Vice President, Southeast Region

Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide weekend food for school-aged children across America who might otherwise go hungry. Blessings envisions a future where every school-aged child in America has the nourishment needed to learn and grow.

Guided by a ‘One Team for All Kids’ philosophy, Blessings is committed to transforming operations to drive measurable impact and growth in core markets, building on a remarkable legacy of providing 30M hunger-free weekends while reaching over 1M children in just 15 years.

Founded in Louisville, Kentucky with an office in downtown Chicago, Blessings has grown tremendously and currently consists of 7 regional chapters, 1200+ community-driven programs, 45 employees across 11 states, and a $14M operating budget. Blessings is focused on evolving operations, maximizing mission delivery, and cultivating a culture of collective achievement.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the VP SE Region will be responsible for driving the region’s development and marketing strategy while empowering and supporting regional stakeholders, including fundraisers, program managers, and volunteers, with tools and training to maximize local mission delivery. The VP SE will lead a dynamic team focused on cultivating philanthropic support, building donor relationships, as well as promoting the organization's work through strategic marketing and communications initiatives to drive growth and innovation within the region.

Position Overview

Blessings in a Backpack seeks a dynamic and motivated Southeast Regional Vice President to lead the rollout of a new regionally based model across the organization. The Southeast Regional Vice President will be responsible for developing and overseeing the region’s budget and all programming and fundraising activities while promoting a culture of philanthropy across the region. This key leadership role will serve as the primary driver for fundraising strategies in the Southeast and provide mentorship and training to local solicitors. Additionally, the Regional VP will oversee all staff in the region, collaborating closely with central leadership to meet both programmatic and fundraising goals. As this new regional model is implemented, the VP will play a critical role in uniting staff and volunteers around a shared vision, ensuring the organization’s success.

Key Responsibilities

Regional Fundraising Leadership

• Within the organization’s overall strategies and goals, develop and oversee the Southeast region’s fundraising strategy, aligning fundraising goals with programmatic growth targets.
• Create and oversee the region’s budget; ensure operational and programmatic goals align with fundraising goals and foster a collaborative growth mindset across the region and all direct reports.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major gift prospects, including individuals, corporations, and foundations, driving financial support across the region.
• Oversee, support, and guide regional staff, including chapter directors, fundraisers, program operations, and development operations, to design local fundraising activities that will drive and align with the regional strategy (strategies will include individual and major gift programs, corporate and foundation support, events, and more).
• Train, mentor, and collaborate with local solicitors, including Chapter Managing Directors, Local Advisory Board members, and Community Program Volunteers, to build fundraising expertise and capacity.
• Promote and foster a culture of philanthropy, ensuring that fundraising strategies are embedded across all staff, volunteers, and community members.
• Work closely with the Chief Development Officer (CDO) to ensure regional fundraising goals are aligned with organization-wide strategies and contribute to overall organizational growth.

Chapter and Community Program Oversight

• Within the organization’s overall strategies and goals, lead and provide strategic oversight to all chapters and community programs in the Southeast region, ensuring consistency in program delivery and fundraising efforts.
• Collaborate with and oversee regional volunteer-led programs to drive local-centric fundraising efforts and foster alignment with regional and organizational goals.
• Monitor and evaluate chapter and community program’s fundraising and programmatic performance, providing the necessary resources, tools, and support to enhance success.
• Serve as a liaison between the chapters, community programs, and the organizational office (including staff and volunteers), facilitating communication and ensuring alignment with Blessings’ organization-wide goals and strategies.

Programmatic Leadership

• Oversee the implementation of Blessings in a Backpack’s core programs across the Southeast, ensuring alignment between fundraising and programmatic activities.
• Collaborate with the regional and central teams to ensure that program goals are met and foster cross-regional initiatives that advance the organization's mission.
• Provide ongoing mentorship and coaching to the team, empowering them to deliver impactful programs and achieve fundraising goals.

Team Collaboration and Leadership

• Partner with the Chief Development Officer, other members of leadership and the central support team, and including other regional leaders, to create and support cross-regional initiatives and share best practices.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and community-driven culture across the organization, promoting professional development and a shared vision for success.
• Lead by example, inspiring the Southeast regional team of staff and volunteers to embrace the new regional model and work cohesively to achieve both programmatic and fundraising goals.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in major gift program development, solicitation, and training.
• Federated, regional, or multi-site fundraising experience and expertise.
• Strong background in nonprofit management, with experience creating and overseeing budgets, programs, and fundraising efforts.
• Demonstrated ability to model and drive a culture of philanthropy across an organization (staff, board, donors, community members, volunteers, program recipients).
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills, with the ability to engage a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Experience working collaboratively across teams and departments, with a focus on fostering alignment between fundraising and programmatic goals.
• Passion for Blessings in a Backpack’s mission and a commitment to community-driven change.
• Ability to travel regularly within the Northeast region to support chapters, community programs, and donor relationships.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• The ability to communicate with colleagues, partners, and clients via phone, video call, and email.

Work Environment

This position may be hybrid or fully remote, depending on the candidate's location. Relocation assistance is not provided. Occasional travel will be required for team meetings, training, and organizational events.

Benefits

Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability Insurance, Paid Time Off, Paid Holidays, Paid Winter Break, Summer Fridays, FSA Plan, 403(b) Plan

Equal Opportunity Employer

Blessings in a Backpack is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), sexual orientation, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current or prospective service in the uniformed services, predisposing genetic characteristic, domestic violence victim status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Blessings in a Backpack is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the recruitment process, please email HR at: HR @blessingsinabackpack.org