Chief Development and Government Affairs Officer

CHIEF DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OFFICER
NPOWER
National – Hybrid Work Model

In today’s economy, over 50% of all jobs require some degree of technology and digital skill. A recent Microsoft Data Science report estimates that digital job capacity – or the total number of new technology-oriented jobs – in the U.S. will grow to 13 million by 2025.

NPower is a national nonprofit, rooted in the community, that is committed to advancing race and gender equity in the tech industry through skills training, real-world experience, support, and mentorships. The organization has helped young adults from underserved communities and veterans move from poverty to the middle class by training them with a range of tech skills and placing them in quality jobs. Students who enter the free, tech training program earn industry-recognized certifications and graduate with the competencies of an IT professional with one to two years of experience in less than six months. Eighty percent of students who enroll in the NPower program graduate, and 81% of graduates land a full-time job or continue their education. NPower graduates achieve an average salary increase of 420%. NPower is a vital solution to bridging the diverse talent gap that exists in the high-growth technology industry.

NPower currently operates in New York, Texas, California, Maryland, New Jersey, Missouri, and Michigan. There is also an affiliate in Canada.

NPower has grown in leaps and bounds since Bertina Ceccarelli’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer in 2016. Her ambitious, visionary leadership has led transformational change, with the organization growing from a programmatic presence in four U.S. states to seven states, from approximately 40 staff to more than 180, and from total annual revenues of about $6 million to more than $35 million in FY22. The organization also has a thriving Canadian subsidiary that offers training services across the country. More importantly, this burgeoning organizational footprint is driving life-changing impact for an increasing number of military veterans and young adults from underserved communities. NPower will continue its momentous growth in the near term and beyond, with new locations set to be added in Ohio and North Carolina and a well-honed, field-tested understanding of what is required for programmatic success.

This is an exciting time for NPower, and its future plans will require it to serve increasing numbers of students with intentionality and sustainability. The organization has indeed grown and diversified its fundraising to support expansion to date and will need to continue doing so to achieve its goals. NPower will formally launch the Impact Campaign in late 2023 to raise $50 million in incremental funds by 2025 and has secured a $15 million leadership gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The organization has strategically invested in parallel marketing initiatives to ensure the organization’s brand and messaging are aligned with fundraising.

Amid this environment of proven impact and remarkable, ongoing expansion, NPower is seeking a passionate mission-driven senior executive for the critical role of Chief Development and Government Affairs Officer (CDGAO) to lead the organization’s efforts to advance donor understanding and engagement with its programs and strategic priorities. Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, leadership team, and a highly active and supportive Board of Directors, the CDGAO is responsible for conceptualizing, organizing, and implementing a comprehensive development plan that will leverage NPower’s programmatic reach to raise substantial capital and ensure financial sustainability. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the CDGAO will serve as a strategic leader for the organization and as a member of the Executive Team.

The CDGAO manages a Development team of approximately 15 covering the following areas: Strategic Corporate Accounts, Corporate Relations, Foundations, Grants Management, Major Gifts, Individual Giving, Special Events, and Government Affairs. The team includes development staff deployed regionally at NPower locations across the nation.

A key priority for the incoming CDGAO will be developing and executing plans to significantly expand fundraising revenue from local, state, and federal governments, as well as from corporations and high-net-worth individuals. It will be critical that this leader forge an overall Development strategy that gains unified buy-in from NPower’s national and local-level stakeholders alike, ensures alignment between the Development team and colleagues overseeing NPower operations, and addresses the need for development program growth at the local level.

While NPower will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate will have the following qualifications/experience:

• Genuine passion for NPower’s mission and commitment to its core values of Impact, Commitment, Integrity, Diversity, and Humility. An energetic sense of curiosity to understand the ever-changing dynamics of workforce development and future of work more broadly, which are policy and funding priorities for a continually increasing group of funders, executives, and policy leaders.
• Ten or more years of proven leadership experience in planning and implementing a successful, comprehensive fundraising operation for a nonprofit organization at a minimum scale of $20 million annually. Broad knowledge of all functional areas comprising a multi-faceted, comprehensive development program (e.g., individual, institutional, major, digital, and annual giving; special events; donor communications; stewardship; fundraising operations).
• Successful track record of completing capital or other time-limited fundraising campaigns (incremental to annual operating goals) of $10 million or more.
• Strategic leader with the capacity to think broadly about the workforce development landscape and contribute to long-term organizational planning as a member of the Executive Team.
• Leadership experience influencing government funding and policy in the U.S. on a regional and/or national scale. Strong understanding of the policymaking environment and its intersection with nonprofit organizations. Demonstrated skills in strategic relationship mapping and development, identification of policy levers, delivering persuasive communications, and the overall diplomacy required to build coordinated support and action for government funding or policy initiatives.
• Knowledge of and fundamental adherence to the principles, ethics, and best practices of modern fundraising, including the integration of various giving programs to diversify the funding base and cultivate greater donor commitments.
• Experience leading a diverse staff. Ability to lead, recruit, evaluate, and develop a diverse team of development and government affairs professionals and contribute to the ongoing fostering of a high-functioning, results-oriented, multiracial/multicultural workforce. Track record of maintaining best practices, clear goals, and shared accountability, as well as working cross-departmentally when necessary to achieve results. Experience managing budgets and revenue forecasts.
• Demonstrated commitment to and understanding of how to build diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development function; culturally competent with respect to issues such as racial, cultural, religious, sexual, and gender identity. Skilled at delivering solutions in evolving, multicultural environments.
• Track record of advancing prospect discovery and engagement at all levels of giving, including both traditional and non-traditional sources of potential support, as well as examination of existing donors that may have greater capacity.
• Demonstrated success in developing the case for support and strategic, innovative fundraising plans, and executing those plans to grow fundraising and exceed goals. Skilled in building relational connections and long-term partnerships, as well as significant experience identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts from individual and institutional donors at the level of six to seven-figures or greater.
• Demonstrated experience working closely with a board of directors and a highly invested development committee, providing them with quality support and intelligence and increasing their comfort with and success in fundraising.
• A forward thinker with a demonstrated record of utilizing new methods of connectivity and driven by innovation to develop fundraising and government affairs best practices.
• The ability to extract and analyze data to make effective, efficient decisions about donor strategy, policy development, and process. Working knowledge of modern data management practices to streamline processes and contribute to the integration of related functions.
• Ability to work nights and/or weekends for events, and travel on a national scale, as needed, consistent with public health guidelines.

Download the full position description via the following link: https://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/19819-npower

NPower is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

NPower has retained the DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice of the Diversified Search Group to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) may be submitted at https://talent-profile.diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/v2/19819, or directed to:

Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.
Managing Director and DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice Leader
Diversified Search Group
The Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue, 49th Floor, New York, New York 10174
gerard.cattie@divsearch.com | 212.542.2587