy among the organization’s senior management team and work closely with senior staff to ensure consistent, thoughtful messaging of the NYRR brand and programs.
• Manage a department of 9 full and part-time staff and the Team For Kids coaches including maintaining the department budget.
• Oversee all aspects of NYRR’s Team for Kids program including the recruitment of 2,000 members each year, event growth strategy, training plans, customer service, special events, etc.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

The successful candidate will be a sophisticated, high performing and experienced fundraising professional able to lead, build and manage a fundraising program with complex programmatic components. A strategic thinker, he/she will be ambitious in setting fundraising goals and driving them towards completion. This person will be committed to the mission and values of NYRR and inspired by its recent emphasis on building fundraising opportunities and philanthropy.

Key Professional Experience

• Senior fundraising professional with experience in a dynamic non-profit or for-profit environment and prior oversight of a rapidly growing/transforming area within that environment.
• Successful track record of planning and executing fundraising initiatives and managing all stages of major individual and/or institutional gifts including identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
• Well-honed board relations and engagement skills.
• Significant experience as a strong leader and manager, with the ability to see the bigger picture and orchestrate short and long-term objectives for the team to drive the vision forward.
• A familiarity with the New York City philanthropic community.
• An understanding of the “endurance-event-for-charity” model preferred.

Key Personal Attributes

• Smart, energetic and proactive with the unique combination of strategic thinker and hands-on motivator.
• Excellent relationship building skills with the ability to connect with a wide variety of stakeholders, from volunteers to Board members, from children’s running groups to elite runners.
• Team builder and player who excels in a highly collaborative, fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; articulate and persuasive with the ability to craft resonant messaging both internally and externally.
• Possess a strong work ethic, high integrity, a commitment to excellence, and the stature to serve as an ambassador of the NYRR.
• A commitment to health and wellness; a love of running and the power of fitness.

Bachelor’s degree is required; advanced degree a plus.

TRAVEL:

Some domestic travel is expected.

COMPENSATION:

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Application Instructions

Please email cover letter and resume in confidence to:
SANDLER SEARCH ASSOCIATES
880 Third Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10022

Email: nyrr@sandlerassociates.org
Web site: www.sandlerassociates.org