About the Organization:

In 1967, as part of Congress’s efforts to wage War on Poverty, Senator Robert F. Kennedy announced a series of actions to infuse capital into some of the nation’s most financially under-resourced communities. One such action resulted in what is today the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (Restoration), recognized as the nation’s first community development corporation.

Since 1967, Restoration has catalyzed enormous economic, cultural, and educational improvements in Central Brooklyn. Restoration has served as the premier Central Brooklyn resource specifically addressing the historical racial disparities in access to food, housing, jobs, essential businesses, and meaningful arts and culture resources. These initiatives are managed through four centers: the Center for Personal and Financial Health; the Center for Community Asset Building; Brooklyn Business Center; and the Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Enterprise also known as Restoration Plaza.

Since 2017, Restoration has been focused on disrupting and closing the racial wealth gap by empowering Black families and businesses to build net worth and strengthen the community context. Restoration is headquartered in Restoration Plaza, a 300,000 square foot hub for commerce, arts and culture, education, and community engagement. Restoration Plaza is home to the historic Billie Holiday Theatre, the Skylight Gallery, and scores of local businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies. Restoration has developed over 2,300 units of affordable housing, been a catalyst to more than $650M of investment in Central Brooklyn, provided financial counseling to 13,000 Central Brooklyn residents, placed over 24,000 youth and adults in jobs and attracted scores of businesses to Central Brooklyn amongst a number of other significant accomplishments.

About the Opportunity:

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) will join Restoration at a critical time in the history of our nation and city. The COVID-19 global pandemic has ravaged the health and economic wellbeing of many in low-income communities of color. At the same time, the country is reckoning with the realities of historical racial disparities that came into sharper focus for many after the killing of George Floyd. Restoration’s proven model has the opportunity to seize upon the enormity of the moment while philanthropists, corporations, the media, and governments are paying attention.

Armed with new strategic and program scaling plans, and a diverse range of programming, the CAO will significantly increase contributed revenue largely through unrestricted institutional funding and major gifts. Furthermore, as a key member of the executive leadership team, the CAO will provide strategic and energetic guidance for all fundraising activities at Restoration including building out a high functioning development, communications, and marketing department, and provide strategic direction and focus to Restoration’s CEO and Board to achieve the ambitious fundraising goals. 

What you Will Accomplish:

Fundraising:

• Bring or develop new unrestricted funding opportunities to grow contributed revenue from $10M to $20M by 2024 primarily through major gifts, foundation and corporate support and events;
• Build and manage a high performing fundraising department;
• Develop a strong pipeline of multi-year commitments;
• Determine what new or existing funding opportunities
• Restoration should pursue and bring strategy and intentionality to funding applications; Maximize CEO time towards highest priority fundraising efforts; and
• Collaborate closely with the board of directors to recruit new members and support the development activities of select board members.

Leadership:

• Strategically hire and develop staff to scale up the organization’s fundraising capacity,
• Build an internal culture of philanthropy through relationship and trust building with internal stakeholders and board members;
• Develop and oversee organization wide systems, processes, and accountability structures that support fundraising;
• Intentionally develop collaborative relationships, share information across the organization and engage team members in achieving fundraising goals.

Marketing, Branding and Communications:

• Build and manage a high performing communications and marketing function;
• Design a cohesive marketing and communications strategy that will support organizational advancement
• Align messaging across the organization.
• Serve as an organizational ambassador and storyteller