About Barker:

The Barker Foundation was founded in 1945 and is a non-profit, child-placing agency, licensed in DC, MD, and VA, with headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, and satellite offices in Washington, DC, and Falls Church, Virginia. Through the agency’s domestic and international adoption services, more than 6,000 children have found loving homes, and more than 25,000 women experiencing unplanned pregnancies have found support and guidance.

Now in its seventh decade of service, Barker’s primary commitment is to help children find permanent, loving homes. Barker also places great emphasis on sustaining and nurturing all members of the family of adoption -- birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted persons -- through lifelong post-adoption services. In addition to a strong domestic program, Barker is active in China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, and Korea. Recent initiatives of the Foundation include outreach in the African-American and Latino communities, as well as public-private partnerships to find homes for older foster children. Barker has also been at the cutting edge of adoption practice, training, and research, sponsoring an annual conference, workshops and seminars, continuing education for professionals, and a support group for birth parents.

Barker has a 19-member Board of Trustees, 16 salaried staff, and 30 contractors/consultants. The agency was incorporated as the nation’s first “cooperative adoption agency,” and Barker’s clients play active volunteer roles in many aspects of agency life. A 3-member Board of Trustees directs the Friends of Barker, a separate 501(c) 3 organization which oversees an endowment fund built during a capital campaign in 1998. The endowment provides support for The Barker Foundation through its investment earnings, as well as financial stability for Barker’s future.

In 2005, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) selected The Barker Foundation as an Angel in Adoption™ award recipient. The award was given in recognition of Barker’s outstanding leadership in the field of adoption and dedication to positive child welfare practices. In 2008 Barker was among the first U.S. agencies granted Hague Accreditation through the Council on Accreditation (COA) in New York, thus making it possible for our agency to provide international adoption services to more than 70 Hague Convention countries who are also committed to the highest ethical standards. Barker’s affiliations include membership in Joint Council on International Children’s Services, Maryland Association of Non-Profits, Center for Nonprofit Advancement, North American Council on Adoptable Children, and Local Independent Charities.

Principal Responsibilities:

* Working with the Executive Director, the senior staff, and the Board of Trustees’ Development Committee to create and implement development strategies for the agency overall and for individual programs;
* Becoming a critical member of the management team;
* Developing new funding sources, including identifying, researching, and following up on individual, corporate, and foundation prospects;
* Planning activities to recognize established donors;
* Overseeing the agency’s annual fund and special appeals;
* Supporting and building the Legacy Fund Endowment and providing leadership during the second phase of the Capital Campaign, expected to launch in 2009;
* Coordinating the design, marketing, implementation, and monitoring of the agency’s planned giving/bequest program, in accordance with fiscal and legal requirements; and managing the cultivation and stewardship of prospects and donors;
* Designing, implementing, and managing special events intended to raise funds, expand the constituency base, and increase the agency’s visibility
* Writing and/or editing grant proposals;
* Maintaining and enhancing the development aspects of the agency’s website, in coordination with the Web team;
* Planning and coordinating public relations activities in support of development activities;
* Overseeing and managing the development database;

Qualifications: The ideal candidate for this position will:

* Demonstrate substantial experience and success in nonprofit organization fundraising and development;
* Have at least 3-5 years of progressively responsible and successful work in the fundraising and development field;
* Express a personal commitment to the mission and core values of The Barker Foundation;
* Possess superior presentation and writing skills;
* Possess strong computer skills;
* Be capable of initiating and following through on key tasks;
* Be capable of representing the agency in a professional manner to potential and established donors;
* Be familiar with the field of child welfare and/or adoption;
* Be willing to work collaboratively with staff and board;
* Have access to a car on a daily basis;
* Direct experience in child welfare and/or adoption a plus.

Minimum Qualifications: The candidate must have a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree. The candidate must demonstrate outstanding writing and verbal communication skills. Ability to work effectively with limited supervision, ability to work collaboratively with staff and board members, and attention to detail are important. Professional education and credentials in the development field are a plus, as is some background in the child welfare and/or adoption field. Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States.

Compensation: The Barker Foundation offers a competitive salary and benefits package. Compensation is dependent upon experience and education. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to a policy of nondiscrimination with regard to race, sex, age, religion, creed, class, sexual orientation, national origin, and disability.

Start Date: Fall 2008

To Apply: Please send a resume with cover letter to Marilyn Regier, Ph.D., LCSW-C, Executive Director, at mregier@barkerfoundation.org. Please use “Development Director” in the subject header. All inquiries will be kept confidential. No phone calls, please.

 

Foster Care Provider - Northern Virginia
Could you be a foster care provider? The Barker Foundation is seeking stay-at-home caretakers to provide short term foster care for newborns in the Northern Virginia area. If you are interested, please contact Beth Kirby at 301-664-9664 or bkirby@barkerfoundation.org