VP, Philanthropic Partnerships

Crisis Text Line is a tech-forward nonprofit providing free, 24/7, confidential, text-based mental health support and crisis intervention. We train and empower a community of volunteers to support people in their moments of need. Since our founding in 2014, we’ve enabled 15 million conversations, trained 110,000+ crisis counselor volunteers, and provided real-time insights that are shaping policy, practice, and systems. We work across four countries (United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada), offer support in English and Spanish, and have plans to expand to more parts of the world so that we can continue to foster an empathetic world where nobody feels alone

The culture at Crisis Text Line is truly special. It’s one of the few places where people who are passionate about technology and making a difference come together. We’re a unique blend of clinical expertise, tech innovation, and mission-driven work — and that shows up in the kind of people we attract.

Our 200+ member team is made up of incredibly smart, talented, and driven individuals who are also kind, compassionate, and deeply committed to the work. Those traits are essential to who we are and how we hire. People here care — not just about what they do, but about how they do it and who they do it with.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

As VP, Philanthropic Partnerships, you will join our advancement team, build upon our strong funding base, and lead efforts to secure the support needed to amplify our impact globally. Specifically, the VP, Philanthropic Partnerships will:

Design, implement, and lead a robust fundraising strategy that drives growth and sustainability.

• In close partnership with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Advancement Officer, and advancement team, lead fundraising efforts to grow an annual budget (currently $40M) through the engagement of foundation, corporate, government, and individual supporters.
• Set clear goals, objectives, and KPIs for annual and multi-year fundraising strategies, ensuring alignment with organization-wide priorities and growth plans.
• Lead efforts to diversify Crisis Text Line’s portfolio to ensure a balanced mix of funding, with a focus on deepening engagement with corporate partners and high-net-worth individual donors.
• Ensure high-quality donor cultivation, solicitation, and retention, inclusive of maintaining a robust pipeline, guiding CEO’s time spent on fundraising, and creating meaningful stewardship opportunities for supporters to engage with Crisis Text Line’s programs and brand.
• Play a lead role in developing and sustaining large-scale corporate partnerships with co-branding, sponsorship, and grant components.
• Oversee the development and execution of donor campaigns and cultivation activities e.g., peer-to-peer fundraising, giving circles, house parties, donor match challenges.
• Build and strengthen development operations, inclusive of clear guidelines and processes for pipeline management, grant applications, moves management, and reporting; ensure high usage of donor CRM, prospecting, reports, and communications tools (e.g. Salesforce, Instrumentl, Apollo, Pardot.)
• In partnership with Marketing, Communications, and Research teams, guide the creation of high-quality pitch decks, proposals, reports, and other donor-facing communications. Leverage Crisis Text Line’s deep cache of data and stories to elevate Crisis Text Line’s unique brand and value proposition in all donor-facing materials.
• In partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer, ensure fundraising strategies and activities are coordinated with all brand partnership, marketing, and communications activities.

Serve as a senior leader, department head, and champion for Crisis’s growth trajectory.

• As a member of the cross-functional senior leadership team, contribute to advancing the organizational strategic direction, priorities, and goals.
• Supervise a 8-member team, mentoring and coaching direct and indirect reports to operate with a high degree of accountability, performance, and collaboration.
• Oversee all administrative duties of the department, e.g. budget creation, revenue forecasts, staffing, expense monitoring, and technology needs.
• Foster a culture of philanthropy by making fundraising a shared responsibility, rooted in mission, relationships, and gratitude.

WHO YOU ARE

You may be who we’re looking for if you are…

• An enthusiastic advocate for Crisis Text Line’s mission and values. You are energized to join a tech-forward nonprofit that promotes mental well-being for people wherever they are. You thrive on a team that values empathy, equity, collaboration, innovation – and above all -- an empathetic world where nobody feels alone.
• A seasoned development leader with demonstrated success in growing a budget and securing large gifts. You bring 10+ years of experience raising 6-8+ figure major gifts, sponsorships, and grant awards from individual and institutional donors. Experience at nonprofits with diverse revenue streams and annual fundraising budgets of $20M or higher is desired.
• A strategic thinker with the ability to implement tactically. You approach fundraising through an analytical and data-driven lens and are hands-on in translating strategy into tangible activities and goals. You integrate fundraising best practices with new thinking and approaches.
• A thoughtful relationship builder who develops rapport easily and fosters trust. You have a warm, energetic, and authentic personality that translates to building lasting relationships with internal and external stakeholders. You have a track record in deepening existing donor relationships and developing new ones.
• A compelling writer, presenter, and communicator. You are skilled in analyzing, breaking down, and communicating ideas in ways that inspire others to action. You leverage data and stories to create narratives that articulate the “why” behind an organization’s mission and impact. Grant writing experience is required.
• An empathetic people manager who leverages individuals’ strengths and fosters collaboration. You have experience in managing and coaching direct and indirect reports for high performance and accountability. You work effectively on diverse teams and rally others around a shared vision. You skillfully “manage up” to senior leaders on donor engagement.
• A well-organized and tech-savvy doer. You bring skill in leading and prioritizing multiple projects and workstreams. You understand the behind-the-scenes aspects of fundraising and create processes/systems that drive efficiency and success. You are proficient in utilizing donor CRMs and tools for prospecting, communications, grants management, collaboration, and project management.
• An entrepreneurial spirit who is excited by growth and change. You thrive in a lean nonprofit setting with the ability to stay focused and nimble in the face of growth and change. You create order from ambiguity, demonstrate learning agility, and willingness to act on feedback. You pivot when needed, pitch in without being asked, and maintain a high degree of flexibility in a dynamic environment.