Vice President of Development

THE ORGANIZATION

Founded at the University of Michigan Medical School, TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) is among the most innovative and rapidly-growing school-based mental health solutions in the country. After a decade in the academic setting, TRAILS spun out from the University in 2022 and became fiscally sponsored by Tides Center with approximately 35 staff. Within a year, our staff size had more than doubled. Today, our growing team is working toward the TRAILS mission of transforming the landscape of youth mental health care delivery by equipping school staff with the training and resources they need to provide evidence-based and culturally responsible programming to their students. 

To date, TRAILS has brought essential skills and resources to more than 14,000 teachers, administrators, and school mental health professionals. Our best-in-class program materials are built specifically for the school setting, and our unique training model is driven by research from the field of implementation science. Our website and library of materials are utilized by educators and clinicians across the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world. While our impact today is greatest in our home state of Michigan, TRAILS is expanding nationally with strong support from education and health sector leaders, public offices, and state policymakers. 

As we work to respond to massive demand for TRAILS programming from schools and districts throughout the United States, our team is guided by a core commitment to equity: The TRAILS growth strategy identifies Title I designated schools as our broadest target population, and we aim specifically to impact students who experience high risk for poor mental health outcomes and disproportionate barriers to quality care. As we grow our team, we seek candidates who share our commitment to equity in health and healthcare access, who practice cultural humility, and who thrive in and contribute to an inclusive working environment.

THE ROLE

The Vice President of Development will be a new role at TRAILS, initially reporting to the CEO but anticipated to report ultimately to the organization’s inaugural Chief of External Affairs (to be recruited later this year). 

TRAILS is seeking a deeply experienced, seasoned development expert, who thrives in an entrepreneurial setting, ready to engage in both high-level strategic visioning and planning as well as more tactical, day-to-day development functions. At present, TRAILS is operating in some ways like a fast-paced start-up, with some systems and procedures still in nascent stages of design and build; and this includes our philanthropy and fundraising systems. The ability to set high-level development goals, build tools and processes from scratch, proactively identify and mitigate risks, and lead all aspects of the development function with a high degree of independence will be critical. At the outset, the VP of Development will have one direct report (as well as several collaborating colleagues who sit on other teams), but there is an opportunity for a capable and visionary leader to design and establish a high-functioning team of direct reports. 

TRAILS’ economic model is complex, braiding together public, private, and contract revenue, and to date the organization has received tremendous signals of support from state and local governments (as well as philanthropy) with transformative investments to support program delivery and expansion. As TRAILS begins its next chapter of catalytic national growth, with aggressive goals of reaching 6500 schools and nearly 3 million students over the next years – and securing a total revenue of over $300 million – it will for the first time, need a robust and strategic plan to raise the necessary philanthropic funds. Success in the role will require someone who is energized by and has a track record of designing and building development strategies and supporting systems from the ground up, in service of ambitious outcomes and with an eye for bringing key internal and external stakeholders along in investment and execution. The day to day work of the VP of Development will include close collaboration with TRAILS finance team, grants management personnel, policy advisors, staff writers, organizational leaders, the Office of the CEO, and other key partners to identify the right philanthropic targets and continuously strengthen a pipeline of state- and national investors and secure key investments. To get there, TRAILS aims to bring on a leader who will provide the vision, guidance, strategic planning, systems development, hands-on work, and team management necessary to grow our network of major champions and supporters.

 

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

Philanthropic Revenue Vision and Goal Setting (20%)

• Together with CEO and Finance Team members develop multi-year revenue forecasts and scenarios to develop annual philanthropic revenue targets Establish vision and quarterly revenue benchmarks to lead the team to execute against essential strategies to raise necessary philanthropic revenue. 
• Identify the annual enabling conditions and revenue generating strategies necessary to reach annual and quarterly benchmarks 
• Lead and collaborate with and across teams in support of development and revenue targets, recognizing that TRAILS is in a moment of rapid growth and some roles are filled while others will entail future hiring
• Design and execute the annual planning timeline, key deliverables, participants and their roles and facilitate a process to pressure test projections and strategies with the CEO and Finance 

Philanthropic Revenue Progress to Goal and Ongoing Planning (20%)

• Establish and keep live an annual path to philanthropic revenue (PR) tool to ensure a consistent read on commitments, gaps to goal to inform necessary strategy adjustments throughout the year 
• Ensure PR tool is consistently updated with all new prospects as strategies to generate a pipeline of new potential dollars progress
• Informed by this consistent read on progress to goal, ensure all relevant team members have quarterly stepbacks and opportunities for updated planning 
• Develop and manage the necessary supporting execution tools for team members to manage planning for areas of ownership

Pipeline Development and Portfolio Management (20%)

• Conduct (and refresh existing) landscape analysis research and connection mapping to establish a baseline of potential funders and relationships
• Develop an ongoing process for prospect generation, connection and cultivation management 
• Develop pipeline benchmarks to ensure TRAILS makes enough connections to the institutions necessary to close annual funding gaps
• Develop critical stewardship touchpoints for all active donors to deepen relationships and ensure donors feel engaged and a part of the journey of TRAILS  
• Establish a portfolio management system to guide the roles and responsibilities of development team members and CEO as solicitor/external face of TRAILS 
• Ensure all portfolio managers have the tools and management to continuously move cultivation actions forward while assessing progress along the way. 

Compelling Donor Materials and Funding Opportunities (10%) 

• In partnership with External Affairs Team members and other staff as appropriate, develop a clear vision for the must-have external facing materials to support donor cultivation across all streams 
• Identify overlap between materials used external for program partnerships and make recommendations for philanthropy specific updates 
• Ensure a clean and consistently updated database of latest narrative, compelling data stats, etc. 

Grant Submission and Reporting Management (10%) 

• Develop a normed approach to grant submission process and  reporting systems  to build timelines wherever possible, looping in key players throughout so TRAILS can develop the most compelling pitch/narrative/data on performance against stated funder-specific and organizational milestones. 
• Together with the grants specialist and future staff, maintain a calendar for internal needs and connect all donor-facing communications related to the reporting to the donor action planning tool.

Internal Systems and Team Management (10%) 

• Informed by on-the-job experience and systems analysis, propose a forward-facing team structure to support successful development initiatives and goal achievement
• Develop job descriptions, candidate profiles, and other supporting materials; and manage the search for new development team members 
• Set clear expectations, informed by overall vision and quarterly benchmarks for all development team members and roll up performance to CEO on a consistent basis 
• Understand and build the must-have systems to support CEO’s role as TRAILS visionary, primary solicitor and key input to donor relationships, materials, etc. 
• Establish strong relationships across all TRAILS functional teams to invest team members in the role they each can play in development (e.g. anecdotes of impact, grant support, etc.) 

ORGANIZATION-WIDE LEADERSHIP (10%) 

• As a member of TRAILS’ Leadership Team, steward a culture of cross functional support and collaboration, operate as an unwavering team player for the benefit of the collective staff, and partner with other executive team members to set the vision, direction, and tone for the organization 
• Set and foster a workplace culture and climate in which all staff feel safe, valued, respected, and empowered to grow professionally and are motivated to contribute meaningfully to the success of TRAILS and achievement of our organizational goals 
• Represent TRAILS at the state and national level, garnering support for our vision and mission, and cultivating our reputation as the best-in-class school mental health organization globally
• Collaborate with TRAILS senior leadership in refining and executing the organizational strategic plan, ensuring the achievement of equity-driven social impact outcomes consistent with the mission of TRAILS 
• Contribute to the planning and delivery of Leadership Team and all staff meetings, retreats, workgroups, and other TRAILS meetings as appropriate 
• Support the TRAILS team with all-hands-on-deck events as needed and other team initiatives

 

THE PERSON 

Our experience suggests that the following types of professional experiences lend themselves to this work:

• 10+ years of experience building and executing development and fundraising strategic plans; experiencing working in partnership with finance teams would be beneficial
• 10+ years of demonstrated experience of building pipelines and managing donor relationships, philanthropic stewardship, and cultivation 
• 2-4 years of demonstrated leadership in executive-level development oversight and management
• Strong analytical skills and experience with data analysis and the use of metrics to drive decisions and achieve strategic objectives
• Proficient in leading, attracting, hiring, retaining and developing high-performing teams and individuals
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to inspire trust, organize people into teams, and motivate team members to work well together
• Dynamic public speaker possessing the ability to communicate with and gain the confidence of people from a variety of sectors and settings
• A change manager who has led through growth, with the vision and leadership skills needed to  guide other leaders; strong organizational and process management skills
• Willingness to work flexible hours to accommodate business hours in all US time zones as necessary​​Willingness to travel ~4-6 times per year
• Commitment to TRAILS’ service, mission, and equity journey

 

EDUCATION

Our experience suggests the following certifications and degree(s) lend themselves well to this work:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Communications, Marketing, Nonprofit Management, or similar field;
• Applicable experience and competencies may be considered in lieu of formal education

 

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this role is $206,167 - $217,620. 

TRAILS offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision as well as a 403B with a safe harbor match and short and long term disability. We offer a generous holiday and paid time off package.

 

APPLICATION NOTES

• Please submit your resume and responses to short answers below.
• We are only considering applicants who are legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Our job descriptions reflect TRAILS’ assignment of essential functions and qualifications of the role. Nothing herein restricts management's right to assign, reassign or eliminate duties and responsibilities to this role at any time. 
• Please note that all TRAILS employees may be required to undergo a background check as performed by our fiscal sponsor, Tides Center. Findings do not automatically exclude candidates from the hiring process, but will be taken into consideration.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 

Addressing inequities in access to evidence-based mental health care is intrinsic to the TRAILS mission. The intentionality behind this approach is woven into everything we do at TRAILS, resulting in a staff-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for all facets of our program. If this commitment is something to which you could positively contribute, we encourage you to apply, particularly if your voice represents a historically excluded perspective. 

TRAILS, a project of Tides Center, is an “at-will” and equal opportunity employer. Applicants and employees shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender (including pregnancy and gender expression) identity, color, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance.