Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Best Buddies is the largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people worldwide with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our programs empower people with IDD to form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure jobs, improve communication and advocacy skills, and live independently, while also offering support for their families.
Job Position: Director, Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port
Department: National Development
Reports to: VP, Cycling
Location: Boston, MA
# of direct reports: 1
Salary range: $90,000-$100,000
Position Overview: The Director serves as a senior member of the Best Buddies Challenge team, working closely with the VP, Cycling and Best Buddies Challenge senior management team on all regional development, fundraising, sales, and recruitment initiatives. The Director will be responsible for recruiting and managing sponsors, large scale ride teams, assisting and creating opportunities for team growth, converting interested parties into event participants, and be the point person for tracking and benchmarking participant commitments, revenue, maintaining accurate grids, coordination of key sponsor/corporate meetings and team development. The position plays a crucial role in sponsorship development and outreach, and working cross-event to play a supporting role in all aspects of the Best Buddies Challenge: New York.
Job Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 5-7 years’ experience in development, peer-to-peer fundraising, and recruitment marketing.
- Non-profit or endurance event experience strongly preferred.
- Proven ability to lead high-impact fundraising and participant engagement initiatives.
- Experience building a sales pipeline to work toward a sales target and a proven ability to hit that target.
- Excellent relationship management and project management skills, including managing and prioritizing projects with multiple and often competing deadlines, and the ability to work under pressure.
- Proven ability to deliver high-touch customer service and work with customer relations management (CRM) database systems (e.g., keep contact logs, conversation notes, etc.)
- Flexible to work evenings, weekends, and attend special events as required.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook and PowerPoint, with exceptional skills in Excel required
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to work independently and productively
- Work well under pressure and establish priorities while reporting to and working with a variety of people
- Must be the lead team player who is willing to pitch-in and help with everything from grassroots marketing to presenting to corporations.
- Motivated with a self-starter personality who is deadline conscious
- Experience with cycling or endurance sports a plus.
Job Duties include, but are not limited to:
Fund Development
- Serves as regional contact for top individual donors, sponsors, and fundraising teams.
- Partners with the VP, Cycling to ensure operational execution aligns with overall strategic objectives for participant growth, sponsor satisfaction, and event success.
- Provides insights from in-market execution to inform future strategies for recruitment, community engagement, and event planning.
- Works alongside national sponsorship team by serving as key “in-market” sponsorship and ride representative for all sponsor needs
- Implements and oversees all on-the-ground recruitment efforts (i.e. Sponsor/ Corporate/Team presentations)
- Meets weekly and monthly goals for recruitment and lead generation
- Assists in development of annual plan, timeline and goals for each revenue line item
- Provides the highest level of client service in the form of meeting follow-up, thank you letters, invoices, etc.
Marketing
- Leads sponsorship recruitment, including developing pitch decks, proposals, coordinating in-person lunch & learn opportunities, and executing on sponsor benefits locally
- Responsible for creating and executing recruitment strategies to meet event budget while working with Communications and Marketing teams to set and refine strategies as needed
- Collaborates with Communications & Marketing to support the communications and outreach program
- Assists in development of a comprehensive sales deck
- Speaks publicly and (also trains direct reports to) present to various groups, including corporate employee groups, civic groups, colleges and universities, etc. for the purpose of recruiting participants.
- Develops and implements plan to build lead base using grassroots marketing efforts (i.e. Attendance or booth space at events, expos, festivals etc.)
Operations
- Oversees in-market rider recruitment, training, marketing, and participant engagement activities, ensuring all execution supports strategic goals.
- Serves as the lead operational point person for the New York Ride, overseeing all execution and coordinating with logistics, special events, and rides teams to ensure consistency, collaboration, and cross-team alignment.
- Manages Challenge Executive Committee, including monthly meetings and consistent communication with all members
- Responsible for executing the customer service program and ensuring all team members are trained and supporting this effort
- Oversees all pre-production event prep elements as they relate to participants and fundraising (i.e. logistical communications, packet pick-ups) in conjunction with the national operations team
- Ensures alignment and collaboration across departments to maintain brand standards and participant satisfaction.
- Assists and advises on the creation and design of local events based on current and past participant data and trends
- Works with the logistics team to make improvements to the event based upon participant feedback
- Takes the lead on special projects and initiatives as assigned by leadership.
Human Resources
- Manages and supervises regional ride team staff, planning and timelines as well as facilitates weekly staff meetings to track progress for the Best Buddies Challenge: New York
- Directly supervises Community Engagement Associate- responsible for staff development, oversight, and providing meaningful performance feedback, as well as holding them accountable for meeting all development and operational goals, hitting benchmarks, and following best practices and guidelines.
- Inspires and motivates staff by demonstrating personal commitment and integrity and providing proactive training, support and recognition.
- Responsible for all human resources related activities within the team. Understands, follows and reinforces human resources policies in a consistent manner.
Best Buddies® is an affirmative action employer, in addition to an EOE and M/F/V/PWD/PV employer. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are foundational to Best Buddies International’s core values and help the organization continue to achieve its mission. Here at Best Buddies, our goal is to lead and advocate for a more inclusive world.
Best Buddies offers a comprehensive and generous benefits program that include financial security, health and wellness and time off.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree with 5-7 years experience in development, peer-to-peer fundraising, and recruitment marketing.
- Non-profit or endurance event experience.
- Proven ability to lead high-impact fundraising and participant engagement initiatives.
- Experience building a sales pipeline and meeting sales targets.
- Excellent relationship management and project management skills; ability to prioritize competing deadlines and work under pressure.
- Proven ability to deliver high-touch customer service and use CRM database systems (contact logs, conversation notes).
- Flexible to work evenings, weekends, and attend special events as required.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and exceptional skills in Excel.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to work independently and productively.
- Ability to work well under pressure and establish priorities while collaborating with various stakeholders.
- Demonstrated team leadership and willingness to perform grassroots marketing and corporate presentations.
- Experience with cycling or endurance sports.
What We Do
Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The IDD community that Best Buddies serves includes, but is not limited to, people with Down syndrome, autism, Fragile X syndrome, Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Best Buddies is the world's largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of the more than 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) worldwide. Through our five mission pillars, we empower people with IDD to build meaningful friendships, secure successful jobs, develop leadership and self-advocacy skills, live more independently, and provide families with the support and resources they need to thrive. Together, we're creating a more inclusive world where people with IDD, their families, and their communities are empowered to reach their full potential.
