Second Harvest Heartland

The mission of Second Harvest Heartland (SHH) is to End Hunger Together. The organization was created on October 1, 2001, when Second Harvest Greater Minneapolis and Second Harvest St. Paul joined forces to bring together more than 44 years of combined history and experience to the fight against hunger. Second Harvest Heartland works to end hunger through community partnerships. As one of the nation’s largest, most efficient and most innovative hunger relief organizations, the organization leverages its unique position in the emergency food chain to make an impact.

SHH has recently launched its most ambitious campaign ever, the “2030 Moonshot” to “Make Hunger History.” The organization’s goal is to cut hunger in half by 2030 and achieve “a future where everyone in Minnesota has the food they need to thrive.” SHH serves a diverse community across the state, operating with a neighbor-centric mindset around who they serve and how they serve their community.

To learn more about the organization, visit www.2harvest.org.

Chief Development Officer

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) leads SHH’s development team and will be a key member of the organization’s executive leadership team. The CDO will drive the development and implementation of fundraising strategy to attract and steward the financial resources required to advance the work of SHH and deploy innovative methods to connect with donors, advocates and volunteers to deeply engage them with SHH.

This executive will be responsible for assessing, leading and optimizing the critical work of the development team with a goal toward building a strategic function. The CDO is accountable for meeting the annual and long-term revenue goals for SHH, including major and planned giving, institutional giving, donor communications and stewardship, prospect research, gift processing and acknowledgement. They are expected to consistently diversify funding and cultivate donors at all levels, advance the development program, and build a highly engaged effective development team. The CDO is also expected to speak internally and externally about the important work SHH is doing to end hunger together and inspire followership to the mission of Second Harvest Heartland. 

Key Responsibilities

Organization Leadership

1. As critical member of the executive team, partner with peers to shape and execute on the organization’s long-term vision and strategy and annual goals and objectives.
2. Model the confidence and humility to leverage others’ expertise in tackling SHH’s big goals, from highly connected board members to highly skilled volunteers to SHH’s most sophisticated suppliers and more.
3. Actively develop SHH constituents who give, advocate, and/or volunteer, deepening understanding and appreciation of the role of development, and helping the enterprise to realize the full potential of philanthropy to fulfill its mission.
4. Create a positive work environment that values all voices, building open communications and establishing a strong sense of trust.
5. Demonstrate commitment to institutionalizing racial equity through the stewardship of development.

External Leadership

1. Operate as a connected and proactive leader in Minnesota, especially the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area with major donors, foundations, etc.
2. Be a visible leader with all donors externally in the communities SHH serves.
3. Demonstrate skill and personal passion for engaging prospects and existing donors.
4. Demonstrate neighbor-centered thinking, adapting behavior and actions to meet the needs of others.

Development Strategy & Leadership

1. Develop, execute, and advance the vision for development that ensures that operational plans are aligned with strategic directives.
2. Lead the team involved in the creation and execution of annual and five-year fundraising strategies and plans and corresponding budgets that outline goals and strategies tied to Second Harvest’s Make Hunger History priorities. Partner closely with CFO and CERO to ensure alignment on intersecting goals and strategies.
3. Lead development staff in creative, measurable approaches to increase the level of philanthropic support from individuals, foundations, corporations and government.
4. Identify new philanthropic revenue opportunities that address emerging priorities and benefit SHH and its stakeholders.
5. Coach staff, executive team leaders and volunteers in cultivating major donor/funder relationships and participating in the solicitation of major gifts and grants.
6. Proactively work to ensure effective collaboration, coordination and communication across the organization to leverage impact internally and externally to maximize relationships and ROIs.
7. Understand and analyze trends and design strategies to raise financial support for SHH through individuals, corporations, foundations, volunteers, events and government, refining business models internally to enhance impact and return when necessary.

Donor Strategy & Stewardship

1. Develop and execute, with staff, a comprehensive fundraising strategy for all facets of individual giving, including major gifts, planned giving and direct marketing.
2. Serve as a lead fundraising strategist, engaging prospects and donors in effective cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. Maintain a portfolio of donors and top prospects. Provide team best practices to sustain and grow relationships with current and past donors.
3. Set strategy for CEO, Board and other staff to secure funding through major donors, and support Board-led fundraising activities including committees of the board (e.g. Development Committee).
4. Ensure donor communications are relevant, impactful and timely, finding creative ways to keep donors close.
5. Differentiate stewardship and engagement opportunities to accommodate changes in donor habits now and in the future; identify and engage an increasingly diverse donor base.
6. Participate in Board of Director meetings and sit on Development Committee.
7. Ensure compliance with documents and protocols that honor donor charitable intent short and long term.

Organizational Partnerships – Corporations, Foundations, Grants, Events

1. Develop and execute with staff a comprehensive fundraising strategy for institutional sponsorships, partnerships and grant management.
2. Lead partnership development by coaching team in cultivating and meeting with corporations and foundations to maximize financial support from sponsorships and grants.
3. Proactively foster relationships and pursue every avenue for grants, securing general operating, capital and special project financing.
4. Develop and execute capital campaigns.
5. Develop and execute comprehensive strategy for special events to increase SHH’s financial return and standing in the community.

People & Cultural Leadership

1. Create a collaborative and energizing team dynamic, leveraging the unique strengths of team members.
2. Create a team culture that embraces change and uncertainty, moving quickly to test, measure and learn from new ideas.
3. Establish goals, monitor progress, and coach to enable staff to meet their goals.
4. Conduct performance appraisals, assess and build capabilities with a long-term vision toward succession planning.
5. Review current staffing model, priorities and efficiencies. Make recommendations to optimize team performance, ensuring work is done and the right level.
6. Support and collaborate on organization-wide equity and diversity efforts and share a strong commitment to equity; ability to work with individuals from different abilities, ethnicities, genders, races, religions, sexual orientations and socioeconomic backgrounds.
7. Build strong, constructive relationships with a diverse range of individual and organizational partners, where common goals can be discovered, jointly shared and owned for maximum impact.
8. Support innovation with an openness to new ideas, learning from others and flexibility to support change as needed.
9. Model behavior consistent with SHH’s mission, vision and values daily.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will be an innovative, broad-minded and strategic philanthropic leader with a proven track record of meeting financial goals and key business objectives. They will have experience leading leaders, working with a board and/or senior executives, and managing a variety of funding sources.

This individual must embrace the mission of Second Harvest Heartland, be energized by change and thrive in a fast-paced environment. They must model open communication, champion inclusion and equity by effectively engaging people of diverse cultures and backgrounds, foster a collaborative team environment and place equity at the core of decision making and culture.

Leadership Competencies

The Chief Development Officer at Second Harvest Heartland is expected to demonstrate the following leadership competencies:

• Strategic Acumen :: Understands the market, identifies trends and drives the organization to create comprehensive, competitive and breakthrough strategies. Prioritizes strategically, leading the organization to pursue and capitalize on the best opportunities.
• Champions Innovation :: Constructively challenges the prevailing wisdom or accepted ways of doing things. Pushes the organization to identify new approaches and uncover unconventional ideas that drive value using data and insights. Supports well-reasoned risks and new ideas.
• Fosters Collaboration :: Creates an environment that supports collaboration by facilitating communication and coordination across all parts of the organization. Intentionally invests in building productive relationships and trust, encourages healthy discourse and ensures that diverse viewpoints are explored. Builds an intentional and cohesive culture that aligns functional agendas and unites the team.
• Inclusive Leadership :: Relates openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people, listening deeply and ensuring space for all voices. Builds a trusting and open culture where team members feel a sense of belonging and equal opportunity. Leverages diversity for greater insights and enhanced performance.
• Builds Talent :: Develops and maintains high-performing teams and coaches other leaders to develop their own leadership capabilities. Ensures all leaders and team members challenge and support each other while respecting others’ unique roles and contributions.
• Drives Results :: Proactively anticipates future needs and creates a mechanism for overcoming hurdles, setting high standards for the organization and holding others accountable. Ensures organizational strategies are translated into measurable objectives and actionable plans.

Skills, Experiences, Qualifications

In addition to demonstration of the Leadership Competencies on the previous page, key skills and experiences desired include:

• 5+ years of experience as a chief-level executive, including experience as an engaged member of an executive team; demonstrated success balancing organizational, cross-functional, and development team strategies, goals and initiatives  
•  15+ years of experience in fund development in a dynamic and complex nonprofit environment with a demonstrated understanding of philanthropic trends 
•  10+ years of successful staff management and development, including leading leaders 
•  Demonstrated success managing a high-level donor portfolio, soliciting and closing major gifts (ideally $1MM+ gifts), and building relationships with existing and new constituent groups, including the ability to create nonpartisan approaches to the work; knows when to lead and when to be supportive 
•  Experience with campaign leadership, annual giving programs and development operations 
•  Experience working with a Board of Directors 
•  Strong verbal and written communication skills, including presentation and public speaking; enjoys discussion and debate 
•  Current, active network of high-level donors, emerging donors and foundation leadership in Minnesota, preferred 
•  Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred. Fundraising certification such as CFRE or ACFRE preferred

Second Harvest Heartland has partnered with Doran Leadership Partners to lead this search. Please send your interest, resume or nomination to jared.quade@doranleadership.com. Cover letters are welcomed but not required.Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, and review of candidates will begin right away.