Director of Advancement

Who We Are

Solid Ground (SG) is an award-winning nonprofit organization whose proven, holistic approach helps families build the strong foundations they need to emerge from homelessness into a brighter future. Through safe, affordable housing and innovative supportive programming, Solid Ground helps families transition to a higher-level of self-sufficiency and break the cycle of homelessness and poverty for the next generation.

Why You'll Love Working Here

At the heart of Solid Ground is the belief that housing stability is fundamental to the healthy development of children and to a family's ability to be contributing members of the community. Solid Ground currently runs eight programs in suburban Ramsey and Washington Counties and housing over 660 individuals annually. Our mission is to prevent and end homelessness for families with children in the communities we serve through housing, resources, and opportunity.

Wages and Benefits

$95,000 - $100,000 annual salary range; Paid vacation time, sick time, plus ten paid holidays and two floating holidays; competitive health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings account (HSA), and options for flexible spending accounts (FSA). There is employer paid basic life insurance with the option for additional coverage paid by the employee. The employer pays for Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) and short and long-term disability insurance. SG sponsors a retirement plan with automatic enrollment at 3% and a 3% employer match after one year of service, plus immediate vesting.

A typical day in the life...

A typical day as Solid Ground's Director of Advancement provides an opportunity to be responsible for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of Solid Ground's resource development and marketing/communications efforts. Other responsibilities will include the following:

• Planning, directing, and implementing comprehensive development strategies to generate corporate, foundation, and individual support.
• Leading all giving programs, including major giving, annual fund, planned giving, and endowment development.
• Implementing the Benevon fundraising model through monthly "Home At Last" tours and the annual "Every Family Needs a Home" breakfast.
• Conducting prospective research and developing individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies.
• Writing and overseeing grant proposals and ensuring timely submission of reports.
• Analyzing fundraising data using the Bloomerang database and adjusting strategies accordingly.
• Developing and coordinating direct mail and electronic solicitations of individuals, businesses, and civic organizations.
• Cultivating and maintaining relationships with donors, businesses, foundations, service providers, and community stakeholders.
• Organizing stewardship events such as the Donor Appreciation Event and Giving Circle activities.
• Supporting the Board in their fundraising efforts by providing tools, coaching, and materials.
• Overseeing creation and distribution of newsletters, brochures, annual reports, and other content.
• Managing Solid Ground's website and social media accounts, ensuring consistent branding and messaging.
• Providing strategic leadership and oversight for all fundraising and donor engagement events, including the annual Bring It Home Gala, Every Family Needs a Home Ask Breakfast, annual donor appreciation event, and monthly Home At Last tours.
• Overseeing all event logistics, including program development, sponsorship acquisition, ticketing, live and silent auctions, and donor stewardship activities.
• Leading the use of event technology (e.g., BidPal) and implementing data-driven post-event evaluations to inform future planning.
• Supervising and supporting advancement staff and volunteer committees involved in event execution.
• Setting and tracking fundraising goals and performance metrics.
• Maintaining accurate donor records and overseeing data integrity.
• Collaborating with program and finance teams to align fundraising efforts with agency goals.

Who You Are

• You hold a bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, communications, public administration, marketing, or a related field; a master's degree or Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation is preferred.
• You have at least five years of progressively responsible experience leading comprehensive development programs, including major gifts, grants, annual campaigns, and fundraising events.
• You have the ability to supervise and develop staff, manage cross-functional teams, and support board or volunteer fundraising engagement.
• You have demonstrated success in planning and executing large-scale donor events and campaigns, including securing sponsorships and managing donor communications.
• You have the ability to apply integrated marketing strategies across communication platforms, including social media, websites, and print collateral.
• You are familiar with the Benevon fundraising model.
• Experience in housing, homelessness, or human services is a plus.
• You think strategically and plan effectively, with the ability to align fundraising and communication efforts with organizational goals and impact.
• You bring strong leadership and team-building skills with the ability to manage a high-performing advancement team.
• You have the ability to build strong relationships and engage stakeholders effectively, including donors, board members, community partners, and volunteers.
• You have the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meet deadlines, and adapt in a fast-paced environment.
• You have the ability to use data and performance metrics to inform decisions and improve fundraising outcomes.
• You communicate exceptionally well in both written and verbal forms, including grant writing, donor messaging, and public speaking.
• You have the ability to develop and oversee brand-aligned marketing content across digital and print platforms.
• You are proficient with donor databases such as Bloomerang, Raiser's Edge, or comparable systems, and you are familiar with fundraising analytics and reporting tools.
• You demonstrate a high degree of cultural competence and are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of donor engagement and communication.
• You demonstrate proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, donor CRMs, email marketing tools, and fundraising/event platforms (e.g., OneCause).
• You have a valid driver's license, access to reliable transportation, and the ability to meet Solid Ground's driving record requirements. Please note that if the license was not issued in the state of Minnesota, you have 60 days after becoming a Minnesota resident in which to apply for your Minnesota driver's license or permit (not applicable for new hires living out of state).

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of Solid Ground. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We value the contributions of a diverse workforce, and we welcome and encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, disability, marital status, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, genetic information or a protected veteran's status.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

Solid Ground participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. See E-Verify's official poster at https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf. See E-Verify's Right to Work poster at https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RightToWorkPoster%20Eng_Es.pdf.