Director of Advancement

Who We Are

DARTS is a community-based nonprofit that connects people to services and partnerships that improve their quality of life, help them age well, and enable them to engage in their community. DARTS provides a network of valuable information and resources to people of all ages and fosters the health of the community by helping people remain active and connected to one another. Our mission is to create connections that enrich aging. We use long term strategies and a roadmap to achieve the vision. We are a voice for aging in community and industry forums to influence policies affecting the senior services field.

Why You'll Love Working Here

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of older adults and their caregivers? Join DARTS and be part of a team that values dedication, compassion, and continuous improvement. Together, we can create connections that enrich the aging experience for older adults and their caregivers. Apply to be a part of the team!

Wages and Benefits

$75,000 - $85,000 annual salary; Generous paid time off, plus 9 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays; competitive health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings account (HSA). There is employer paid basic life insurance with the option for additional coverage paid by the employee. The employer pays for Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) and short- and long-term disability insurance. DARTS sponsors a retirement plan with a 3% employer match and immediate vesting.

A Typical Day in the Life...

A typical day as DARTS's Director of Advancement provides an opportunity to oversee all of the organization's fundraising campaigns and strategic relationship cultivation with donors. They will develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy for annual, capital, and planned giving to support the organization's mission and goals. Other responsibilities will include the following:

• Developing and executing a comprehensive fundraising plan, including goals for annual gifts, major gifts, planned giving, and grants.
• Integrating volunteer usage into organizational strategy.
• Working with the President to define communication strategy and annual themes.
• Working with the leadership team to articulate business cases and build partnerships for strategic growth.
• Developing deep business connections and building a connection network, ensuring next-generation connections with DARTS and strategic funding partners.
• Engaging with community organizations to advocate for older community members.
• Maintaining excellent donor, board member, and volunteer relations and helping to communicate the strategic vision to those groups.
• Developing department and special event budgets that motivate growth and anticipate industry trends.
• Driving and measuring revenue projections.
• Helping teams develop budgets and create business plans for new volunteer programs.
• Optimizing and measuring expenditures.
• Contributing to agency-wide discussions about donation and grant revenue and measuring results.
• Actively determining and measuring key metrics to indicate donor engagement.
• Partnering with the finance team to properly log donations and implement new initiatives.
• Partnering with the communications team to develop and oversee the organization's fundraising communications strategy for branding and messaging.
• Providing guidance and strategic direction for grant solicitation and reviewing applications for compelling stories and grammatical accuracy.
• Developing strategies to attract donors throughout their lives and cultivating Heritage Society (planned giving) members.
• Assisting with the annual report messaging.
• Ensuring the donation administrator records gifts correctly and provides reporting.

Who You Are

• You hold a Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Nonprofit Management, or a related field.
• You have experience in fundraising, relationship management, and development.
• You bring 5+ years of experience in nonprofit management.
• You have experience with fundraising software; Donor Perfect or Give Smart experience is a plus.
• You demonstrate excellent public speaking skills and understand target audiences and key messaging.
• You have the ability to build relationships with individuals across a variety of ages, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
• You have the ability to motivate and influence others while fostering a strong sense of teamwork.
• You demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills.
• You bring expertise in organizational development, personnel management, budget and resource development, and strategic planning.
• You have the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• You have knowledge of the philanthropic community.
• You are familiar with key contacts and resources in Dakota County and the metro area.
• You are proficient with Microsoft Office Suite.
• You are proficient in using a donor database; experience with Donor Perfect is a plus.
• You are flexible and adaptable with the ability to adjust fundraising strategies in response to changing circumstances or unexpected events.
• You are able to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines while maintaining a positive and solutions-oriented approach.

• You have a valid driver's license and the ability to meet DARTS's driving record requirements, or access to reliable transportation. Please note that if the license was not issued in the state of Minnesota, you have 60 days after becoming a Minnesota resident in which to apply for your Minnesota driver's license or permit (not applicable for new hires living out of state).

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of DARTS. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector:

Individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, age, marital status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, criminal history (justice-impacted status), housing or homelessness status, height, or weight.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

DARTS participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. See E-Verify's official poster at https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf. See E-Verify's Right to Work poster at https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RightToWorkPoster%20Eng_Es.pdf.