National Market staffing structure + staff leadership announcements

NATIONAL AND MARKET STAFFING STRUCTURE & STAFF LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENTS (INCLUDING TIMING AND NEXT STEPS)

In order to build a high-performing organization, we’re making shifts to move to a flatter organization to empower our staff and our volunteer leaders to invest resources differently than in the past to achieve maximum success. We will create more integrated matrixed teams locally and ensure the national team can support with technical assistance where needed. Click here to learn more about changes in staff leadership and how these changes affect you.

March of Dimes must drive impact, movement, revenue growth and performance to be successful. In order to build a high-performing organization, we need to strengthen our foundation around the structure, talent, culture, governance, technology, and processes.

 

Specifically, as it relates to structure, we’re making shifts to empower you, our volunteer leaders, to serve in an even greater advisory capacity. These changes will allow us to invest resources differently than in the past to achieve maximum success.

1. Move to a flatter organization so staff and volunteers are more empowered locally

  • Geographically, we’re refocusing our states/regional approach.
  • There are 7 states that are truly high growth and high impact: CA, TX, FL, IL, VA/DC/MD, NY/Northern NJ, and Northeast (MA/CT/RI/VT/NH/ME). We’ll optimize staff in here to allow for further growth.
  • In addition, states and territories with the highest mission need based on an F score from our recent Report Card will require a very different, focus: WV, GA, AL, MS, AR, LA and PR.
  • A West and an East region will continue to make up the remainder of the country to carry on our fight for moms and babies and fundraising efforts.

2. Create more integration and matrixed teams

  • Today at a local level, an Executive Director oversees major gifts and several event-focused fundraising staff. In that same market, mostly state-level MCH staff and NICU staff report only to regional MCH and NICU Directors. This structure creates siloes between mission and revenue staff.
  • To staff the new geographic approach and create more integration locally, we’re planning for a future where local markets are one matrixed team. All local staff will report to the Executive Director, including donor relationship managers, corporate engagement staff, MCH advocacy and NICU staff, and other cross-sector partnership work. This allows staff to focus more on relationship management and growing individual and corporate giving rather than a large amount of time on event logistics, some functions of which can be centralized.
  • Mission staff will be assigned to a geographic market and will focus on driving collective impact locally by deepening relationships and ensuring access to our most effective programs. This will require a shift in their job descriptions. Mission and fundraising staff can work side-by-side to raise funds for some of our best programs like Supportive Pregnancy Care and NICU Family Support. This way everyone is a fundraiser and mission advocate.

3. Organize the national team as technical assistance experts to support local markets

  • In addition to market staff, several national staff changes have been made to more effectively implement our operating model.

    •  First, the Marketing and Communications team has been reorganized to improve integration within the department and align with other departments. This will include:
      • Audience and multi-channel staff that are outward facing, grounded in insights and data, and who set the strategy for audience engagement
      • Strategic marketers that are internal facing and liaise with other departments to ensure implementation
      • Creative staff focused on brand management, editorial, and video
      • Digital marketing
      • Public relations, awareness campaigns, and strategic partnerships
    • We have also adjusted the Mission department to direct staff resources around:
      • Data science and mission strategy
      • Public policy and government affairs
      • New program innovation and partnerships
      • Community engagement and action, including collective impact and other impact work such as professional education
      • Thought leadership with expertise in women and infant health as well as health equity.
STAFF LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENTS

This shift from a regional to a market-based structure will be led by the following individuals:

  • Kelly Ernst has been named Senior Vice President, Market Impact (all local integrated teams will report to this new function, with dotted lines to their subject matter experts). Kelly was previously SVP of Science and Strategy in the Mission Department and has been with the organization for over 8 years. With her at the helm, we’re truly leading with impact, yet she is also a seasoned fundraiser, bringing in several large grants to fuel our mission work.
  • Alison Spera has been named Vice President, Market Impact as Kelly’s Deputy. Formerly the Regional VP of Market Leadership and Development for the Eastern US, Alison’s a March of Dimes fundraising and board development expert with many years of direct hands-on experience growing market resources and training staff.
  • Kim Parker has accepted the position of Vice President of Community Engagement and Action under the National Mission Team. Kim will be working very closely with the Market Impact team to support the development and implementation of their strategy for enhancing our impact in reducing severe maternal morbidity and mortality, preterm birth and infant mortality and addressing health equity. Her staff will serve as the backbone in advancing our national strategy for expanding and enhancing supportive pregnancy care, maternal and child health and collective impact, and the NICU Family Support Program.
  •  We’ll be enhancing our efforts in the critical role of Major Gifts and Planned Giving. DJ Hampton will be taking the role of Senior VP, Major Gifts and Planned Giving and will remain on the Executive Leadership Committee. Major Gifts, Planned Giving and the creation of a translational investment fund are critical parts of our strategic plan, and will be important revenue streams for our future. We’ll also seek to fill the role of Chief Development Officer in the near future.
  • The state/regional structures will be led by a Senior Executive Director and will form a leadership team for Market Impact. We will begin announcing the 10 new positions by December 20.
  • All Market Executive Directors have been mapped into existing positions, however, their roles will change to focus on impact, movement and revenue growth locally. Many roles at the local level will have new job descriptions, and require additional staff training. While this is not a drastic change, or reduction in force, in some rare cases you may have a different staff partner based on shifting roles and needs.

In the coming months we’ll share more staff leadership announcements here on this website.

TIMING AND NEXT STEPS
  • Please note that it’s unlikely your staff contact is changing right now. We’re in the process of updating job descriptions to be mission-forward, integrating mission into all fundraising roles, and shifting mission staff towards more collective impact/collective action. As personnel issues can be sensitive, we ask for your understanding and flexibility during this transition. For specific questions about how any of this will affect your market, please contact Megan Walker or Kelly Ernst. Several members of the National Volunteer Leadership Council are also ready to attend any of your upcoming meetings to chat further about our vision for March of Dimes of the future, or to answer questions. Please note that it’s unlikely your staff contact is changing right now. We’re in the process of updating job descriptions to be mission-forward, integrating mission into all fundraising roles, and shifting mission staff towards more collective impact/collective action. As personnel issues can be sensitive, we ask for your understanding and flexibility during this transition. For specific questions about how any of this will affect your market, please contact Megan Walker or Kelly Ernst. Several members of the National Volunteer Leadership Council are also ready to attend any of your upcoming meetings to chat further about our vision for March of Dimes of the future, or to answer questions.
  • Our volunteer leaders are critical to strengthening our impact at the market level, and our integrated approach will only be successful by aligning our volunteer structure with the staffing structure. This means that in the coming months, we’ll focus on strengthening Market Boards through mission integration. Strong Market Boards and committees are the foundation of any market’s revenue and mission success. We must grow revenue through demonstrating our leadership in achieving tangible impact in maternal and infant health. To do this effectively, we need the best and brightest maternal and child health and advocacy volunteers at the table on every Market Board. More to come on this very soon.
  • We’re working hard to keep our volunteer leaders informed of changes in real time, as they happen. This month we’re assembling staff teams and working through the tenets of the new operating model. We expect that the majority of the new volunteer structure will be rolled out in Q1 2020, and you’ll hear more about that as it evolves.

Thank you for your commitment and understanding as we evolve the organization and modify our future together.