Director of Philanthropy and Outreach

About Massachusetts Horticultural Society

Massachusetts Horticultural Society seeks an innovative and collaborative Director of Philanthropy and Outreach to join our team at a pivotal moment in our organization's history. This role holder will create a modern fully featured Development & Marketing Office fulfilling our strategic objectives for capacity-building, service, and community engagement.

About Us

MHS is first and foremost a statewide membership organization, working with and through our 4000 member households to help individuals and communities lead better, healthier, and happier lives through growing plants together. We have a clear theory of change and strategy based on the evidence that horticultural programs provide cost effective solutions to societal and individual needs including community cohesion, workforce development, therapeutic and addiction support, as well as improving our communities through climate and storm mitigation, urban greening and food network resilience.

Our programs are currently centered in and around our beautiful 36 acre Botanic Garden in Wellesley, Elm Bank, which also functions as our staff headquarters. This position will support the development of the garden over the next 20 years into a fully functioning world-class botanic garden through comprehensive and capital campaigns. More immediately, in order to fulfil our urban horticulture goals and our statewide mission, we will be establishing a Boston office for our development and executive teams.

MHS will celebrate the 200th Anniversary of its founding in 2029. We are looking for a leader who recognizes this unique legacy and is able to strategically leverage this for a new generation. We focus on programming that has the potential for multiplication of our impact for beneficiaries. This role will inspire and deliver the strategy, marketing and philanthropy to enable this.

The Opportunity

The new Director of Philanthropy and Outreach will lead fundraising, marketing and institutional growth for MHS. They will embrace the legacy of support that MHS enjoys but focus primarily on building new prospect and donor pathways to fulfil our ambitious goals. MHS has doubled philanthropic funding over the past 4 years to around $1million/year with the existing team. We are looking for a leader able to build the team that multiplies this further. This role holder will have the ability to reorganize and expand the team based on clear strategic planning and results orientation.

Overview of Responsibilities

The role holder will be a member of the 5-person senior leadership team and will initially directly supervise three employees (Development, Marketing & Membership). This position has significant informal leadership responsibilities in support of events and guest experience, raising the overall level of guest and donor interaction and creating a philanthropic mindset for the whole organization.

Key Responsibilities

Deliver Growth in Revenue: Set and accomplish ambitious goals for increasing both the number and giving level of donors through both a personal portfolio and through the whole development team. MHS is aiming to support a doubled operating budget and launch a comprehensive Campaign centered on the 2029 anniversary.

Create a high-performing team: Through training, coaching, and example, build a performance-oriented fundraising culture that communicates effectively to donors the impact they have and the importance of our work to our beneficiaries.

Develop and implement Strategy: Design and implement growth strategies for membership, annual giving, major gifts, planned and capital giving. Carefully prioritize limited resources based on organizational strategy, timelines, return on investment, opportunity, and narrative strategy.

Advancement & Marketing Function: Craft the brand position, narrative, visual identity, and voice of MHS in support of clear values, vision and mission. Produce and periodically review the overall marketing strategy and implement omni-channel campaigns in support of fundraising, programming, events, and awareness objectives.

Secure major grant income: Review organizational readiness and positioning for major grant funding programs, outreach to and prepare for major grant applications and deliver successful grant applications in the $200,000 - $1million+ level.

Board Engagement: Create deep relationships with Board members and potential Board members, creating buy-in and participation in all aspects of our philanthropic activities.

Contact

To express interest in this role, please submit a 1 or 2 page resume and a 1 page cover letter showing how you fulfill the candidate profile.

This position is open until filled. Initial candidate review will begin May 31, 2024.

If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and require accommodations in order to apply, please email jjones@masshort.org to request these.

Candidate Profile

No candidate is expected to fulfil all elements in this 'ideal' profile. We are interested in meeting with people who can demonstrate prior success in several areas and a pattern of learning and development that will support advancement in others. In particular, we know that many candidates will be much more deeply experienced in just one of the Philanthropy or Marketing fields. We strongly encourage candidates from either or both fields.

Demonstrable experience, expertise and success in Development

The ideal candidate is a proven fundraiser who can point to a transformational fundraising record. We are looking for someone who has 'moved the needle' for an organization or team within a larger development term, or who has an exceptional record as an individual major gift fundraiser and is ready for broader leadership. They will have developed individual and team fundraising strategies, set and exceeded ambitious goals and built a community of supporters at whatever level they have been working. They will have a deep understanding of emerging trends and effective marketing and communication channels for fundraising with particular reference to Boston and New England.

Demonstrable experience, expertise and success in Marketing

A creative, strategic and connected marketer, this individual will have experience leading strategic marketing and implementing marketing plans through digital first omnichannel campaigns. A track record of leadership in a marketing function with demonstrable return on investment and a rigorous analytical approach is desired. Abreast of current trends and opportunities through paid, earned and partnership media, they will be well connected regionally, adept at developing new audiences and able to prominently position MHS and its senior team for cultural and environmental leadership regionally.

Inspirational Communicator and Convenor

A genuine 'people person', the ideal candidate will have a natural warmth and ease with people from all backgrounds, whether donors, staff, volunteers or beneficiaries. They will support our community and partnership working, setting the tone and standard for our broader public facing teams, and be comfortable as the face of the organization to donors and supporters. A talented host of major events, diplomatic and always able to pivot to our mission and impact for beneficiaries, they will model and coach empathetic and proactive communication and relationship building.

Effective and Disciplined Administrator

The trust that is placed in us by donors demands the highest standards of stewardship, gratitude and compliance. The successful candidate will therefore be a skilled, experienced and accurate administrator. Experience developing systems, implementing technologies and defining standard operating procedures and ensuring excellence in implementation by all members of a team is highly valued.

Cultural Leader and Team Builder

This individual will be a thought partner and integral part of the core senior leadership team. They will be comfortable with a culture of shared strategic planning, open discussion, personal accountability and focus on the mission. They will seek to emulate the core values personally and create an aligned culture in their teams and among all our wider community. They will build a compassionate but results oriented team through both embracing the authority delegated to them and further delegating to their team.

Understanding, Passion and Ambition for the MHS Mission

MHS believes that its mission is truly important for our communities and our planet, and potentially life changing for individuals. We take our work seriously, striving for the maximum possible impact through our work. The successful individual will have a similar passion to help others and make a difference in the world. Prior knowledge and love for horticultural or similar themes is ideal but not essential.

Skilled Change Agent

MHS is on a pathway of growth. While this is exciting, we recognize that our rate of change can make for a more difficult work environment as priorities shift, staffing grows and is reorganized, and workloads vary over time. The ideal candidate will have experience in and thrive within organizations in the midst of growth and change and understand the specific challenges of leadership in this context.

In addition, the ideal candidate is likely to have:

An undergraduate degree in marketing, business or an analytical subject

Professional certifications and training in Fundraising such as CFRE or equivalent.

6-10+ years of progressive experience in Development/Fundraising roles, including in leadership roles