Ballinger|Leafblad is proud to present the following information on behalf of our client, Lutheran Social Service

of Minnesota and a retained search for Chief Development Officer

Presents

Chief Development Officer

www.lssmn.org

www.ballingerleafblad.com

Lutheran Social Service Minnesota

Chief Development Officer

PRESENTING OUR CLIENT Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota traces its history to 1865 when Vasa Lutheran Church in Red
Wing, Minnesota opened its church to care for four orphaned children in need. This community
response inspired hope and changed the life of the community. Since that time, Lutheran Social Service
of Minnesota has grown in size and reach responding to Minnesotas changing needs. The tradition of
service is at the core of Lutheran Social Service (LSS) of Minnesota. The organization holds the value of
service as central to its vision and mission. The commitment to service still guides the efforts of LSS
and empowers the organization to achieve its mission and attain its goals.

SERVICES PROVIDED BY LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICE OF MINNESOTA

Today, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is headquartered in St Paul and employs over 2,300 staff
who work in 23 distinct programs to serve 1 in 65 people in Minnesota. LSS has services in each of
Minnesotas 87 counties and in more than 300 communities. With an annual budget of $117 million
funded from public, private and charitable sources, LSS is one of the states largest, nonprofit social
service organizations. It is also one of the most admired, for its stability, growth in services and
innovation. Its reputation is rooted in Trustworthiness.
LSS provides a wide range of human support services related to the basic necessities of life food and
shelter, physical health and safety, and emotional and spiritual well-being. Services are concentrated in
the following sectors:

Children and families will have safe, stable homes and the opportunity to thrive in community.

People with disabilities will have access to social services and the opportunity to contribute to
community life.

Older adults will have choice in the services they need and opportunities to participate in community
life.

ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

Mission
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota expresses the love of Christ for all people through service that
inspires hope, changes lives, and builds community.
Vision
All people have the opportunity to live and work in community with dignity, safety, and hope.
Employee Vision
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota employees have deeply meaningful work that changes lives, the
opportunity for their unique gifts to shine and grow, and abundant and balanced lives.
Strategic Imperatives
Our service outcome goals are organized around children, youth and families; people with disabilities;
and older adults. They shape our planning and action.

Lutheran Social Service Minnesota

Chief Development Officer

PRESENTING THE POSITION OF CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

OVERVIEW OF THE POSITION
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Development Officer is a member of the senior
leadership team (the Cabinet) and an active participant in making strategic decisions affecting LSS
Minnesota. In partnership with the CEO, this position is responsible for all fundraising and development
activities. The successful candidate will continue efforts to build LSS of Minnesotas visibility, impact,
and financial resources. The Chief Development Officer also will oversee a comprehensive plan for
developing key alliances and cultivating individual and philanthropic support.
The Chief Development Officer oversees the development function, including major gifts, endowment,
annual giving, grants, events and congregational relations. The Chief Development officer is normally
the President of the Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota Foundation, and in that capacity, reports to
the LSS Foundation Board of Directors.
Within the organization this position has primary relationships with the CEO, the CFO and finance team,
senior management staff and development staff. Outside the organization this position coordinates
with the governing Board, the Foundation Board, fundraising volunteers and funding sources.
The Chief Development Officer assures that the organizations culture, systems and procedures
support fund development. The role leads staff and volunteers to institutionalize philanthropy and
fund development within the organization and plans and implements strategies to develop donors and
donor contributions to the organization. The Chief Development Officer assures the development and
maintenance of appropriate systems such as volunteer and donor management, research and
cultivation, gift process and recognition. The role maintains accountability and compliance standards
for donors and funding sources.
THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
The Chief Development Officer will have primary responsibility for establishing and implementing the
infrastructure needed to grow the development budget of approximately $9 million through the
solicitation of major gifts, federal and state grants, special events, and corporate and foundation
support. A current endowment campaign is achieving the targeted objectives and is to be continued.
A capital campaign for a new LSS center in Duluth is partially completed but will require the attention
of the new Chief Development Officer to wrap up the campaign. The groundbreaking for the new
Duluth center will take place in 2016.
He or she will expand and diversify LSS of Minnesotas donor base/pipeline and work closely with other
team members to secure major gift and other funding for new initiatives. In addition, the Chief
Development Officer will interact with the Foundation board of directors and support board members
in their fundraising role. It is expected that the amount raised by LSS Minnesota will increase in future
years as the Chief Development Officer systematically and effectively strengthens the organization's
overall fundraising capacity.

Lutheran Social Service Minnesota

Chief Development Officer

The Chief Development Officer serves as the chief fundraising officer of the organization and is responsible
for the following:

Provide inspirational leadership to the development team; set breakthrough goals and encourage
and assist others in the achievement of their own goals; exemplify the Breakthrough thinking
and passionate dedication to service that is at the core of the LSS culture
Support and partner with the CEO and Foundation board to define the organizations philanthropic
objectives and direction
In keeping with the mission and vision, implement LSS Minnesotas development strategy
Actively work with the CEO and senior staff to develop and implement a comprehensive plan that
includes corporate, foundation, government grants, etc.
Assist the CEO, Board and Foundation Board to determine accountabilities for board members and
fundraising volunteers; assist these individuals in the identification, cultivation and solicitation of
charitable gifts; evaluate performance and outcomes
Positively represent the organization, the Board and the Fundraising Board to external
stakeholders
Provide general oversight of the organizations fund development activities; manage the day-today operations of the development function; monitor the quality of activities through coordination
with staff, committees and Board
Oversee development and execution of all proposals; write and archive all proposals with a longterm relationship-management approach
Understand research funding sources and trends, with foresight, to help position LSS of Minnesota
ahead of major funding changes or trends
Monitor all donor information; provide and present statistical analysis to board and senior leaders
Develop and implement a major gift program aimed at cultivating deeper ties with donors; assure
appropriate prospect research along with meaningful cultivation, acknowledgement and
recognition programs
Monitor and report regularly on the progress of the development program
Identify, develop, and mentor the development team

THE DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Ten-plus years of professional experience in with demonstrated success in a development function

(managing relationships with multiple donor sources and overseeing all aspects fundraising
research, cultivation, donor solicitation, proposal and grant writing, special events, direct mail,
annual campaigns, capital campaigns, gift processing, recordkeeping and fundraising reporting)
Tangible experience of having expanded and cultivated existing donor relationships over time
Sales and marketing skills are desirable
Ability to construct, articulate, and implement an annual strategic development plan and
breakthrough goals
Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; ability to influence and engage a wide range
of donors and build long-term relationships
Strong organizational and planning skills; time management skills
Flexible and adaptable style; a leader who can positively impact both strategic and tactical
fundraising initiatives
Ability to work both independently without close oversight, but also a team player who will
productively engage with others inside and outside of LSS of Minnesota
Bachelor's degree required, Master's preferred
High energy and passion for LSS of Minnesotas mission is essential

Lutheran Social Service Minnesota

Chief Development Officer

Service orientation and focus; ethical, trustworthy and credible

A professional and resourceful style; the ability to work independently and as a team player, to take
initiative, and to manage multiple tasks and projects at a time

PRESENTING THE TWIN CITIES OF MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul are a unique blend of small town and major cosmopolitan
hub. Both urban cores boast a thriving business atmosphere. Minneapolis is the larger and more
commercial of the two cities, and Saint Paul, as the state capital, is home to state government and has
a more historical vibe. Outside of the central downtowns, however, both cities have many distinct
neighborhoods, and residents identify more with their individual neighborhood than with the larger
city as a whole.

Both cities share a common root of being river towns, and the outdoors is still a major attraction for
residents and tourists alike to this day. In addition to the mighty Mississippi River, there are over 100
lakes (over 900 including the suburbs), over 250 parks, and miles of biking and walking trails. Nearly
every weekend in the summer there are several outdoor active events for participants and spectators-triathlons, biking races, running races, boat races, water skiing competitions, golf tournaments, and
more.
The active lifestyle of Twin Cities residents doesn't lie dormant during the winter. There are miles of
cross-country skiing trails, several downhill ski areas within an hour drive, ice skating, snowmobile
riding, sledding, and--of course--ice fishing.

For those who prefer activity of the spectator variety, the Twin Cities are home to the major sports
teams: Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota
Lynx, Minnesota United FC (soccer), and Minnesota Swarm (lacrosse). There is also a minor league
baseball team, the Saint Paul Saints.

Lutheran Social Service Minnesota

Chief Development Officer

The Twin Cities have hosted the World Series, Super Bowl, NCAA Basketball Finals, the USGA U. S.
Open, the PGA Championship, and the Special Olympics. In 2014, Target Field was the setting for
baseball's 2014 All-Star Game, and, in 2018, the Super Bowl will be played in a newly built state-of-theart stadium.

But the Twin Cities have more to offer than participatory and spectator sporting events. There are
countless arts and culture offerings here. The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra has a
reputation as one of the top orchestras in the world. Since the early 1960s, the Guthrie Theatre has
staged A-plus shows from the classical to the contemporary. Popular national shows and performers
also tour through the Twin Cities year round at stages in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and at the
University. There are over 30 theatre venues, 10 dance companies, and 30 classical music groups in the
cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul alone.
For the museumgoer, there are over 60 museums in the Twin Cities. The Science Museum of Minnesota
and the Minnesota Children's Museum (both in Saint Paul) are highly interactive learning and fun
experiences for the entire family. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has a collection of over 100,000
pieces. The Walker Art Center has been called "possibly the best contemporary art museum in the U.
S." by Newsweek, and has over 11,000 pieces. The University of Minnesota's Weisman Art Museum is
also a contemporary art destination.
Beyond the outdoor, sports, entertainment, and culture, perhaps the biggest attraction for the Twin
Cities is the lifestyle. Forbes hailed Minneapolis and Saint Paul as the nation's healthiest cities. USA
Today named Saint Paul as North America's "Most Romantic City."
The Twin Cities offer award-winning restaurants (several chefs have been regional James Beard Award
winners). In addition to the popular Mall of America, there are plenty of unique shopping districts in
both cities and in the suburbs.

THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE

The compensation package for this position is competitive and attractive. It includes an executive
pay structure and participation in the organizations benefits plan.

Lutheran Social Service Minnesota

Chief Development Officer

BALLINGER|LEAFBLAD INVITES YOU TO CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Lars Leafblad, MBA

Co-Founder/Principal
612-598-7547
lars@ballingerleafblad.com

Marcia Ballinger, PhD

Co-Founder/Principal
651-341-4840
marcia@ballingerleafblad.com

www.ballingerleafblad.com