Deputy Director of Development

Title: Deputy Director of Development

Reports to: Director of Development

Hours: Full-time, with nights and weekends as needed

Location: Hybrid

Compensation: $100,000 annually, with a competitive benefits package

ABOUT BCC

Boston Children’s Chorus (‘BCC’) harnesses the power of music to connect our city’s diverse communities, cultivate empathy and inspire social inquiry. Children, ages 7–18, come together across differences of race, religion, and socioeconomic status in a celebration of shared humanity and love of music. BCC bridges Greater Boston’s many diverse groups and fosters a sense of belonging and inclusion. Through intensive choral training and once-in-a-lifetime performing experiences locally, nationally, and around the world, BCC enhances the education and social development of youth as future leaders and global citizens in the 21st century.

PURPOSE

The Deputy Director of Development will play a critical role in meeting BCC’s revenue needs by overseeing institutional giving, team management, and strategic communications. They will work collaboratively with the fundraising and leadership team to develop compelling narratives, build donor relationships, and secure vital resources. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with excellent writing, relationship management, and organizational skills, along with a commitment to racial justice and equity.

CORE COMPETENCIES

1. Institutional Giving and Grant Management

• Manage the institutional giving portfolio, including foundations, corporate partnerships, and government grants.
• Cultivate, steward, and strengthen relationships with philanthropic partners, following up on information requests and moving funding conversations forward between Foundation officers and key staff in Leadership or Development.
• Oversee grant proposal pipelines, compliance, and reporting calendars, setting and monitoring progress to annual goals.
• Supervise and help build a team of contract grant writers, ensuring they have the resources and information necessary to produce high-quality work.
• With grant writing team, develop, write, and manage project letters of inquiry, grant proposals, grant reports, and associated documents, ensuring that all parts of each proposal meet the funder requirements and that the proposal is an accurate and compelling representation of BCC's qualifications, expertise, and program design.
• Set ambitious growth targets for institutional giving and develop actionable plans to achieve them.
• Collaborate with program staff to identify funding opportunities and align grant proposals with organizational priorities and goals.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Production staff to develop corporate sponsorship pitches and customize benefits.
• Facilitate and help prepare internal teams for funder site visits, donor meetings, and prospect visits, including logistics, briefings, and talking points.
• Oversee the grant application process, including identifying opportunities, managing grant writers, reviewing proposals, and ensuring timely submission.
• Maintain relationships with key funders, ensuring consistent engagement and stewardship.

2. Strategic Fundraising and Donor Engagement

• Collaborate with the Director of Development to set and achieve annual fundraising goals, with a focus on institutional giving.
• Diversify and expand BCC’s funding streams, identifying new opportunities for corporate sponsorships and foundation partnerships.
• Act as a key external representative for BCC, attending events and meetings to build and strengthen donor relationships.
• Provide input on long-term strategic planning, aligning fundraising efforts with organizational objectives.

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Leadership

• Collaborate with the Executive Director and with the marketing and communications team to align donor messaging and develop compelling narratives for institutional audiences.
• Support stewardship activities, including crafting email outreach and talking points for BCC Executive Director, monitoring credit lines to ensure proper funder recognition, staffing periodic one on one check ins, and attending relevant events.
• Support internal communications to ensure transparency and alignment across teams.
• Provide oversight and mentorship to part-time grant writers and the Development Associate, fostering professional growth and alignment with organizational goals.
• Assist in the development and presentation of donor-facing materials, including proposals, reports, and presentations.

4. Data-Driven Decision-Making

• Track and analyze fundraising performance data, leveraging insights to inform strategy.
• Develop systems for monitoring grant cycles, reporting deadlines, and funding progress.
• Ensure accurate donor records in the CRM system, contributing to data integrity and actionable insights.
• Develop metrics to evaluate the success of institutional giving and recommend growth strategies.

5. Cultural Competency and Inclusive Leadership

• Demonstrate a deep understanding of and respect for the diverse communities BCC serves.
• Foster an inclusive culture that reflects BCC’s values of equity, belonging, and transformative philanthropy.
• Incorporate community feedback into development strategies, ensuring alignment with organizational values.

6. Administrative Support

• Provide administrative support to the Development team, including but not limited to: leading & setting agendas for internal and external meetings, providing guidance to fellow development staff, representing the Development department in cross-departmental collaborations, acting as department head in stead of DoD when needed.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of development-related policies, procedures, and systems, including donor databases and project management software, to maintain accurate and timely donor records.
• Support the DoD in special projects, initiatives, and campaign activities as needed.
• Help coordinate and execute fundraising events as needed.

7. Strategic Communications

• Create and help oversee the production of high-quality written materials, including pre-concert outreach, important organizational updates/reports, impact and annual reports, and other communication collateral.
• Collaborate with the Development and Marketing teams to develop and implement integrated marketing and communication strategies that align with fundraising campaigns and events.
• Monitor and analyze the effectiveness of communication strategies and adjust tactics as needed to maximize engagement, donor acquisition, and retention.
• Work with Marketing team to ensure consistent messaging and branding across all communication channels, both internally and externally, to maintain a strong and cohesive organizational identity.

SKILLS AND PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree, and a minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising.
• Demonstrated track record in institutional fund raising, preferably in social justice and/or performing arts institutions.
• Superb written and verbal communication skills, excellent organizational skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work well both independently and with others, exercising initiative, judgement, problem-solving and confidentiality as needed.
• Supervisory experience required to oversee independent grant writers and Development staff.
• Comfortable with deadline management and ability to work effectively and calmly within timelines and maintain multiple critical priorities.
• Excels at working collaboratively and strategically to develop compelling proposals and funding relationships.
• Strong initiative and enthusiasm, and willingness to pitch in whenever needed.
• Familiarity with fundraising CRM databases for grant and contact management.

SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS:

The position may require evening and weekend hours.

COMPENSATION

Compensation for the role of the Deputy Director of Development at Boston Children’s Chorus is $100,000. BCC offers a competitive benefits package including health, vision & dental insurance, 403(b) employer contributions, generous PTO, short-term disability, and more.

NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE.

Boston Children's Chorus seeks to engage and retain a diverse workforce who represent the diversity of our singers and community in the City of Boston. BCC affirms the plurality of lived experiences amongst staff and seeks to elevate and center the experiences of those who have been marginalized and disenfranchised by systems of oppression. BCC encourages all to apply and will not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender and gender expression, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law.