Chief Development Officer

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), one of the nation’s premier legal services agencies, seeks candidates and nominations for Chief Development Officer.  The Chief Development Officer (CDO) will be a member of senior leadership, reporting to the Executive Director, and will manage a team of six.  The new CDO will succeed his/her long-term predecessor who has been committed to the success of the organization and will hand off a well-developed and comprehensive fundraising program.  Early in his/her tenure, the new CDO will assess all aspects of the fundraising program, make recommendations and develop a strategic plan. 

GBLS is seeking candidates who can “hit the ground running,” are change agents and who will thrive working in a collaborative environment whose mission is helping the poor with critical legal needs that impact basic human necessities.  Candidates should be experienced fundraising managers who have supervised teams and have closed major gifts in an environment without a natural donor constituency.

About Greater Boston Legal Services

Greater Boston Legal Services’ mission is to provide free legal assistance to as many low-income families as possible to help them secure some of the most basic necessities of life. For over 110 years, it has been the place to which the poor come when they have nowhere else to turn.  GBLS is a national role model for providing legal assistance to the poor.  Its attorneys are among the best poverty lawyers in the United States. Nationally recognized for its impressive results, GBLS brings about positive change for thousands of underserved people annually.

GBLS gives advice and represents people in court and before agencies, city councils and the state legislature. It also represents community groups in advancing the interests of their low-income constituencies and provides community legal education.  GBLS offers critical assistance across an array of practice units including: consumer rights, employment, family law, elder/health/disabilities, housing, immigration, welfare and Asian outreach. It also offers four special initiatives: the Children’s Disability Project; the Re-Entry Project; the Affordable Tenancy Preservation Project; and Health Care Access for People with Disabilities. To learn more about the people that GBLS helps every day, please visit GBLS’ Client Stories or its website http://www.gbls.org/

Founded in 1900 as the Boston Legal Aid Society, GBLS currently has over 100 employees, including 55 attorneys, and has an annual operating budget of about $12M.  It provides non-criminal legal assistance to over 12,000 people and handles 13,000+ legal matters each year. With a main office in Boston and an additional office in Cambridge, GBLS serves individuals and families in Boston and 31 contiguous cities and towns in the Greater Boston area.

Currently, GBLS is undertaking a strategic planning process, GBLS 20:20, to strengthen its core organizational components and ensure GBLS remains among the premier legal services programs in the country when it celebrates its 120th anniversary in 2020.  The plan will integrate near-term needs with long-term goals as identified by the committee composed of Board, staff, constituents and professional fundraising counsel.

About the Opportunity

GBLS plays a unique role in the social service delivery system. It is the agency to which other providers refer clients when legal assistance is needed and no one else can help.  The Chief Development Officer (CDO) will be a passionate proponent of GBLS’ mission, advocating for philanthropic support within the Boston legal community, and beyond.  Reporting to Executive Director Jacquelynne Bowman, the new CDO will partner with her and an invested Board of Directors to secure funding for GBLS’ many programs and services.  The new Chief Development Officer will continue to build on the many achievements of GBLS’ current $6M fundraising program and seek to identify and secure new sources of revenue - major, annual, foundation and corporate – both within and outside of the Greater Boston legal community.

The CDO will oversee a team that includes a Major Gifts Director, an Annual Fund Director, a Grant Writer, a Communications Director/Grants Reporter, a Development Associate and a Development Assistant for a total of 5.3 FTEs.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of fundraising including major gifts, the annual fund, and corporate and foundation support. 
• Within the first 90-120 days, conduct a thorough analysis of all aspects of GBLS’ current development program, identifying opportunities, strengths, and challenges.
• Meet with senior, volunteer, committee and program leadership, as well as key donors, to develop a greater understanding of the current fundraising landscape and where opportunities may exist for growth.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategic plan that addresses all aspects of fundraising and the development department infrastructure. 
• Staff supervision focusing on team building and staff professional growth and development.
• Research, identify, cultivate, solicit and close major gifts, including those outside of the current legal community.
• Provide strategic counsel to Executive Director and volunteer leadership in fundraising best practices including, but not limited to, prospect identification, cultivation and solicitation strategies.
• Lead/staff fundraising committees for designated annual campaigns including: Corporate Fund Drive, Lawyers Fund Drive and Board giving. 

For more information about Greater Boston Legal Services, please visit http://www.gbls.org/

For more information about Development Guild/DDI, please visit www.developmentguild.com.

GBLS is an AA/EO/Handicapped-accessible employer, committed to promoting diversity in its workforce and regards differences as assets.