Careers at RAW
Raw Art Works is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seeks a diverse staff that is reflective of the community it serves. Employment is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.
Current Openings:
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Salary Range: 100k - 115k
The Organization – Raw Art Works
Raw Art Works (RAW), a creative community arts organization rooted in art therapy, believes that all young people should be seen + heard, and that everyone has a story to tell.
Through art, RAW youth create in unexpected ways, and envision new possibilities for their future. Founded in 1988, RAW strives to ensure that youth and staff are welcomed into a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment the moment they step through the door. Through the arts, youth are given the tools to process what is going on in their lives, giving them the opportunity to create in unexpected ways and envision new possibilities for their future. The strong relationships youth form with RAW peers and staff, and RAW’s culture and program model, contribute to a strong sense of safety, connection, and support. RAW’s mission is to ignite the desire to create and confidence to succeed in underserved youth. Over 350 youth, ages 8-19, participate in after-school and summer visual and expressive arts groups, digital film school classes, leadership development opportunities, and college and career access programming. When youth attend RAW, they are seen and heard through a refined blend of art and therapy. Staff trained in trauma-informed care offer grounding for youth who have experienced serious adverse childhood experiences. RAW staff have helped lead the creative youth development movement since its inception, establishing RAW as an organization recognized and respected for its program impact at a national level.
About the Role:
The Development Director nurtures and grows a robust philanthropy program that looks beyond RAW’s current status to envision and sustain an organization striving for ever greater community impact, while adhering to long-term capitalization and short-term operational goals. Directing all aspects of fundraising and adept at in-person solicitation (corporate, institutional, and individual), the Development Director is responsible for over $3 million in revenue with plans to grow revenue significantly. This individual develops and implements strategies and plans to deepen relationships in all segments of the philanthropic community while maintaining a strong knowledge of the local and national philanthropic landscape.
The successful Development Director takes a leadership role both within the organization and externally, interacting frequently with current and prospective supporters to establish beneficial relationships. Reporting to and partnering with the Executive Director, the Development Director is a member of RAW’s Leadership Team, offering input and advice on organizational issues and advancing organizational goals. The Development Director manages the Development Team, which currently includes the Development Manager and two Grants Managers. The Development Director also works collaboratively with the program staff and Board of Directors. Demonstrating a high degree of versatility and resiliency, the Development Director focuses intensely on achieving fundraising goals and prioritizes relationship building while executing the hands-on work required to continue building the fundraising capacity of the team.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Fundraising Leadership and External Affairs
Develop and guide the implementation of RAW’s overall fundraising strategy that responds to recent development assessment, and that will support growth anticipated from the new Strategic Plan in FY26.
Create an actionable written development plan that balances individual, foundation, government, corporate support, as well as alternative income-generating models. .
As a member of the senior leadership team, actively participate in organizational strategic planning and management.
Serve as both a thought leader, and a practitioner who tactically contributes to the team (e.g. writes grant proposals or leads meetings with donors).
Foster interdepartmental collaboration to enhance institutional and individual fundraising strategies.
Collaborate with the Leadership Team and program staff in matters of proposal development, budgeting, reporting, and site visits.
Advocate for RAW’s artistic and community impact and facilitate connections with donors and prospects by becoming a highly visible presence as an external spokesperson, serving on event committees, and attending board/donor events and external community and foundation events as needed.
Stay current and advise on developments in the philanthropic, arts & culture, and economic development sectors and political environments that impact fundraising trends, goals, and strategies.
Donor Identification, Research, Cultivation, Solicitation, and Stewardship
Serve as thought leader for RAW’s ED, advising and collaborating on philanthropic activities and providing strategic advice and preparation for all aspects of relationships with current and prospective donors.
Oversee the development and implementation of ongoing stewardship of major donors, using a moves management framework to create specific, individualized action plans and goals.
Map and leverage the philanthropic and strategic relationships of the Board.
Build trust and relationships with a portfolio of key institutional and individual donors and high-level prospects, with the end goal of personally soliciting gifts.
Craft and deliver written and verbal grant or gift requests from major donors and prospects.
Ensure successful execution of fundraising and donor events and oversee segmented post-event follow-up with donors.
Departmental Operations, Administration and Oversight
Supervise and mentor the development team by setting clear expectations, providing motivation, assisting in their professional development, and maintaining the highest levels of professionalism.
Develop clear roles, responsibilities, and actionable goals for the development team while maintaining a culture of respect and collaboration.
Create simple easy to use systems for foundation assessment, building objective criteria to help teams determine which philanthropic opportunities to go for, which to pass on, and which to defer until later. Ensure effective system implementation of “The Life of a Grant.”
Oversee development systems (fundraising calendar, CRM database, donor and prospect records etc.) to ensure clear process ownership, communication and collaboration.
Serve as liaison with the Finance team to help with budget development and cost tracking.
Establish and ensure standards of excellence (and RAW brand consistency) across all written and digital materials and external communications produced by the development team.
Prepare and monitor development revenue and expense budgets, regularly reporting on development goals and progress to the Executive Director and board of directors.
Serve as an advisor and liaison to board committees as designated by the Executive Director. Prepare timely reports for ED and Board as needed.
Traits and Characteristics:
The successful Development Director is a skilled fundraiser, proactive leader, and outstanding relationship builder with the ability to pursue RAW’s ambitious goals with resilience and determination. This individual enjoys frequent interaction and collaboration with others, demonstrating leadership skills tempered by diplomacy. The Development Director is self-directed with the versatility to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, balancing tasks and projects with a sense of urgency. The Development Director possesses outstanding interpersonal and communication skills that inspire collaboration and the ability to articulate compelling verbal and written messages for support to diverse audiences. With a curious spirit and open attitude, this individual actively represents and models a culture of philanthropy and gratitude, explicitly and implicitly. Highly organized and goal-driven, the Development Director brings a passion to positively impact RAW’s success, complemented by well-developed skills and an efficient best practices approach.
Additional competencies for the ideal Development Director include:
Teamwork and Accountability – The ability to build diverse and meaningful relationships, create active participation to accomplish goals, and respond conscientiously to a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
Donor Focus and Influencing Others – The capacity to demonstrate appreciation for the diverse views and needs of a multitude of constituents and build rapport with community, business, and philanthropic leaders.
Planning, Organizing, and Prioritization – The dexterity to establish realistic timelines and ascertain top priorities for optimum productivity of development efforts.
Key Qualifications:
The following are the suggested qualifications for the Development Director role at RAW. RAW is most interested in finding the best candidate for the job – not just candidates who check all the boxes. All are encouraged to apply.
Minimum of 5-7+ years’ experience in a fundraising management position at a comparable mid-to-large-sized non-profit organization (3M+ operating budget).
Both qualitative and quantitative analytical skills, with the ability to clearly communicate information for a diverse group of stakeholders.
Excellent project management skills, with the ability to take a project from assignment to completion, manage multiple simultaneous requests for information, and prioritize accordingly to meet deadlines.
Demonstrated success and progressive leadership experience in fundraising and development, ideally with exposure to the nonprofit landscape.
Expertise and interest in supporting the building and streamlining of internal systems and processes for the development department
Experience growing individual giving programs and donor bases, with an interest and affinity for forging and cultivating new relationships
Exposure to foundation and grant work, with ability to provide relationship and strategic support to grant staff
Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and an ability to weave that commitment into the development department’s practices
Able to think strategically to engage across multiple platforms with various audiences simultaneously.
Interest in analytics and in converting data into actionable strategy and/or improvements to fundraising programming and delivery.
Excellent organizational skills and capacity to prioritize and manage time well, with strong attention to detail.
Ability to work as a self-starter without oversight, and as a team player who productively engages with others within and outside the organization.
To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to hiring@rawartworks.org.
UNITED WAY AMERICORPS FELLOW
Salary: $28,000 taxable living allowance paid in bi-weekly installments during the term of service (*Amount is adjusted if Fellow has a later start date than 9/6/2024)
Contact Fatima Jallow, Program Specialist, for more information at fbintoujallow@supportunitedway.org
About United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley: Together with thousands of volunteers, supporters, and advocates, we are building stronger neighborhoods by finding solutions, supporting programs, and fighting for the financial stability and educational success of every person in our community. About AmeriCorps and the United Way AmeriCorps Program: AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps Fellows serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. The United Way AmeriCorps Program is an innovative education program focused on providing additional social-emotional learning (SEL) and academic support to multilingual students enrolled in grades K-12 in the communities of Lynn, Salem, and Gloucester, MA. United Way Fellows are placed at either a public school or nonprofit host site to serve alongside full-time staff to ensure multilingual learner students experience a sense of belonging and have opportunities to further develop their SEL skills like self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building, and responsible decision making, in both one-to-one and small group settings.
Full-Time United Way AmeriCorps Fellows complete 1,700 hours of service from their start date in September 2024 to the end of their service term in July 2025. Please Note: Fellows may extend their service for an additional full-time term of service from September 2025 to July 2026 based on performance during their first year of service.
United Way AmeriCorps Fellow Key Responsibilities:
Develop and support in-school or out-of-school-time programming for elementary, middle, or high school multilingual learner students by integrating positive social-emotional learning (SEL) practices in either 1:1 or small group settings
Create meaningful relationships with both students and site staff
Contribute to a positive school climate that celebrates diversity and cultivates a sense of belonging
Collaborate with other site staff on special projects or initiatives as the individual site needs come up
Essential Functions
All UWMB AmeriCorps Fellows are expected to:
Provide SEL support to a focus list of 20+ ML students at a host site
Support educators/nonprofit staff in implementing site-wide initiatives that focus on SEL and benefit ML students
Satisfactorily complete all projects assigned by the host site that benefits ML students
Attend all United Way AmeriCorps training, learning sessions, and supervisory sessions
Complete the required number of service and training hours as indicated by the United Way AmeriCorps position description (1700 hours)
Complete all required AmeriCorps documentation including submitted bi-weekly Salesforce data trackers and Paylocity time sheets on time
United Way AmeriCorps Public School Host Site Placements:
Lynn Public Schools (Middle & High School)
Salem Public Schools (Elementary, Middle, & High School)
Gloucester Public Schools (Elementary, Middle, & High School)
United Way AmeriCorps Nonprofit Host Site Placements:
LEAP For Education Salem and Lynn, MA
New American Center, Lynn, MA
Gregg Neighborhood House, Lynn, MA
RAW Art Works
Ask in your interview for the most current list of non-profit host site partners.
Required Qualifications:
Must be a US Citizen or Permanent US Resident
High School Diploma or GED or higher
Over the age of 17 as of September 1st, 2024
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with and/or commitment to youth development
Interest in public schools and their development
Passion for working at a public school
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Desire to work with diverse people, organizations, and communities
Commitment to service
Invested in serving in a local North Shore community
Positive attitude, solutions-oriented, and adaptability
National Service Requirements:
Complete a minimum of 1,700 hours of documented service over the course of one year, as well as the full-term of service (September 2024 - July 2025)
Attend all UW AmeriCorps team-wide training and learning sessions
Complete all required AmeriCorps documentation and reporting
United Way AmeriCorps Full-Time Fellow Benefits:
Cost of Living Benefits
$28,000 taxable living allowance paid in bi-weekly installments during the term of service (*Amount is adjusted if Fellow has a later start date than 9/6/2024)
SNAP Benefit Eligibility
Optional Childcare Benefits
Education Benefits
$7,395.00 taxable Segal Education Award upon completion of the full-time service term
Education Loan Forbearance
25% Discount on Undergraduate and Graduate Classes in Partnership with Northeastern University
Professional Development Benefits
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Practices (JEDI)
Youth Development including Proactive Behavior Management
Support the academic needs of Multilingual Learners
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Trauma-Informed Care
Data Collection and Analysis
Resume and Cover Letter Writing
Health & Wellness Benefits
Mental Health and Counseling Services
Optional Cigna Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
Free YMCA Membership
Additional Benefits
Access to the United Way network of nonprofit partners during and after service
Microsoft Office 1 Year Subscription
United Way Clothing
United Way AmeriCorps Fellow Timeline:
Application Deadline: August 2nd, 2024
Applicants will be notified on a rolling basis as applications are reviewed by UW Program Staff
Program Start and End Dates: September 3rd, 2024, to July 25th, 2025
Program Orientation Dates: September 3rd, 2024, to September 13th, 2024
United Way of Massachusetts Bay is committed to fostering a work environment characterized by dignity and respect. Our workforce is diverse and is reflective of our community. We wish to celebrate our diversity and create an environment in which everyone's skills and talents are best utilized to help us achieve our goals. Discrimination, of any kind, is not consistent with our mission and values, and will not be tolerated. United Way is committed to the inclusion of people with disabilities as members and provides reasonable accommodations for the application process, interviews, and service upon request