Deborah Edison Email & Phone Number

Somerville, Ma

Vice President, Development and CommunicationsYouthBuild USA (Somerville, MA)September 2013 – PresentIn YouthBuild programs, low-income young people earn their GEDs/high school diplomas, receive professional training in construction trades, and build affordable housing in their communities. • Responsible for strategizing and implementing systems that will lead to significant increases in private dollars from individuals, corporate partnerships, and private foundations. • Currently deepening relationships with existing corporate partners (e.g., Starbucks, CertainTeed) and creating new partnerships that will result in funding and jobs for YouthBuild students.• Strategizing meetings with and asks to the YouthBuild Advisory Board, an impressive group of potential supporters (e.g., Alma Powell, Angela Glover Blackwell) who were previously not called upon for support. Face-to-face meetings with these members are now in progress.• Produced YouthBuild’s 35th anniversary celebration at the Ford Foundation in New York, held one month after I joined the organization. This event hosting major funders and other allies consisted of a strategy breakfast, plenary session, and luncheon, each with back to back speakers. • Responsible for increasing awareness of YouthBuild USA and local programs nationwide through the creation and implementation of a strategic communications plan, including overhaul of website, scaling up social media, an aggressive PR campaign, and strategic partnerships. • Vetted and hired website/social media firm. Moving forward on the creation of a new website.• Oversaw communications to bring attention to the first National YouthBuild Day and provided local programs with PR recommendations, templates, and other support. Saw a tremendous increase in social media activity, especially from private foundations and corporations.• Supervise staff of five. United development and communications teams to share goals and collaborate more effectively.

Greater Seattle Area

Responsible for raising all private dollars for this $10 million premier nonprofit serving homeless children and youth with a continuum-of-care service model that includes basic needs, shelter, counseling, case management, transitional housing, education, and employment training.Revenue Highlights• Grew private revenue from $600,000 in 2009 to $3.1 million in 2013 (with departmental staff executing my strategies and plans after my August 2013 departure).• Grew annual luncheon revenue from $160,000 in 2009 to over $600,000 in 2013. Increased attendance from 450 to 1,180 in same period, with 50% new attendees each year.• Increased giving in every revenue stream: major gifts, annual fund, corporate sponsorships, private and corporate foundations, workplace giving, and YouthCare and third-party events.

Greater Seattle Area

Responsible for all private fundraising for one of the country’s leading providers of education and enrichment services to local foster children. Increased total revenue from $2 million (FY 04) to $3.1 million (FY 08). Taking into account declining underwriting from a single major donor, this represents an actual increase in fundraising capacity of $1.7 million over four fiscal years.

Greater Seattl