Organization

Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School (CBOBS) is part of an international network of Outward Bound schools in over 30 countries, with 11 chartered schools in the United States. Our experiential curriculum focuses on teaching social emotional skills to predominantly middle and high school youth through challenging outdoor experiences ranging from one-day to multi-weeks in length. CBOBS serves people of all ages and from all backgrounds, but our priority is serving students from the greater Baltimore and Washington DC regions.

Founded by local community leaders in Baltimore in 1986, CBOBS' mission is to Change Lives through Challenge and Discovery, and we do that every time a young person embarks on one of our programs. And through our Police Youth Challenge program, we pair middle school students with police officers for one-day programs that foster trust and improve communications.

For more information, please visit www.outwardboundchesapeake.org.

Position

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Development Officer for Institutional Giving is a new, vital role on the CBOBS development team. Specific responsibilities include identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding corporations, public and private foundations, and government agencies in the greater Washington, DC region including Maryland and northern Virginia (DMV). This is a frontline fundraising position; and the Development Officer will strategically match prospective funders with CBOBS funding priorities and oversee the submission of and reporting on all proposals, grants, and budgets. This position is based out of CBOBS' Washington, DC offices.

Responsibilities

Institutional Giving

• Implement, and manage a comprehensive proactive development plan focused on expanding and enhancing corporate and foundation relationships to increase philanthropic revenue;
• Research corporate, public and private foundations, and government agencies and draft compelling letters of inquiry to assist in the successful solicitation of five- and six-figure philanthropic commitments to support CBOBS's mission and programs;
• Conduct meetings and personal visits with institutional executives/staff to explore and cultivate their interest in supporting CBOBS;
• Develop customized presentations to institutional donors to foster their support and offer value-added recognition opportunities consistent with CBOBS policies;
• Draft highly competitive proposals for corporate and foundation prospects including budget and collateral materials for timely grant submission;
• Maintain a schedule of contacts with institutional representatives, creating moves management plans as appropriate;
• Execute meaningful recognition of new and long-term partners;
• Implement an effective stewardship process for funders;
• Ensure that all deliverables and reporting requirements are met to sustain successful partnerships by maintaining detailed records of solicitation activities in the database of record, Salesforce; and
• Develop and administer budgets for institutional giving program.

Management & Collaboration

• Work closely with the CBOBS development, program team, and Finance & Administration Director to communicate and share information and ensure accurate record keeping and fulfilment and reporting of project deliverables;
• Develop productive relationships with the CBOBS program team to access their expertise in shaping programmatic grant proposals and keep them apprised of outcomes;
• Work collaboratively with the Development Manager to identify prospects, coordinate budget reporting, and maintain professional contact at key stages of the grant process; and
• Perform other duties as assigned.

The First 12 Months: Leadership Priorities

The overall priorities for the first year for the Development Officer are to:

• Build strong and productive relationships with the Chief Advancement Officer, the development team, and CBOBS colleagues;
• Gain an in-depth knowledge of CBOBS and a thorough familiarity with its programs;
• Build a highly productive portfolio of institutional donors and prospects in collaboration with the Chief Advancement Officer;
• Develop and execute strategic initiatives for each corporation, foundation and government agency prospect/funder including cultivation and solicitation strategies and ongoing stewardship;
• Create a comprehensive plan to meet established metrics including meaningful interactions, proposals, and solicitations and closing goals;
• Contribute towards fundraising efforts to meet development team's annual fundraising goal;
• Work collaboratively with the CBOBS development team to build a culture of philanthropy that enhances the financial resourcing of the organization for the short-and long-term; and
• Provide recommendations on and assist in development of collateral materials for the corporate and foundation fundraising program.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation: $68,425 - $92,575; commensurate with experience.

Benefits:

• Employer contribution of 75% for Medical, Dental, & Vision insurance through CareFirst BlueChoice for the employee and their children, if applicable
• Fifteen (15) days of Paid Time Off (PTO) which accrue per pay period
• Eight (8) weeks of paid Family/Medical leave
• Eleven (11) paid holidays
• 401(k) with a match. Employees are eligible for participation after 1 year of employment. Current match is 6% of the employee's salary
• Long-term disability, short-term disability, AD&D insurance, as well as, a $25,000 life insurance policy at no cost to the employee
• Pre-tax Saving Cafeteria Plan: Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Pre-tax Commuter/Transit Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Aflac Supplemental Insurance
• Pro Deals: Discounts from outdoor industry vendors for outdoor professionals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution plus five (5) years of front-line fundraising experience or the equivalent in education, training and experience.
• Knowledge of cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies and techniques, particularly in the area of institutional fundraising techniques, is required, as is a successful track record of developing and presenting complex proposals that lead to significant commitments.
• Demonstrated experience and track record of securing five- and six-figure gifts.
• Demonstrated knowledge of methods, practices and procedures for obtaining information about the giving programs of corporations and foundations and the ability to take primary responsibility for diverse projects and complete them in a timely manner with limited supervision.
• Excellent oral, written and research skills and be able to develop strong and productive relationships with funding sources through personal meetings, email, and telephone contact.
• Ability to use sound judgment, poise and diplomacy in negotiating relationships and knowledge of "best practices" in corporate and foundation development.
• Ability to be self-motivated and disciplined to set and achieve work goals, work independently and collaboratively, handle multiple projects simultaneously in a deadline-oriented environment.
• Proficiency in using MS Office suite and experience with CRM databases. Familiarity with Salesforce is preferred.
• Uphold values consistent with the CBOBS mission.
• Moderate regional travel required. May include evening/weekend work activity.