About Vivery Community
After successful careers in healthcare and technology, Mark and Nasrin Thierer founded the Thierer Family Foundation in 2015 to help nonprofits in Chicagoland leverage technology to be more effective, efficient, and sustainable. Guided by the belief that strategic technology investments can transform how organizations serve their communities, the Foundation focuses on three core areas—shelter & human services, arts & culture, and food insecurity.
To address the growing need for technology-driven solutions in food access, the Thierer Family Foundation spent years developing digital tools for food banks and pantries. This work lead to the creation of Vivery, developed in collaboration with the Greater Chicago Food Depository to bridge the digital divide and connect neighbors with resources to break the hunger cycle. The Vivery platform equips food banks and pantries with innovative tools to connect food-insecure individuals with real-time available food resources in their area.
Vivery Community is a public charity focused on scaling access to nutritious food by bringing powerful Vivery technology and local programs to food banks, food pantries, and the neighbors they serve. Vivery Community fundraises to bring Vivery technology to every food bank and pantry at no cost, and partners with neighborhood communities to learn locally and develop innovative food access solutions that can extend nationally. As a passionate team, Vivery Community strives to do good with technology so everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can effortlessly access essential food, nutritious food, and other services nearby.
In addition to Vivery technologies, Vivery Community has introduced direct service programs through their Community Programs team. This team has worked hand in hand with community partners to create the Food is Medicine program that reduces food insecurity for neighbors living with chronic conditions. Building on the learnings from their nutritious food delivery programs, Vivery Community engages with charitable food partners to deliver medically tailored groceries and fresh produce to under-resourced communities. This innovative approach is hyper-localized and relationship-based, creating a more effective and sustainable solution for the entire community.
For more information on Vivery and Vivery Community, please visit their website and Impact Report.
The Opportunity
Vivery Community is looking for a talented Vice President of Development (“Vice President”) to join the organization during a period of pivotal growth. The Vice President of Development will play a key role in helping Vivery Community realize its mission by providing strategic and tactical leadership in all areas of fundraising.
Reporting to and partnering with the Executive Director, the Vice President will oversee engagement initiatives to raise awareness, strengthen community support, and drive fundraising for Vivery Community. This will include developing strategies to further engage high-level constituents including corporate partners and new and existing individual donors at all levels. This will increase their understanding of the role that Vivery Community plays nationally and thus increase their inclination to provide philanthropic support.
The Vice President will lead and enhance Vivery Community’s development vision and strategies in ways that both build upon its history/expertise and positions the organization to capitalize on the unique value proposition it presents for the sector. By understanding the priorities, preferences, and trends within the philanthropic ecosystem, the Vice President can tailor Vivery Community’s fundraising strategies to resonate deeply with local donors, thereby maximizing impact and fostering long-term sustainability. Long term success would include cultivation of donorship and investment from a national donor base. This includes leading an innovative fundraising strategy that supports expansion, new initiatives, and long-term infrastructure development for Vivery Community.
Key metrics for success of this role include:
- Donor Strategy:
- Serve as the lead strategist, solicitor, and steward for key donors, encompassing individuals, corporations, and foundations.
- Develop and implement a strategic approach to prioritize and engage regional, national, and local foundations, ensuring alignment with Vivery Community’s growth priorities.
- Relationship Cultivation:
- Identify and cultivate relationships with potential donors across diverse sectors, including individuals, corporations, foundations, and other organizations nationwide.
- Collaborate closely with leadership, providing valuable support in prospecting, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors.
- Development Planning and Execution:
- Design and implement an annual development plan with revenue projections, leveraging a mix of tactics including special events, direct mail, e-appeals, and personal solicitations while identifying new opportunities for donor engagement and revenue.
- Identify prospects, organize outreach, and execute various fundraising campaigns, including annual appeals, crowdfunding initiatives, and online giving campaigns.
- Build and manage portfolio of foundations and corporate opportunities, including management of timelines, budgets, and reporting responsibilities.
- Performance Monitoring and Reporting:
- Utilize the CRM (Salesforce) platform for effective donor relationship management and performance evaluation.
- Monitor and evaluate fundraising metrics, tracking revenue, donor retention rates, campaign effectiveness, and return on investment.
- Assess donor engagement trends and provide recommendations to refine fundraising strategies and outreach efforts.
- Strategic Communications:
- Develop thoughtful and strategic communications for key donor audiences, including proposals, impact reports, and stewardship initiatives.
- Ensure Vivery Community's fundraising messaging is consistent and aligned with broader communications plans.
The Vice President will enhance Vivery Community’s overall approach to advancement - one that creates a true culture of philanthropy throughout the organization, improves and develops sustained success in contributed revenue, and ultimately fulfills the organization’s mission and achieves its vision.
Candidate Profile
The Vice President of Development of Vivery Community will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics, among others:
A Demonstrated Development Leader with an Entrepreneurial Approach
With a proven track record of orchestrating successful fundraising initiatives in a variety of settings, the Vice President will possess clear expertise in leveraging diverse fundraising channels to maximize revenue generation. This leader will bring experience that spans institutional giving and individual giving, including major gifts, grassroots, and corporate partnerships. This leader will engage and motivate donors and partners by communicating a compelling vision for the organization, continually innovating to help expand the depth and breadth of resource development at Vivery Community. The Vice President will excel in creating compelling narratives that resonate with constituents, propelling the organization towards its financial objectives. They will have a strong data and analysis orientation and a proven ability to use metrics to drive development decisions and achieve strategic objectives.
A Collaborator and Builder
The Vice President will be skilled at building and sustaining excellent relationships at multiple levels with varied constituencies and across the Thierer family of organizations, including the Board of Directors, donors, leadership, corporate partners, community leaders, and other staff members. They will work in close alignment to ensure that the messages are consistent to all constituents, including donors and potential donors. The Vice President will have a track record of fully leveraging organizational analyses to evaluate new opportunities and make strategic choices, consistently making effective decisions benefiting the end users and the organization simultaneously. They will be an engaging and persuasive communicator who can connect with diverse stakeholders and effectively convey Vivery Community’s story and impact.
An Independent and Visionary Leader
The Vice President will be a strategic and results-oriented leader who, along with the Executive Director and the leadership team, sets and articulates a vision for the organization’s development plan, and evaluates outcomes with a metrics-based approach. The Vice President will be an approachable leader who supports a culture of collaboration with all their peers. They will be a self-starter and energetic individual who functions well in a dynamic environment. This leader must be adaptable, comfortable making informed decisions in evolving situations, and skilled at navigating complex funding landscapes.
A Passion for the Mission
At the heart of this leader lies a passionate commitment to transforming lives and building stronger communities. They embrace Vivery Community’s vision of creating innovative technology to support effortless access to essential, nutritious food for all, and they are dedicated to rallying support for these critical causes. With an unwavering belief in the power of collective action, the Vice President will inspire donors, partners, and staff to drive meaningful change. They will embrace Vivery Community’s culture while continually innovating to help expand its brand and reach. The Vice President will be an empathetic and inspiring leader who fosters trust and collaboration. They will lead with integrity, respect, and a deep commitment to Vivery Community’s mission while driving innovation and expanding its impact.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role will include a base salary of $175,000 - $200,000 as well as a performance-based variable compensation model tied to key performance indicators. Compensation also includes a generous benefits package.
Contact
Koya Partners | DSG Global has been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest, please submit your materials by filling out our Talent Profile. Any questions or inquiries can be sent to [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
Vivery Community is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.