www.ThompsonIsland.org
VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT
ORGANIZATION
“The work of Thompson Island shows how important learning in the real world can be for
young people.”
The Boston Globe, Editorial, November 12, 2012
Serving more than 5,000 young people annually, Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center
(TIOBEC) is an independent Massachusetts nonprofit based in Boston and a chartered member of the
Outward Bound USA network. The organization owns and operates one of the largest, most accessible,
and ecologically diverse islands in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. The island has
been home to groundbreaking learning-by-doing educational opportunities for Boston youth since 1833.
With 204 acres of undeveloped property located just one mile from downtown Boston, the island features
mature forests, meadows, freshwater and marine wetlands, salt marshes, and a variety of important
geological features. TIOBEC has a formal school campus complete with dormitories, dining hall,
classrooms, lab space, library, auditoriums, gymnasium, four challenge courses, and two 60-foot climbing
towers – a unique educational resource ideally suited to be “Boston’s Island Classroom.”
Nationally, the mission of TIOBEC is to change lives through challenge and discovery. Locally, TIOBEC
provides expanded learning programs that close the opportunity and achievement gaps for Boston’s low
income youth through hands-on learning which fosters academic success, perseverance, self-discipline,
leadership, and compassion and, in doing so, Thompson Island advances the field of education reform
nationally.
TIOBEC’s flagship program, Connections, is a four-year field science and Outward Bound sequence for
students in grades 5 through 8 in Boston’s district and charter schools. TIOBEC partners closely with
schools and is currently piloting an expanded professional development initiative to educate principals
and teachers. Five years of rigorous independent evaluations have provided compelling evidence of the
success of Connections, including what one researcher called “remarkable” gains in student skills in both
academic and social-emotional domains. TIOBEC’s participation in national research studies puts the
organization at the forefront of the national conversation on how to use expanded learning to close the
achievement gap and compete in a global economy. Demand for TIOBEC’s programs currently exceeds
supply and the organization is moving forward with plans to expand its capacity in order to enhance its
impact on young people.
TIOBEC’s youth-serving mission is built on a sustainable business model with diverse revenue streams
that leverage its unique island setting as a competitive advantage in social and corporate events,
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conferences, and professional training. The organization’s $6.3 million in annual operating revenue is
comprised of philanthropic support for youth programs, earned revenue from fee-for-service youth
programs and adult education, and revenue from events and conferences. The organization functions with
a year-round staff of 33 employees, a seasonal staff of more than 100 people, and more than 1,500
corporate volunteers.
TIOBEC is governed by a 25-member board of trustees and a 46-member board of advisors. With an
endowment of more than $6 million, positive cash flow from operations in every year since 2009, and a
recent successful $8.35 million capital campaign, TIOBEC is poised to grow its capacity in order to
expand its impact on young people and the community-at-large. This will require a continued increase in
both philanthropic support and earned revenue.
POSITION
The vice president of development (VPD) will have an exciting and rewarding opportunity to chart
TIOBEC’s next phase of philanthropic growth, while beginning to plan in anticipation of a future capital
campaign. Reporting to and partnering with the executive vice president (EVP), the VPD also works
closely with the President/CEO and board of trustees, particularly those on the development and
nominating committees, to engage in the cultivation and solicitation of major donors, growing and
leveraging the potential for significant gifts, and developing strategies and systems to recruit highly
effective board members. As an integral member of the seven-person senior management team (which
includes the President/CEO, EVP, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, vice president for
organizational development, and vice president of education), the VPD plays an active role as a thoughtpartner in planning for the organization’s overall advancement.
The VPD is charged with conceptualizing and implementing a plan for building TIOBEC’s philanthropic
support and donor base. The VPD also participates in the ongoing development of a communication plan
that seamlessly integrates institutional messaging and disseminates TIOBEC’s success stories to an everlarger community of potential supporters.
The VPD will manage a team of seven full- and part-time staff whose responsibilities include major gifts,
annual fund, foundation grant writing, corporate sponsorship, special events, database administration, and
volunteer coordination.
RESPONSIBILITIES
As TIOBEC is in the midst of expansion, the primary goal of the VPD is to significantly increase
philanthropic giving in the next two to three years. The new VPD will work closely with the EVP to
increase TIOBEC’s fundraising and institutional visibility. Specific areas of responsibility include:
Department Planning and Operational Effectiveness
Create, implement, and manage a strategic development plan designed to significantly increase
contributed revenue and broaden TIOBEC’s base of support.
 Provide guidance, education, and support to the President/CEO and EVP for the portion of their time
directed toward fundraising.
 Guide TIOBEC’s development team to successful achievement of revenue goals for individual,
corporate, foundation, government, and special events, with an emphasis on new major gifts.
 Ensure that the department team is focused on both short and long-term goals, coordinating and
presenting regular progress reports to the EVP, President/CEO, and board as needed.
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Guide and manage the department’s staff, including interviewing, hiring, evaluating, and mentoring
team members.
Oversee the departmental expense budget and provide regular philanthropic income reports and
forecasts.
Assess and refine current development practices and technology to ensure maximum efficiency and
results.
Fundraising and Cultivation
Serve as a key participant in TIOBEC’s fundraising efforts, bringing an intense focus to the stewardship
of current major donors ($1,000 and up) and to the cultivation of new major donor prospects, while also
putting into place strategies for increasing the number of annual fund donors (under $1,000).
 Conceptualize, create, implement, and manage an annual strategic development plan for individuals,
corporations, foundations, and events to achieve revenue goals for operations and special project
support.
 Personally develop and manage a portfolio of major individual and institutional donors by identifying,
cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding relationships with high-level supporters.
 Expand outreach to Boston’s corporate community with an initial focus on those operating in the
Seaport District, particularly with synergistic emerging technologies and life sciences industries.
 Create processes and initiatives to expand TIOBEC’s prospect pipeline and donor base by cultivating
new and leveraging existing stakeholder networks.
 Partner with the EVP and the director of marketing and communications to convey the transformative
impact of TIOBEC’s programs to the broadest audience in order to generate revenue and build
commitment to the organization. Ensure integrated institutional messaging in all development
materials and donor communications.
Board Orientation, Education, and Engagement
Provide direction to best utilize the fundraising abilities and resources of the board; stimulate involvement;
and orient, educate, and engage board members, along with the EVP and the President/CEO.
 Organize, motivate, and support the efforts of the standing development committee as its principal
staff liaison, working closely with the committee’s Chair.
 Partner with trustees and staff to identify, cultivate, and recruit new board members from the greater
Boston area, particularly its corporate sector, and serve as a key staff member of the nominating
committee.
 Orient, educate, and engage board members to maximize their effectiveness as donors, fundraisers,
and community ambassadors.
 Celebrate the successes of individual board members and the board as a whole in recognizing their
contribution of time and resources to an incredibly impactful organization.
TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS
The successful VPD will be a proactive and collaborative leader, skilled fundraiser, and an experienced
manager with the vision to “think big,” pursuing TIOBEC’s ambitious goals with boldness and
determination. This individual must possess strong interpersonal and communication skills and be able to
articulate compelling messages for support, both verbally and in writing. The successful candidate will be
an entrepreneurial people person who places a high value on building relationships. The VPD will be selfaware and self-managed with a highly organized approach and the ability to work nimbly in a fast-paced
environment, embracing both challenge and change. This key member of the senior management team
should enjoy working collaboratively with staff, volunteers, donors, and prospective supporters. The VPD
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should possess an understanding of how to effectively build consensus with a sense of immediacy in
achieving significant fundraising goals as well as an appreciation of the teamwork required to succeed
organizationally. This individual will bring an affinity for TIOBEC’s mission and a passion to positively
impact the organization’s long-term success, complemented by highly-developed skills and an efficient,
best practices approach.
Other key competencies include the following:
 Donor Focus – Emphasize stakeholder engagement and donor satisfaction throughout the
organization.
 Personal Accountability – Accountability for actions and outcomes of all development and
development-communication efforts.
 Leadership – Achieve extraordinary results through people, process, and public visibility.
 Planning and Organizing – Utilize logical, systematic, and orderly procedures to meet organizational
objectives.
QUALIFICATIONS
A bachelor’s degree is required, master’s degree strongly preferred, as well as a minimum of ten years of
increasing fundraising responsibility and proven success in building or expanding one or more large-scale
annual fund, major gift, and/or capital giving programs. Experience personally cultivating and soliciting
major donors as well as leading a department/team are required. Exceptional written, oral, and
interpersonal skills are expected. Candidates must also have the ability to effectively interface with
TIOBEC’s senior management, board, and staff. Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office
(Word, Excel, PowerPoint), donor database software (Raiser’s Edge), traditional, electronic, and social
media, and use of advanced tools for donor prospecting and research are necessary.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Excellent compensation and benefits include health, vision, and dental insurance, matching 401(k) plan,
vacation, and a quality work life in Boston’s vibrant Seaport District with frequent access to the natural
wonders and positive impacts of Thompson Island. (This position operates primarily in the headquarters
on Drydock Avenue, coupled with meetings on the island.)
APPLICATIONS AND INQUIRIES
Please submit cover letter and resume (electronic submissions preferred) with demonstrable
accomplishments to:
Ms. Pamela A. Pantos, Vice President
Arts Consulting Group, Inc.
292 Newbury Street, Suite 315
Boston, MA 02115-2836
Tel: (888) 234. 4236 Ext. 204
Fax: (888) 284.6651
Email: ThompsonIsland@ArtsConsulting.com
Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and
welcomes a diverse pool of qualified applicants. Applicants will receive fair and impartial
consideration without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, color, religion, national origin, age,
disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status.
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