Director, Investor Relations (Donor Relations)

**To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to [email protected]

Career Stage: Director

Organization Summary

Upstream USA is a fast-growing, national nonprofit working to expand opportunity by reducing unplanned pregnancy across the U.S. Upstream partners with states to provide training and technical assistance to health centers, increasing equitable access to the full range of contraceptive options. Our transformative approach empowers patients to decide when and if they want to become pregnant, a critical step towards improving outcomes for parents and children.

Upstream is growing rapidly and is on track to achieve nationwide impact. After launching our program in Delaware in 2014, we have partnered with health centers in Washington state, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Texas, Mississippi and Missouri. By 2023, Upstream will have partnered with health centers that serve over one million women of reproductive age annually across these states and more.

Upstream is funded primarily through philanthropic individuals and foundations, and does not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies. Upstream’s budget has grown from $1.7 million just four years ago to approximately $42 million in 2022. Upstream’s work has also garnered attention from many leading publications including The New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, Vox, Forbes, and Marie Claire.

Position Summary 

The Director of Investor Relations will play a leading role in overseeing the investor relations function of Upstream’s Development Team, which also includes Board Management and External Affairs. Reporting to the Vice President for Development and External Affairs, the Director will manage a small team of direct reports in service of Upstream’s development and investor relations initiatives and goals at a time of exciting organizational impact and on the precipice of our next phase of growth. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with a leadership gifts background to step into a team management and strategy role on a high-performing team that regularly solicits and stewards 7- and 8-figure gifts in close partnership with the CEO and leadership of the organization. They will also manage a sub-portfolio of major gifts and oversee a team focused on relationship and content management as well.

In addition to developing and overseeing strategy for investor relationship management, the Investor Relations Director will be responsible for producing sophisticated content on behalf of the CEO and senior leadership for a variety of investor audiences. Thus, the ideal candidate
must have excellent written and verbal communication skills, with prior experience writing and producing complex, data-driven and impact-focused materials (e.g., grants, proposals, academic writing) and be adept at translating messaging into different formats (e.g., Google slides, one pagers, emails, talking points, etc.) depending on the audience.

The successful candidate will bring joy to fundraising and a genuine, collaborative spirit to coaching and managing alongside a team of high performers. They will be deeply practiced in highly personalized relationship management and well-versed in the tools, systems, and processes that support investor relations. Attention to detail, strong “EQ”, high-levels of discretion, and a sense of humor are highly valued for this position.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities      

• Lead investor relations strategy for $1M+ investors to Upstream in close partnership with VP for Development and External Affairs
• Develop investor relations communications strategy and manage strategic messaging in collaboration with cross-functional teams across the organization in support of investor relationships, including (but not exclusively) reports, proposals, presentations, email updates, personalized outreach, etc.
• Oversee a team of IR professionals, including an Investor Relations Officer and Investor Relations Associate
• Develop and tailor high-quality, high-touch executive communications on behalf of the CEO and VP for Development and External Affairs
• Facilitate internal communication and coordination regarding investor relations strategy, prioritization, and outreach
• Provide strategic and tactical support across a growing portfolio of new and prospective investors
• Manage a portfolio of six-figure investors, overseeing strategy for cultivation, solicitation, renewal, and ongoing stewardship through a combination of meetings and written communications

Required Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• 10-15 years relationship management experience (development, fundraising, advancement, philanthropy, for-profit investor relations, or similar) with increasing levels of responsibility
• Experience successfully cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major and principal gifts ($100,000+)
• Enjoys coaching and managing others to high levels of performance and professional fulfillment
• Exceptional writing ability and capable of distilling complex content for sophisticated audiences into a variety of formats (talking points, presentation decks, grant reports/proposals, correspondence, etc.)
• Understanding of relationship management processes, pipelines, and tracking mechanisms within a CRM environment in service of managing investor relations pipelines
• Comfort in an internally facing role, working behind-the-scenes to advance relationships, as well as in the room with donors and prospects
• Skilled communicator and listener
• Adept at building relationships and influencing others; high “EQ”
• Exceptional project management ability with ability to manage multiple competing priorities
• Demonstrated ability to operate with a high-degree of urgency, self-motivation, focus on goals and commitment to high-quality work
• Keen attention to detail and able to exercise discretion
• Awareness of the latest trends and industry practices in philanthropy, fundraising, and prospect research
• Proficiency with Salesforce, Google and Microsoft Suites
• Commitment to Upstream’s mission and to mission-driven work
• Able to attend work related in-person meetings and functions as needed (Upstream employees are required to be fully vaccinated to attend in-person work-related activities. Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals with a sincerely held religious belief or disability who are not vaccinated)
• In our hybrid work environments, there is a basic expectation that our Upstreamers will ensure that their work from home setups will have reliable access to phone and Internet to ensure connectivity to their teams.
• At Upstream we gather for moments that matter for training, teaming and connection. Our teams come together for occasional in person meetings and organizational retreats. As part of our hybrid work practices, this travel expectation will be applicable for all Upstreamers, even those based remotely.

Travel Requirements

This role will require up to 20% of business travel. All Upstreamers can expect a minimum of 8 days of business travel per year to attend two annual organizational retreats and two annual team/department meetings per year. 

Upstream Benefits

Upstream USA offers a comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long and short term disability, 401K with a match, generous vacation, personal, sick and holiday time off, parental leave, professional development and a fitness and cell phone allowance for all full time employees and part time employees who work a minimum of 24 hours per week.  

Upstream Careers

At Upstream, we embrace diversity. We nurture it and we thrive on it because it benefits our organization, our partners, and our community. Our goal is to attract, develop and retain exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential.  Upstream is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, genetic information, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. Learn more  about working at Upstream, our values, and our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Upstream USA participates in E-Verify.

Upstream Headquarters:

2 Oliver Street, Suite 402, Boston, MA 02109

www.upstream.org

No phone calls please.

Be advised that we do not ever conduct hiring interviews via text or email. Please protect yourself by learning more about our hiring practices and common red flags to look out for.