Ballinger|Leafblad is proud to present the following information on behalf of our client, Volunteers of America

Minnesota and Wisconsin and a retained search for Vice President of Mission Advancement

Presents

Vice President of Mission Advancement

www.voamnwi.org

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Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin

Vice President of Mission Advancement

PRESENTING OUR CLIENT Volunteers of America - Minnesota and Wisconsin

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
Volunteers of America was founded in 1896 by Maud and Ballington Booth as a ministry of service. That
same year, VOA established services in Minnesota, evolving to become one of the largest health and
human services organizations in the state. VOA-Wisconsin was founded in 1929 and merged with VOAMinnesota in 2013.
Today, the national VOA is a vibrant organization providing services in over 400 communities in 46
states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. VOA is helping Americas most vulnerable people
including, children, youth, older adults, people with disabilities, men and women in prison and
returning to the community, homeless individuals and families, veterans, those recovering from
addiction and many others.
In Minnesota and Wisconsin, VOA touches the lives of more than 24,500 people through more than 60
services, in over 110 locations. VOA of Minnesota and Wisconsin has an overall budget of $46 million,
employs a staff of more than 800 and coordinates the work of over 1,600 volunteers.
SERVICES PROVIDED BY VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA MINNESOTA and WISCONSIN
VOA Minnesota and Wisconsin helps people gain self-reliance, dignity and hope:
Self-Reliance:
Rehabilitative and Veterans Services - Re-entry services for
men and women help to restore community ties and
obtain employment during the final months of their prison
sentence. Services also include one of the state's longest
serving and most successful transitional mentoring and
support programs for those leaving incarceration.
Dignity:
Community Services for Seniors Includes caregiver
services, senior nutrition, case management, social
services, senior mental health, estate and elder law services, Hmong elder connections, protective
services and adult day programs, all focused on maintaining and promoting dignity and
independence for older adults.
Service Enriched Housing - Affordable apartment
living for older adults and families including
assisted living in a number of settings.
Services for People with Special Needs - Services
include community residential settings for individuals
with developmental disabilities; meals and supports
for individuals with serious and persistent mental
illness; and lodging for homeless and at-risk families
in Central Minnesota.

Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin

Vice President of Mission Advancement

Hope:
Community Family Supports - Services, which support mental health and quality of life for children,
adolescents and families. These include foster care programs, mental health case management,
youth engagement activities, and strengths-based programs for girls.
Education - Educational services focused on alternatives and
academic success. Programs include VOA High School,
offering smaller class sizes and opportunities for adventure
and service learning. VOA Adult High School serves students
over 18, seeking training in English skills leading to a high
school diploma. VOA also authorizes 18 charter schools
throughout Minnesota.
Mental Health Services - The VONA (hope in Icelandic)
Center for Mental Health, run by VOA, has an array of mental health services including Individual
psychotherapy; Family psychotherapy; Group psychotherapy; Home and school-based services;
Psychological assessment and testing; Psychiatric assessment and medication management.
Residential Treatment - Four residential treatment centers provide mental health, chemical
dependency and education services designed to help children, adolescents and their families lead
successful lives.

ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

Mission
Help people gain self-reliance, dignity and hope
Vision
Uplift All Lives
Values
Collaboration, Compassion, Excellence, Integrity and Respect.
Culture
The organization is building a vibrant one VOA culture where the whole is greater than the sum of
the parts, to leverage its size and diversity of services.

Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin

Vice President of Mission Advancement

PRESENTING THE POSITION OF VICE PRESIDENT OF MISSION ADVANCEMENT

OVERVIEW OF THE POSITION
This position reports to Chief Executive Officer, Paula Hart. Ms. Hart has led the organization since
2011. The Vice President of Mission Advancement is a member of the senior leadership team, along
with the Vice President of Services, Vice President Finance and Controller, Vice President and Chief
People Officer and Vice President of Information Technology. As such, the Vice President of Mission
Advancement plays an active role in making strategic decisions that impact VOA -- Minnesota and
Wisconsin.
This position is responsible for all fundraising and communications activities, in collaboration with the
CEO, Board and Senior Leadership Team. The successful candidate will bring an entrepreneurial style to
build a strong and effective advancement and communications function in the organization. The Vice
President of Mission Advancement also will place a strong emphasis on developing individual and
philanthropic support, with a focus on major gift and individual fundraising.
The Vice President of Mission Advancement will oversee the advancement function and the
communications function. Staff members at this time include a Director of Communications, Manager
of Communications, Grantwriter, Advancement Generalist and Database Administrator (part-time).
This position will have many relationships both inside and outside of the organization. Primary among
these will be the CEO, development and communications staff, members of the senior leadership team
and program directors. Outside the organization this position will interact with the Board of Directors,
volunteers, donors and funding sources.
The Vice President of Mission Advancement will work to create a culture of philanthropy within the
organization. He or she will provide both strategic direction and tactical oversight to all aspects of
fundraising and communications.

THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE VICE PRESIDENT OF MISSION ADVANCEMENT

The Vice President of Mission Advancement will have responsibility for establishing and implementing a
high-functioning advancement and communications function. The Vice President will bring focus and
direction to all fundraising and communications activities in the organization, with an eye toward
creating an advancement function that will support the organization for many years to come.
The Vice President of Mission Advancement will grow the organization's overall fundraising capacity,
through and working to secure major gifts and enhancing the donor base/donor pipeline. In addition,
the Vice President of Mission Advancement will interact with the board of directors and support board
members in their fundraising role.
The Vice President of Mission Advancement serves as the chief fundraising and communications officer
of the organization and is responsible for the following:
Define the organizations philanthropic and communications objectives, strategy and direction.
Create a strategic direction for the function that engages and inspires.

Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin

Vice President of Mission Advancement

Work closely with the CEO and staff members to develop and implement a comprehensive
advancement plan that includes major gifts, corporate, foundation, government grants, events,
annual campaigns, etc.
Assure that the communications and advancement functions work synergistically to serve the
organization and advance its mission.
Implement the VOA of Minnesota and Wisconsins advancement and communications strategy.
Track and monitor progress against goals.
Interact with the CEO and Board committee members to determine accountabilities for board
support of mission advancement; assist these individuals in the identification, cultivation and
solicitation of charitable gifts; evaluate performance and outcomes. Further a culture of
philanthropy on the board of directors.
Provide general oversight of the organizations advancement and communications activities;
manage the day-to-day operations of the function; monitor the results and quality of activities.
Oversee and guide the process of grant proposals. Assure quality in the proposals, track results and
make decisions regarding grant sources.
Be a thought leader. Understand the issues related to advancement and communications in a large
social service organization in order to stay ahead of major funding changes or trends.
Develop and implement a major gift program with the aim of cultivating broader and deeper
relationships; assure appropriate prospect research along with meaningful donor relationship
building, acknowledgement and recognition programs. Partner with CEO on largest major gift
opportunities. Track major gift initiatives and report on results.
Provide inspirational leadership to the development team; recruit and retain talented staff; set
challenging goals and encourage and assist others in the achievement of their goals; exemplify the
commitment to mission that is at the heart of the VOA culture.
Identify, develop, and mentor the development team
Uphold the organizations culture. Positively represent the organization, the Board of Directors and
VOA mission and programs to external stakeholders.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION

Skills and Abilities:
The Vice President of Mission Advancement will possess ten-plus years of professional experience with
demonstrated success in a development and communications function. This will include managing
relationships with major donors and overseeing all aspects fundraisingresearch, cultivation, donor
solicitation, proposal and grant writing, special events, direct mail, annual campaigns, capital
campaigns, gift processing, recordkeeping and fundraising tracking and reporting.
Ideal experience will include experience in fundraising and communications in the non-profit sector.
The Vice President of Mission Advancement will have an understanding of the workings of a successful
advancement function and an ability to create that type of function at VOA.
A Bachelor's degree in business, communications, social sciences or related is required. A Master's
degree is preferred, and a genuine interest in the theory and practice of fundraising along with active
involvement in the field will be highly valued. The ability to create and share a long-term strategic plan
and annual goals and objectives is important.

Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin

Vice President of Mission Advancement

Executive Attributes:

Leadership- a proven ability to develop and lead and inspire a team in a collaborative
setting. High emotional intelligence, self-awareness and authenticity.
Strategic Thinking- the ability to create innovative long-term plans.
Entrepreneurial Orientation-a bias toward action, innovation, creativity. A person of high
energy.
Organizational Acumen- a holistic view and the wisdom to provide input toward leadership
of the entire organization.
Problem Solving/Analysis- the ability to use metrics and dashboarding to track and assess
performance.
Staff Management- a collaborative and performance-based approach to staff management.
The ability to hire, coach, and develop a high-functioning team.
Communications- outstanding written and verbal communications and strong public
speaking and networking abilities. Strong interpersonal and advocacy skills with people in a
variety of roles and in all settings relevant to the organizations mission.
Values-impeccable ethics and the highest integrity.

PRESENTING THE TWIN CITIES OF MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul are a unique blend of small town and major cosmopolitan
hub. Both urban cores boast a thriving business atmosphere. Minneapolis is the larger and more
commercial of the two cities, and Saint Paul, as the state capital, is home to state government and has
a more historical vibe. Outside of the central downtowns, however, both cities have many distinct
neighborhoods, and residents identify more with their individual neighborhood than with the larger
city as a whole.

Both cities share a common root of being river towns, and the outdoors is still a major attraction for
residents and tourists alike to this day. In addition to the mighty Mississippi River, there are over 100
lakes (over 900 including the suburbs), over 250 parks, and miles of biking and walking trails. Nearly
every weekend in the summer there are several outdoor active events for participants and spectators-triathlons, biking races, running races, boat races, water skiing competitions, golf tournaments, and
more.

Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin

Vice President of Mission Advancement

The active lifestyle of Twin Cities residents doesn't lie dormant during the winter. There are miles of
cross-country skiing trails, several downhill ski areas within an hour drive, ice skating, snowmobile
riding, sledding, and--of course--ice fishing.

For those who prefer activity of the spectator variety, the Twin Cities are home to the major sports
teams: Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota
Lynx, Minnesota United FC (soccer), and Minnesota Swarm (lacrosse). There is also a minor league
baseball team, the Saint Paul Saints.
The Twin Cities have hosted the World Series, Super Bowl, NCAA Basketball Finals, the USGA U. S.
Open, the PGA Championship, and the Special Olympics. In 2014, Target Field was the setting for
baseball's 2014 All-Star Game, and, in 2018, the Super Bowl will be played in a newly built state-of-theart stadium.

But the Twin Cities have more to offer than participatory and spectator sporting events. There are
countless arts and culture offerings here. The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra has a
reputation as one of the top orchestras in the world. Since the early 1960s, the Guthrie Theatre has
staged A-plus shows from the classical to the contemporary. Popular national shows and performers
also tour through the Twin Cities year round at stages in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and at the
University. There are over 30 theatre venues, 10 dance companies, and 30 classical music groups in the
cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul alone.
For the museumgoer, there are over 60 museums in the Twin Cities. The Science Museum of Minnesota
and the Minnesota Children's Museum (both in Saint Paul) are highly interactive learning and fun
experiences for the entire family. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has a collection of over 100,000
pieces. The Walker Art Center has been called "possibly the best contemporary art museum in the U.
S." by Newsweek, and has over 11,000 pieces. The University of Minnesota's Weisman Art Museum is
also a contemporary art destination.

Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin

Vice President of Mission Advancement

Beyond the outdoor, sports, entertainment, and culture, perhaps the biggest attraction for the Twin
Cities is the lifestyle. Forbes hailed Minneapolis and Saint Paul as the nation's healthiest cities. USA
Today named Saint Paul as North America's "Most Romantic City."
The Twin Cities offer award-winning restaurants (several chefs have been regional James Beard Award
winners). In addition to the popular Mall of America, there are plenty of unique shopping districts in
both cities and in the suburbs.

THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE

The compensation package for this position is competitive and includes participation in the
organizations benefits plan.

BALLINGER|LEAFBLAD INVITES YOU TO CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Marcia Ballinger, PhD

Co-Founder/Principal
651-341-4840
marcia@ballingerleafblad.com

Lars Leafblad, MBA

Co-Founder/Principal
612-598-7547
lars@ballingerleafblad.com

www.ballingerleafblad.com

Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive
consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,
age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with a disability.