Posted on January 24, 2013

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Chief Development Officer

Say Yes to Education, Inc. (Say Yes) is a national, non-profit education foundation with a 25-year track record of dramatically increasing high school and college graduation rates for our nation’s urban youth through a unique city-wide transformation strategy that brings together private philanthropy and existing community stakeholders. The work of Say Yes promises to change the formula for public education in struggling urban communities across the nation. Say Yes provides comprehensive supports, including the motivating promise of a low or no-cost college or vocational education. Offering the promise of scholarships for all students, Say Yes provides financial assistance for college, as well as the academic, health, social, and legal supports students need to graduate from high school and succeed in further learning. By initiating powerful public-private partnerships that deliver resources to schools, Say Yes has helped institutionalize the incentives, supports, and accountability needed to create a college and career-bound environment.

With a solid history of securing grants, strong and growing volunteer involvement, and improving communications and marketing ability, Say Yes now seeks to build a comprehensive, professional fundraising/development program that is furthered and informed by communications and marketing efforts. Based in New York and reporting directly to the Foundation President, the inaugural Chief Development Officer (CDO) will lead the program nationally and coordinate it productively with Say Yes marketing initiatives to sharpen the quality of their outreach to all who can be helpful to Say Yes and the future of their educational mission. Say Yes seeks a dynamic, organized individual with presentation talent, marketing savvy, broad-based development expertise (depth in all relevant areas of the fundraising operation), with experience building and/or significantly growing a national development function. Say Yes seeks an individual who is committed to building a high-profile program that does not fit within the usual category of non-profit organizations. This individual will embrace their mission and the sweep of their vision, and will fit well within a culture of driven, organized, and dedicated professionals. This is an exciting, high-access, frontline opportunity for an ambitious and highly skilled fundraising leader

The successful candidate will be an accomplished senior development professional with gravitas, a proven track record in building sustainable high-performing development programs, and a demonstrated history of successful interactions with high net-worth individuals including institutional leadership. S/he must demonstrate exceptional abilities in management, organization, communications (oral and written), volunteer leadership, and all areas related to frontline major gifts fundraising. In addition, the CDO must have exceptional interpersonal capabilities in order to partner seamlessly with Say Yes leadership, staff, and high-level volunteers in order to meet rapidly increasing fundraising goals. The ideal Chief Development Officer is most comfortable working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial organization that is dedicated to innovation, social change, proven results, and long-term impact. The CDO is someone who is a ”natural” in collaborating at the highest level s with CEO’s, philanthropists, education reform thought leaders, and other high profile individuals. Finally, the CDO will be expected to work as a close and trusted partner of the Foundation Chairman and the President in all major gift fundraising initiatives as well as in maximizing the contacts of the Board in order to leverage their relationships and uncover new donors capable of helping Say Yes meet its unflinching goal of dramatically increasing high school and college graduation rates for our nation’s urban youth.

A Bachelor’s degree is required. A master’s degree in a relevant discipline that will be credible to donors, with strong academic credentials, is preferred.

Application Instructions

Inquiries, nominations and applications (current resumes and cover letters) should be directed electronically to:

Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.
Managing Director
Diversified Search
275 Madison Avenue, Suite 1801B New York, NY 10016

Gerard.Cattie@divsearch.com

212-542-2587 (W)