About SquashBusters
SquashBusters is a 25-year-old sports-based youth development program that uses a combination of squash, fitness, academic support and enrichment, community service, and mentoring to improve the lives of youth in Boston, Lawrence, and Providence. SquashBusters’ mission is to challenge and nurture youth with need in these cities – as students, athletes, and citizens – so that they can recognize and fulfill their greatest potential in life. SquashBusters currently serves 400 middle school, high school and post-secondary students. Middle and High School Students practice at least three days a week throughout the school year and participate in weekend practices, tournaments, and summer opportunities. After high school graduation, students join the Post- Secondary Services Program, and a dedicated staff team supports them in their chosen post-secondary path, and provides career development, internship placement, and employment opportunities. In Boston, programming takes place at the Badger-Rosen SquashBusters Center located on Northeastern University’s main campus. In Providence, we work and play out of the Gorgi SquashBusters Center on the campus of Moses Brown School. In Lawrence, we are in the process of designing a facility, in partnership with the City of Lawrence and others, that will literally break new ground for the urban squash movement by placing SquashBusters directly inside a beautiful, new, 80-unit affordable housing complex on the banks of the Merrimack River in downtown Lawrence. Our core values are: Love, Honesty, Attention, Teamwork and High Standards. Do these match yours?
Position Summary
Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Manager of Foundation Relations and Communications is responsible for contributing to the overall fundraising strategy to meet SQB’s $4 million budget. The Manager will advance and grow existing foundation partnerships and cultivate new opportunities; lead design and production of external communications materials including semi-annual newsletter, player and sponsorship recruitment collateral, and Annual Report; and design and implement a comprehensive social media campaign.
Responsibilities
Grant Writing & Foundation Relations
- Establish and cultivate relationships with foundation and corporate funders, and preserve existing relationships with the goal of maintaining a steady and consistent source of corporate and foundation support
- Manage and execute the grant proposal process, submitting approximately 30-35 grants per year and resulting in $1 million+ annually through corporate and foundation sources
- Identification of new funding opportunities and outreach to appropriate external contacts to determine fit and ask
- Proposal and report writing and submission
- Ongoing foundation relationship management
- Overall tracking and management of grant proposals and reports as well as relationships with foundation and corporate prospects and funders using Salesforce
Marketing & Communications
- Coordinate and produce donor communication materials and collateral to educate and inform the public and further fund-raising goals. Written products include: e-newsletters, annual appeal letters, campaign brochures, fact sheets and one-pagers, presentations, postcards, and other development collateral as needed
- Develop, coordinate, and produce SQB’s Annual Report
- Develop, coordinate, and produce event-related communications – save-the dates, invitations, sponsorship materials, press releases, follow-up, etc.
- Oversee SQB’s press strategy – work with local media as applicable to produce articles, videos, etc.
- Identify opportunities for positive press and reach out to media contacts for coverage
- Oversee and update SQB website content
- Oversee SQB’s social media strategy
- Post appropriate and compelling updates, connect with followers, maintain accounts
- Other marketing and communications activities as needed
Events Support
- Creation and oversight of event websites and fundraising pages
- Monitor event communications and assure clarity and consistency of external messaging across all constituencies
- Special projects as assigned
Qualifications and Experience
- Superior writing skills, with the ability to communicate persuasively with impeccable attention to detail
- Demonstrated success in grant writing and communications
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with tight deadlines
- Strong relationship-building skills, able to collaborate with SquashBusters staff and constituents
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Background and experience using Salesforce for tracking and reporting; WordPress for website maintenance; MailChimp for mass email communications; and multiple social media platforms
- Love for the SquashBusters mission
Compensation and Benefits
- Annual salary of $60,000-$70,000 based on qualifications and experience
- Retirement plan with employer matching
- 5 paid company holidays and days off plus an additional 20 vacation days
- Subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance available
- Free Employee Assistance Program, life insurance benefit, cell phone subsidy, and public transportation subsidy available
To Apply
Please email a resume and cover letter to recruiting@squashbusters.org with the subject line Manager, Foundation Relations
SquashBusters is an equal opportunity employer and strives to reflect the diverse community it serves. SquashBusters is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion and looks to all its staff members to foster and promote its values. We believe in an intersectional approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion, where all of the various forms of oppression are addressed, challenged, and dismantled. Our primary focus is on racism because we live in a society that is so resistant to, and uncomfortable with, discussions of racism.