Vice President of Development
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

 Overview

Founded in 1970, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (“Joint Center”) is one of the nation’s premier independent research policy institutions, and the only such institution focusing primarily on the concerns of African Americans and other people of color. In the wake of the civil rights era, the Joint Center’s original mission was to build a policy foundation supporting racial equity through activities aimed at expanding black political participation and by supporting the growing number of black elected officials through technical assistance and policy research. Over the years, the Joint Center has seen much success in advancing that agenda, as the number of black elected officials across the country has grown from about 1,500 in the late 1960’s to nearly 10,000 in 2007. The Joint Center played an important role in creating many key organizations representing black elected and appointed officials, including the Congressional Black Caucus, the National Conference of Black Mayors, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the National Organization of Black County Officials, the National Caucus of Black School Board Members and Blacks in Government.

Today, the Joint Center continues to focus on improving the socio-economic status of African Americans and other minorities through its contributions of high quality research and informed analysis to critical policy debates. Elected and appointed officials at all levels of government, as well as other organizations, look to the Joint Center for its input and advice on a wide range of issues, as well as its assistance in better understanding the black electorate and the concerns of minority citizens. In conducting research and policy analysis and in disseminating the information it produces, the Joint Center employs a nonpartisan approach to building partnerships and coalitions across government and policy development community in order to broaden and strengthen the impact of its work.

For additional information on the Joint Center, please the website at: www.jointcenter.org.

Current Situation

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is governed by a Board of Governors of twenty members composed of a diverse group of professionals from the private, academic, and nonprofit sectors and three members emeriti. The Board elects its Chair and other officers, makes policy and fiscal decisions, and appoints the President. The President leads the day-to-day operations of the Joint Center and manages an executive management team that includes three Vice Presidents and a Vice President/Chief Financial Officer. The staff of the Joint Center consists of thirty-six positions (with 28 positions currently filled) in five administrative areas: Communications, Corporate Relations and Strategic Planning (Development), Finance & Administration, Governance & Economic Analysis, and Health Policy Institute.

In 2007, the Board of Governors hired a President who has undertaken a new vision and strategy, for which the organization seeks support and funding to expand on its historic mission. The Board of Governors approved this Presidential Vision for the creation of three new Institutes. The Joint Center seeks to launch an endowment funding for each of Institute in the range of $5-15 million over the next three to five years. Under this new Presidential vision, the core Institutes of the Joint Center will be:

 

• Joint Center Health Policy Institute. Founded in 2002, the Health Policy Institute (HPI) received $16 million in funding from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and other foundations to help communities of color identify short- and long-term policy objectives and to engage underserved, racial and ethnic minorities in health policy discussions. HPI has maintained a strategic focus on a number of health-related areas, where it works to improve the health status of African Americans and seeks to expand their participation in health-related public policy areas. HPI’s work has directed the efforts of elected officials and activists to explore and remedy racial disparities that are present in a range of health outcomes. Its growth and impact serves a model for the three emerging Institutes below.

• Joint Center New Media and Community Institute. Through this Institute, the Joint Center will investigate the participation by and portrayal of African Americans and communities of color and analyze these representations in light of their impact on social justice and equality. The Institute will focus on the impact of new technologies and trends, with an eye toward understanding their influence and effectiveness in expanding black participation in public and community affairs. It will serve as center for developing a greater understanding of how black people can have more influence in shaping their destiny through established and emerging media channels.

• Joint Center Civic Engagement and Governance Policy Institute. This Institute will strengthen and sustain the Joint Center’s long tradition of energizing black participation in public affairs and disseminating knowledge of relevant policy debates throughout the African American community. Research will focus on trends in civic engagement among people of color and the ways in which public, private, and nonprofit entities impact the lives of African Americans and other communities of color in the United States and abroad.

• Joint Center Education Policy and Opportunity Institute. With African Americans as a group more likely to suffer higher poverty and unemployment rates and to attend failing schools, the focus on this Institute will be to research, analyze, and disseminate information about education, economic, and workforce issues. The new Institute will work to develop policy prescriptions aimed at promoting equality in the economic and educational realms, as well as to advance substantive initiatives targeted at improving schooling and job prospects, especially for younger African Americans.
   

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies supports itself through giving programs and its annual dinner. At the end of December 2006, the Joint Center recorded net assets of $6.2 million. The organization currently estimates its 2007 budget at $8.2 million. The Joint Center received 59% of its revenues from foundation giving and 6% from individual giving. The annual dinner, a major national event held in Washington D.C. in mid-April, attended by over 700 prominent political and civil rights leaders, corporate executives, and major supporters, has garnered an average of $1 million in past years and presented awards to former President Bill Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter, Muhammad Ali, Vernon Jordan, and Rep. Charles E. Rangel. With a the founding of three new Institutes and a steady growth in the operating budget, the new Vice President of Development, a strategic thinker and a creative and enterprising fundraiser, must develop a more diversified development program by increasing major individual giving and planned giving significantly and by continuing the successful cultivation of funds in corporate and foundation giving in order to reach annual targets of $15-20 million over time.

 Specific Role

The Vice President for Development, an experienced and entrepreneurial professional, reports directly to the President and oversees all aspects of the Joint Center’s robust development platform by securing major gifts from individuals, corporations, foundations, and public sector sources for annual, program, capital, and endowment funds. This visionary and creative leader will raise between $15 million and $20 million as annual targets achievable over time, and focus on developing a major individual gifts program, continuing to grow its successful corporate and foundation gifts program, and establishing a planned gift program. The President and the VP hold portfolio assignments of top donor prospects. The VP provides development support to the President and helps in managing the President’s time on top prospects. The VP assists in budget process through development of a comprehensive development plan and financial goals. The VP assists the President in the Board’s fundraising activities by serving as staff for the Chair and the Board of Governors’ Development Committee, by reporting on development activity and progress, and by assisting the Board in the recruitment of potential new Board members. The VP maintains open and ongoing communications with the President, providing complete and accurate activity reports, revenue forecasts, and situation analyses on a regular basis.

Management
The VP leads a dynamic and motivated staff of two development and administrative professionals working to inspire a shared sense of unity and mission. The VP will be expected to build this team commensurate with fundraising goals and success, at minimum four additional positions. The VP manages the development team professionally to ensure compliance with the Joint Center’s policies, procedures, and regulations. The VP develops and review policies and procedures for the development office, including gift acceptance policies, seeking Board Development Committee and full Board approval as necessary. The VP provides leadership, professional advice, and mentoring as appropriate to help build development capacity among the Joint Center’s staff. The VP oversees record maintenance, including databases and their maintenance, paper files, and back-up files according to industry standards, retention policy, and general principles of ethics.

Fundraising
The VP is responsible for conducting a comprehensive and cost-effective fundraising program in accord with the President’s vision. The VP builds individual giving, corporate development, foundation giving, and public sector opportunities and designs and produces special events, including the nationally recognized annual dinner in April. The VP adopts development programs with marketing and promotional strategies and oversees donor stewardship, partnership opportunities, and regular review of opportunities and cultivated relationships. The VP continues to write and execute a comprehensive fundraising plan, representing industry best practices to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a prospect pool and donor portfolio.

Partnerships/Correspondence
The VP serves as senior representative of the Joint Center in fundraising capacity and as representative of the Board and President. In serving as a primary spokesperson and executive liaison in all partnerships and alliances, the new VP must be able to articulate Joint Center mission and goals to potential funders making a clear and compelling case for support. The VP nurtures contacts with policy makers as potential networks for funders. Working closely with the Joint Center’s program and communications staff, the VP coordinates all donor prospecting initiatives and outreach. The VP supervises the preparation of fundraising materials and correspondence on a timely basis, including proposals, applications, letters, case statements, letters of intent, funders’ reports, gift receipts, and planned gift materials for bequests, charitable remainder trusts with outside management, life insurance, life estates, and retirement funds.

Major Objectives  

Personal Characteristics

The following characteristics are preferred in the new VP: 

• A passionate commitment to the mission, vision, and values of the Joint Center;
• Self-starter capable of developing creative solutions with minimal supervision or guidance;
• Entrepreneurial approach to identifying new major donors and funding sources;
• Client-focused professional who can manage challenging donor situations;
• Excellent communication and writing skills with an ability to persuade;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including ease and skill in cultivating relationships with people of diverse backgrounds, ages, and circumstances;
• Positive outlook, self-confidence, patience, and force of will that produces results and focuses on resolving conflicts without blame;
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with an ability to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner;
• Healthy respect for colleagues, employees, and superiors;
• Goal-oriented, project-oriented, and achievement-oriented;
• Strong sense of honor and integrity.

Compensation

Compensation will be commensurate with skill and market. .

Application

 Please forward resumes, a writing sample, and appropriate material immediately to:

Patrick Chizeck
The Boulware Group
625 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 422
Chicago IL 60611-3172
Phone: 312-322-0088
Fax: 312-322-0092
 

Inquiries

The Joint Center requests that all communications regarding this position be directed to the Boulware Group.