Organizational Overview: DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to fulfill needs and foster innovation in public school classrooms. At our web site, teachers submit ideas for materials or experiences that their students need to learn, such as:




• Improving vocabulary with a class set of dictionaries ($150)


• Discouraging teen pregnancy with ‘Baby-Think-It-Over’ dolls ($500)


• Taking students to Washington, D.C. to see the Supreme Court consider a case ($2,000)




Today, 24,000 teachers are using DonorsChoose.org to help their students. Citizen philanthropists from all 50 states and 10 foreign countries have funded more than 27,000 classroom projects at DonorsChoose.org, channeling over $13 million worth of books, art supplies, technology, and other resources to 604,000 students in low-income communities. DonorsChoose.org is currently open to schools in 3 cities and 9 states. This fall, our site will open to every public school in America.




Recognition of DonorsChoose.org includes the Nonprofit Innovation Award given by Stanford Business School and Amazon.com, a Global Technology Laureate from the TECH Museum of Innovation and Microsoft, a Social Capitalist Award and selection by Ashoka. National media such as Oprah Winfrey and The New York Times have hailed DonorsChoose.org as “the future of philanthropy,” while BusinessWeek named DonorsChoose.org among the best of the Web 2.0 wave. Major supporters include eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, Yahoo! co-founder David Filo, and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla.




Position Overview: The Southeast Executive Director will be a critical driver of our national expansion. Based in Atlanta, the Southeast Executive Director will lead a 2-3 person team focused on expanding DonorsChoose.org across a 6-state region including Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. This growth will involve partnership development, fundraising, and engagement of citizen philanthropists.




Responsibilities include but are not limited to:


• Develop and implement a regional strategy for engaging donors and teachers;


• Establish operational and programmatic benchmarks and use data to inform and adjust donor marketplace strategy;


• Cultivate, execute, and evaluate corporate partnerships to help ensure organizational sustainability in the Southeast;


• Promote citizen philanthropy through such efforts as gift certificate partnerships, employee giving programs, and blogger challenges;


• Initiate and develop relationships with teachers, school administrators, and community-based organizations;


• Raise funds through foundation and individual grants to support projects on DonorsChoose.org;


• Effectively market DonorsChoose.org through public relations, advertising, and on- and off-line marketing activities;


• Manage a team of 2-3 staff members;


• Collaborate across regional and national teams to inform the systems and process that will influence the future of DonorsChoose.org.




Qualifications:


• 5-8 years of achievement in the private or nonprofit sectors with demonstrated success delivering ambitious sales, fundraising and/or partnership goals, including exceptional strategic planning and operational skills


• Experience in a complex start-up and/or entrepreneurial environment is preferred


• Team player with a strong passion for the mission and vision of DonorsChoose.org


• Proven track record of initiating, cultivating and managing relationships with key constituencies; significant networks within Atlanta and the Southeast region preferred


• Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to build, cultivate and leverage personal and professional networks and relationships, develop and deliver successful presentations, and collaborate and negotiate effectively;


• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; an advanced degree in business, education, or public policy preferred.




Compensation:


DonorsChoose.org offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits, which include health, dental, and vision coverage; a non-contributing 401K plan; and 5 weeks paid vacation plus national holidays. This position is a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, fun, high-profile and rapidly growing organization that is changing the face of philanthropy and the lives of students from low-income families.




To Apply:
Please email a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity, (both in Word format) to Missy Sherburne at DonorsChoose@cgcareers.org. The subject line should read: Southeast Executive Director. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.




About Commongood Careers: DonorsChoose.org has partnered with Commongood Careers to conduct the search for a Southeast Executive Director. Commongood Careers (www.cgcareers.org) is a nonprofit search service that connects talented individuals to organizations that are dedicated to creating positive social change. Founded and staffed by nonprofit professionals, Commongood Careers offers personalized, engaged services to jobseekers and organizations throughout the hiring process, as well as access to a wealth of knowledge about nonprofit careers.




DonorsChoose.org is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying
and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.