ABOUT NORTHWEST CENTER
Northwest Center was founded in 1965 by four Seattle moms who changed the world. When their kids with disabilities were rejected from school, they started their own. They wrote the first law in the nation guaranteeing public education to children with disabilities. They went on to help write the federal law now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which made public education possible for every child in the U.S.
Northwest Center is living proof: When people of all abilities learn and work together, everyone benefits.
Today, Northwest Center is just as determined to innovate, educate, and advocate for a more inclusive world. Northwest Center provides comprehensive, disability-inclusive services from cradle through career: http://www.nwcenter.org/kids-services/early-supports/ for children birth to 3, inclusive http://www.nwcenter.org/kids-services/early-learning/, http://www.nwcenter.org/employment-services/ for adults with disabilities, and training and consultation to empower https://etc.nwcenter.org and https://www.nwckidsimpact.org to provide inclusive classrooms, workplaces, and communities. Through http://www.nwcenter.org/social-enterprise/, Northwest Center is able to provide services including office staffing, janitorial, and commercial printing also employ people with and without disabilities.
From those humble yet impactful roots, Northwest Center has grown its reach to three states, impacted over 100,000 kids, and demonstrated a blueprint for sustainability in anti-ableism and disability equity. They now seek their next Chief Development Officer (CDO) to help usher in the future of this important work.
THE POSITION
The Chief Development Officer (CDO) holds a vital and strategic role within Northwest Center, reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and working closely with the Board of Director’s governance committee, development committee, and the newly created ambassador council in addition to supervising a dedicated team of three. And while no two days will look alike, we anticipate the incoming CDO will dedicate their time and talents in the following key areas:
Fundraising & Donor Relations:
• Review, finalize, and implement a comprehensive development plan for donor development and cultivation of a diverse and sustainable funding base.
• Equip the CEO and board members for donor asks through thorough research and coaching.
• Manage the donor database, ensuring integrity and accuracy of constituent information and support of timely outreach, reporting, and communication.
• Lead grant writing and reporting with support from the Grants Manager and outsourced Grant Writer.
• Provide reports to the Executive team and board to track the success towards achieving fundraising goals.
• Oversee annual events, including Northwest Center’s annual gala and Virtual Advocacy Days.
Organizational Strategy & Team Leadership
• Lead a dedicated team of three, including two grant writers and a Development Manager.
• Increase the capacity of the development team by identifying gaps in current capacity and recruiting new staff members.
• Create and manage towards measurable goals and KPI’s with each team member with a growth mindset and servant leadership approach.
• Participate in and encourage team participation in internal learning and belonging efforts, particularly those related to Northwest Center’s ongoing DEIB work.
Communications & External Affairs:
• Working closely with the Chief Mission Officer (CMO) and the Communications & Marketing team, help design and leverage a communications calendar that attracts and retains donors while deepening their connection to Northwest Center’s mission.
• Serve as an ambassador of Northwest Center’s mission, staff, and clients in every engagement, exemplifying Northwest Center’s values and history.
• Continually watch for opportunities to share Northwest Center’s mission, promoting advocacy, partnership, and financial support.
Board Relations:
• Lead engagement and stewardship strategies for Northwest Center’s Board of Directors and volunteer leaders to encourage participation in Northwest Center activities.
WHAT YOU BRING
Even with a mission of disability inclusion going back to 1965, Northwest Center recognizes the need to continually assess the workplace to evaluate and improve equity, inclusion, accessibility, and diversity. Northwest Center’s leadership team and Equity Committee are committed to making culturally responsive improvements in policies, procedures, decision-making processes, allocation and use of resources, and community engagement. Northwest Center fosters and supports a wide range of employee groups dedicated to listening to, learning from, and making positive change for people with disabilities, Black, indigenous, and people of color, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Today, over forty percent of Northwest Center’s staff have a documented disability, and each team continues working to increase this percentage through annual inclusion goals. If you are passionate about serving as an external ambassador of Northwest Center’s work and identify as a person with a disability, are BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, or any intersection of marginalized identities, we encourage you to apply.
We will evaluate candidates on a combination of lived, learned, and professional experience, including:
• A deep connection to disability rights, justice, and equity.
• Professional experience in a nonprofit organization or related field.
• Demonstrated success in leading development efforts, including individual, institutional, major, and planned giving.
• Experience planning annual fundraising events and managing vendors and volunteers in an efficient manner.
• Experience managing teams through a lens of professional growth and development.
HOW TO APPLY
This role will remain open until filled. Candidate materials are reviewed on an ongoing basis and initial interviews will begin mid-July. The salary range for this position is set at $150,000 - $180,000 per year plus a https://nwcbenefits.touchpointsonline.com. To be considered, please submit a resume and cover letter addressed to Gene Boes, CEO as soon as possible at: https://apptrkr.com/5312427.
You may direct questions to Ed Rogan at ed@valtasgroup.com or Chris Cannon at chris@valtasgroup.com.
