Join Our Staff

Summer Search San Francisco currently has a position available for:

Bay Area Director of Development
Development Assistant

bay area director of development

The Organization

Headquartered in San Francisco, Summer Search is a dynamic, national non-profit organization that identifies resilient low-income high school students and inspires them to become responsible and altruistic leaders. Through year-round mentoring, life-changing summer experiences, college advising, and a lasting alumni support network, students are supported to matriculate to and graduate from college while also learning the importance of giving back.  Founded in 1990, Summer Search currently operates offices in Boston, New York City, the North San Francisco Bay, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Silicon Valley, and transforms the lives of more than 1,600 students and 1,700 alumni across the country every year.  

Far too many low-income youth fail to realize their potential due to a lack of opportunities, role models, and support, combined with pervasive negative expectations.  The result is an enormously damaging leadership drain in America -- one that is concentrated in those communities where the need for leadership is most pressing.  Summer Search students are part of this at-risk group. In 2010, 95% of incoming Summer Search students were eligible for free or reduced lunch under federal guidelines and 91% were first generation college students.  Despite these challenges, students' results are impressive. In 2010:

• 99% of seniors graduated from high school, compared to 60% of their low-income peers.

• 95% went on to post-secondary school, including 92% to college.

• Seniors earned over $24,000 per student in college scholarships.

• Of the more than 1,000 Summer Search students in college, 85% were persisting and on track to graduate, compared to 11% of their peers.

Although college readiness and completion are important outcomes of the program, Summer Search aims first and foremost to cultivate the leadership aptitude of disadvantaged students in order to help them realize their full potential.  The organization selects high school students who demonstrate potential for reflection, altruism and performance (Summer Search’s proprietary model, referred to as “RAP”) and provides holistic support through a four-pronged approach that begins in the sophomore year of high school and extends through the first years of college:

• Weekly mentoring (sophomore year through high school graduation). The central component of the Summer Search experience, weekly conversations with a professional mentor are crucial to students’ growth and development and teach them to gain insight into their own behavior and become accountable for their actions. In addition to weekly check-ins, students are asked to participate in two annual Summer Search events, speak publicly about their experience to adult audiences, write personal essays about their growth, and help new students gain awareness about the program.

• Experiential education (summers following sophomore and junior years).  All students receive full scholarships to participate in two summer trips designed to broaden their worlds, open up the realm of possibility, and help them discover their inner strength and talents. Trips range from wilderness experiences, to study-abroad, to community service in developing countries.  Summer Search partners with a wide range of experiential education institutions such as national and global community service organizations, outdoor education programs, independent schools, and universities.  A complete list of summer program partners is available at http://www.summersearch.org/about/partners.aspx.

• College advising (throughout high school).  Beyond the guidance provided by mentors, each student has access to college counseling services and workshops designed to help them with their college applications and to reduce the stress and mystery of the application process.  In addition, Summer Search provides financial aid counseling for all students.

• Post-secondary and Alumni services (freshman and sophomore years in college and beyond).  Summer Search provides structured mentoring and support in students’ freshman and sophomore years of post-secondary school. Consistent with the organization’s belief of Once a Summer Search student, always a Summer Search student!, an array of alumni services helps graduates be successful in the world beyond high school and college. Examples include networking events with other alumni and donors and professional development services such as career workshops, internships, and professional mentors.

While the statistics on college achievement speak to Summer Search’s effectiveness, it is the stories of personal growth and discovery that staff and board members consider to be the real markers of success.  To read reflections from former Summer Search students, visithttp://www.summersearch.org/about/stories/, or to watch Summer Search alumni speak about their experiences, click one of the following links:  http://vimeo.com/23650697 or http://vimeo.com/23647611.

The Opportunity

Summer Search is a mission-driven, results-oriented, and scalable program with a healthy balance sheet that is poised to become a major force in the youth development field.  The organization has a $14.4 million total budget, which is raised through individual, corporate, foundation, and in-kind support, and the National Support Center raises over $ 3 million of this budget to support infrastructure and to fund local sites.  Individual site budgets range from $800,000 to $2.5 million.  The National Support Center, which supports the activities of the seven sites through strategic planning, program development, training, back office services, and funding, is governed by a national board of trustees consisting of 20 members from around the country, and each Summer Search site is advised by non-fiduciary local boards.  In March 2011, Chief Executive Officer Amy Saxton joined the organization, and her arrival has served to further increase the excitement surrounding Summer Search’s future. 

As part of a five-year plan to expand its reach, Summer Search is in the final stages of completing a national growth campaign to raise $20 million. As a result, the organization is at the juncture of realizing success on its most recent financial goals and beginning to set the stage for a new phase of growth.  Although the campaign provides the seed money necessary for initial expansion, the National Support Center and the seven sites will be charged with significantly increasing their annual funds in order to sustain the anticipated growth over time.  In order to help meet this challenge, Summer Search is seeking a Bay Area Director of Development who will play a lead role in raising the funds required to support the program’s future expansion throughout the nine Bay Area counties.

Responsibilities

The Bay Area Director of Development oversees all fundraising efforts to support current programming and future growth in Summer Search’s three Bay Area sites: North San Francisco Bay, San Francisco and Silicon Valley.  The Director of Development position will cultivate and solicit individual, foundation and corporate donors directly, while also supporting Bay Area stakeholders to do the same.  Primary Bay Area stakeholders include 3 Executive Directors, 42 Board Members and 4 Development staff, all of whom are deeply invested in local fundraising success and growth.  The Bay Area Director of Development’s success will hinge on his/her ability to coordinate these stakeholders in the implementation of a long-term strategic plan that aims to double annual funds raised in the next 5 years. This position will be based in Summer Search’s national headquarters in San Francisco, but will require frequent travel to the North Bay and Silicon Valley.  Essential duties include the following:  

1. Raise $4 million plus in Bay Area annual funds

• Develop annual revenue plan that seeks to increase funding, efficiency and effectiveness

• Build on strong ongoing relationships with major individual, foundation and corporate partners through in-person meetings and thoughtful solicitations

• Identify, cultivate and solicit new individual and institutional funding prospects

• Support the Events Specialist to successfully implement Summer Search signature events, which raise nearly one-third of annual revenue

2. Implement Long Term Development Plan, which seeks to double annual fund revenue by 2015

• Improve individual donor stewardship in order to retain donors and increase giving over time

• Support Bay Area sites to recruit additional Board Members, who can support fundraising growth through new networks

• Expand our corporate partnership program to attract 6-figure gifts

• Develop compelling pitches to increase size of foundation grants

3. Leverage strong partnerships with Summer Search stakeholders

• Establish a positive, collaborative working relationship with the Bay Area Executive Directors, National Chief Development Officer, Board Members, and volunteers to support fundraising

• Guide the Boards, manage the Board Development Committee and participate in related committees and task forces focused on cultivation and solicitation efforts

4. Lead Bay Area Development Team

• Train and support current Bay Area Development staff: Development Manager, Grants Specialist, Events Specialist, and Development Associate

• Hire and support additional key roles as needed to support annual fund growth over time

Candidate Qualities

• Five years or more of fundraising experience, including managerial responsibilities

• Demonstrated success in management of high-level board members, major donor cultivation and solicitation of major gifts

• Successful track record of personally identifying, cultivating and closing gifts of $100K+ from individuals, foundations and corporations

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to develop and execute fund development strategy

• Significant time spent at a mission-driven organization with strong culture and passionate people

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• B.A. required; an advanced degree in a related area a plus

Consistent with the its values, Summer Search intends to seek proactively a diverse pool of candidates for the Bay Area Director of Development position.  It is assumed that prospective candidates will represent a wide variety of backgrounds, and the organization will not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, or physical ability.

Compensation and Benefits    

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience

• Anthem Blue Cross Medical and Delta Dental and Vision

• HSA and FSA

• 401(K) with Employer Match

• Paid holidays and vacation

• Commuter benefits program

Travel: Moderate, occasionally heavy.

Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree(s) a plus.

Website: www.summersearch.org

To Apply: Submit resume and cover letter to April Ruiz, Summer Search Human Resources Coordinator, at bayareahire@summersearch.org

development assistant

JOB SUMMARY
The Development Assistant will play a key role in supporting the Bay Area Development team, which will consist of a Director of Development, Development Manager, Development Associate, Grants Specialist, and Events Specialist. This generalist position reports to the Director of Development and assists in fundraising efforts supporting three Bay Area program sites.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Commitment to the Summer Search mission
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Fluency in MS Office required
• Demonstrated excellence in interpersonal, oral, and written communication
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to multi-task
• A keen eye for detail and excellent organizational and project management skills
• Self-starter who is comfortable in a close-knit team-oriented setting
• Flexibility and eagerness to learn and work on different tasks as needed
• Knowledge of Raiser’s Edge is a plus

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Manage daily gift processing
• Generate, proofread, and mail donor acknowledgment letters
• Maintain Raiser’s Edge database including constituent entry, audit/clean up, and updates
• Assist in researching and writing grant proposals and reports
• Assist logistics planning and organization of fundraising and program events, including but not limited to RSVP tracking, material production, and vendor communication
• Produce and maintain Summer Search development and marketing materials, including but not limited to development packets, student profiles, e-blasts, and organizational profiles
• Assist in preparing board meeting materials and take minutes
• Assist in the execution of direct mail and e-mail appeals
• Support volunteer programming
• Other duties as assigned

JOB SPECIFICATIONS
Start date: ASAP
Location: Based in San Francisco, some local travel required
Hours: 10AM-6PM, Monday-Friday, occasional evenings and weekends required

OUR BENEFITS
Summer Search is committed to creating an environment that is supportive of learning, growth and staff development. Our investment in staff includes:

• Individual, local, regional and national training
• Developing leaders from within the organization
• Weekly individual meetings with your supervisor focused on professional and personal growth
• Culture that supports staff well-being and holistic self-care
• Local and national events to build strong relationships and connection to the national organization as a whole
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, vision, FSA, life and disability insurance
• 401 (K) and Employer Match
• Generous paid vacation days, sick days, and holidays

TO APPLY
Please send your resume and a cover letter that speaks to why you are applying to Summer Search. Include in the letter your track record of performance, your desire to learn and your ability to overcome challenges. Send your application to April Ruiz, Human Resources Coordinator, at bayareahire@summersearch.org and indicate Development Assistant on the subject line. Please note that we are unable to acknowledge every application we receive. Please, no telephone inquiries.