St. Francis House is the largest day shelter in Massachusetts supporting people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Located in the heart of downtown Boston, St. Francis House is open every single day, 365 days a year serving hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness. Their basic, rehabilitative, and housing services overlap and build on one another to provide their guests with continuous and comprehensive support.
Each year, more than 7,000 people cross St. Francis House's threshold and enter through its front doors. Many carry bags overstuffed with their only belongings; some clutch the wool blanket they were sleeping on just a couple of hours before. For others, the emotional and physical wounds of past and present trauma are less visible. There are many reasons why someone finds themself experiencing homelessness - domestic violence, childhood abuse, unemployment, chronic health conditions, mental health, and substance use disorders and, for everyone, a lack of affordable housing. Each person’s journey is uniquely their own and SFH recognizes that through its person-centered approach. From providing food and clothing to pathways to housing, all services are integrated and tailored to meet the needs of each unique person.
Regardless of the journey, SFH believes that homelessness is an experience, not an identity, and that recovery is possible for everyone.
St. Francis House is a nonsectarian registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. They have been serving people experiencing homelessness and poverty since 1984.
Leadership Spotlights:
Karen LaFrazia - President & CEO
KAREN LAFRAZIA
President & CEO
During her twenty-six years at St. Francis House, Karen LaFrazia has provided a guiding vision of growth for the agency and created a culture that fosters innovation and rewards creativity. Under her leadership, St. Francis House has grown to be a model of integrated programs and services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
In recent years, Ms. LaFrazia has led the expansion of St. Francis House’s permanent housing program to 102 units with the purchase of the former Boston Young Men’s Christian Union building at 48 Boylston Street in partnership with the Planning Office for Urban Affairs with another 126 units in production. The additional housing units bring much needed affordable housing in downtown Boston.
Ms. LaFrazia spearheaded the expansion of Next Step, the agency’s permanent supported housing program, and doubled the capacity of vocational rehabilitation services with the addition of individualized employment coaching in addition to the flagship Sullivan Family Moving Ahead Program.
During her time at St. Francis House, Ms. LaFrazia played an integral role in the oversight of two successful Capital Campaigns and in 2019, launched the agency’s most ambitious philanthropic initiative, The Pathways Campaign, a $60 million dollar comprehensive philanthropic initiative to renovate the downtown shelter and expand behavioral health, employment, and housing services.
In 2008, Ms. LaFrazia was a recipient of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women’s Unsung Heroine Award, and in 2009 she was honored by the Boston University Alumni Association for “Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Social Work.” In 2012, she was the first recipient of HomeStart’s Partner Award.
Prior to joining St. Francis House, Ms. LaFrazia was the Statewide Director of Social Services with the Salvation Army in Massachusetts. She has also worked as a supervisor at a residential treatment facility for adolescents and was a founding member and president of the Somerville Homeless Coalition.
Ms. LaFrazia has a Bachelor’s degree in social work from Regis College and a Master’s degree in social work from Boston University. She also is the recipient of an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, Regis College, in recognition of her commitment to social justice and service to ‘the dear neighbor’.
Andrew Russell - VP of Philanthropy & External Affairs
Andrew Russell
VP of Philanthropy & External Affairs
Andrew Russell is a philanthropy executive with over 20 years’ experience in fundraising and community development. Most recently, Andrew served as the Chief Advancement Officer at the Museum of Science, where he led an integrated fundraising strategy across individuals, government, corporate, and foundation sources. While there, he launched the Museum’s capital campaign Science in Common, and was personally responsible for closing two 8-figure gifts for the campaign. Andrew closed a number of other seven-figure gifts from individuals and foundations during his time at the Museum, both in support of the campaign as well as the Museum’s core programming.
Prior to the Museum of Science, Andrew was Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where he was responsible for developing and executing corporate citizenship programs for the leading provider of K12 content in the United States, including external non-profit partnerships, volunteerism, matching gifts, and other employee engagement opportunities. Prior to joining HMH in 2014, Andrew was Director of Institutional and International Relations at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, leading a team that solicited support from the corporate, foundation, and government sectors as well as setting international strategy and business development for the Museum. Andrew began his career in the Integrated Marketing department at the ABC Television Network in New York, ideating, selling, and executing product integrations in primetime, daytime and news programming. A Boston resident since 2006, he has worked in station marketing at WGBH Educational Foundation, where he created a national co-branded marketing campaign for This Old House and launched the PBS Kids series Curious George. Prior to joining the MFA in 2011, Andrew served for four years as Senior Manager of Corporate Sponsorship at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, creating and managing branded corporate partnerships across the BSO’s various performance brands.
Born in Buffalo, NY, Andrew graduated cum laude from Boston College. He lives in Milton with his three children.
Guest Testimonials:
Steve Kelly
“I took advantage of everything St. Francis House had to offer, which was a lot. They helped me with housing, they helped me with my education, they helped me with food and clothing - basically all of my needs they helped me with, until I was able to fend for myself.”
“St Francis House has kept their word to me. They said they’d always have their door open, that they would help me. Everything they said they would do and be, they have done and have been. I wouldn’t be where I am today without St. Francis.”
“St. Francis has changed my life. I owe everything I have to St. Francis, because without them I would not be where I’m at, that I know. And I’m forever grateful for St. Francis House.”
Ursel H.
Ursel never had much of a chance. The sexual abuse began at 10. By 14, she had left home and landed where other girls like her found themselves in the early 1980s: the Combat Zone. Later on there were some good years in the next decade: her own apartment in Roxbury’s Academy homes; two children, and a job that she loved and was good at as a tenant organizer and later as a housing search specialist. But all this time Ursel was a self-described “functional addict”, - cocaine was her drug of choice.
And then an “angel” intervened. Despite Ursel’s protestations, her friend put her on a bus to go to a detox program, where a bed had just opened up. She completed detox and eventually heard about St. Francis House’s Sullivan Family Moving Ahead Program (MAP) from another resident at her sober house.
Those things she wants out of life? She has accomplished many of them, beginning with repairing her relationship with her daughters, who now live with her. And she has meaningful work – as a case manager at a halfway house in Dorchester where every day she sees her younger self reflected in the faces of the women who live there. “I don’t want any of these women to go to the dark place I went to,” says Ursel. “I try to do for them what Chris at St. Francis House did for me the day I wanted to throw in the towel.”
Andrew M.
“I want to say one thing about homelessness: Homelessness is devastating. It’s devastating to the person, the family, the community… And for me, when I was homeless, it sometimes felt impossible – like I should just give up – I thought this CAN NOT GET ANY WORSE – but then it would.
Homelessness becomes almost like a full-time job. I can’t stress enough the importance of safe and stable housing.
Like so many others who end up at the front door of St. Francis House, I’ve been on quite a journey down this long and winding road called life – sometimes filled with pain and great challenges, but ultimately triumph.
Today, I have my own apartment and work as a housing specialist with Eliot Community Human Services, a human services agency – doing for others what St. Francis House did for me.
The Opportunity - Director of Major Gifts
St. Francis House seeks a Director of Major Gifts to be a part of their development team. The Director of Major Gifts is responsible for overall strategy of the Major Gifts program, securing and growing annual support (gifts of $25,000+), and securing Capital Campaign gifts from a portfolio of approximately 100-125 individuals including prospects.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Two Gift Officers.
Oversees the daily workflow of department and department staff.
Interviews, selects, trains staff.
Provides constructive and timely performance communication.
Handles progressive warning and termination of employees in accordance with agency policy/procedure.
Essential Duties/Responsibilities:
Partners with the VP of Philanthropy in developing a Major Gifts strategy.
Builds the Individual Giving pipeline, with a particular focus on developing portfolios for the Major Gifts team.
Develops and cultivates relationships to secure financial support and reach fundraising objectives and revenue targets from 5- and 6-figure prospects.
Grows the pipeline of prospects to generate donor relationships, with prospects rated $250,000+.
Ensures donors realize an outstanding philanthropic experience through their charitable investment of time and financial support.
Plan, organize, influence and control major gift operations.
Engages and cultivates planned gift prospects as appropriate.
Maximizes support from individual donors for St. Francis House to achieve annual goals.
Conduct 8-10 donor meetings monthly, traveling regionally as necessary.
Achieves and maintains the highest standards of relationship management and reporting of donor interactions.
Identifies, qualifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards a personal portfolio of 100-125 individual donor prospects who are capable of making 6-figure gifts.
Collaborates actively with colleagues from other departments.
Part of the St. Francis House Leadership Team.
Adheres to agency code of conduct.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Required Skills/Abilities:
Strategic, energetic, and highly motivated development professional with a proven track record in fundraising.
Demonstrated superior communication and social skills.
Strong supervisory skills, and desire to be part of a team-oriented and goal-driven environment.
Results oriented and mission driven.
Highly motivated self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced yet collaborative team-oriented environment.
Ability to act with confidence and effectiveness when interacting with a wide range of personalities and levels of influence.
Possess a high level of integrity and strong work ethic.
Exceptional collaboration, communication, team building and diplomacy skills.
Ability to manage complex situations with patience, pacing, and consistency.
Recognize and respect diversity in all forms.
Keep current and proficient with necessary skills and knowledge.
Proficiency in English.
Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
Ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and delegate appropriately.
Ability to function well in a fast-paced and stressful environment.
Basic understanding of and commitment to taking a person-centered, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed approach.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Education and Experience:
Knowledge & skills typically acquired through a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five (5) years of experience in major gifts, sales or relationship management with demonstrated success in frontline solicitation required; preferably in an organization with a human services mission.
Equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience securing 6-figure gifts.
An understanding of the Greater Boston philanthropic community.
Must have a driver’s license in good standing and access to a vehicle.
Lived experience of homelessness and/or recovery a plus.
Experience with computers, including the use of email programs, web-based tools, Microsoft Office applications, and proficiency with donor management software (CRM databases, Raisers’ Edge a plus).
St. Francis House is in the midst of its Pathways Campaign, having achieved $65M of its elevated $70M goal. (The original goal was $60M but due to heightened construction costs, the goal was elevated.) Approximately 80% of philanthropy has come from individual donors and 20% from foundations and corporations. SFH is proud of two transformative gifts of $9.5M and $4M.
Campaign resources will support current programming, new and enhanced programming and capital improvements. For more details, please see the Case for Support document (attached).
Annually, philanthropy has grown from $6.6M in FY 18 to $16.6M in FY 23. During the pandemic, philanthropy to St. Francis House surged and engages 14,000-18,000 donors annually.
St. Francis House has an endowment of $380,000.
SFH is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce where all staff can reach their fullest potential. SFH welcomes – everyone who have lived experience of homelessness and/or recovery, and those who have faced historic barriers to competitive employment, in particular Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and those who are multi-lingual or multi-cultural and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these duties.
Applications & Nominations
Don’t check off all the boxes or meet every single requirement? We have learned that potential candidates hesitate when applying for a job unless they meet every single requirement. Boyden Boston is dedicated to inclusivity and valuing diversity and equity in the workplace. If this opportunity excites you, but your background may not be a perfect match, we still encourage you to apply.
Contact Information:
To explore this opportunity further, please send your resume in confidence to:
Lisa Vuona has decades of experience in executive search and human resource management, primarily in the non-profit, healthcare and education sectors. She is distinguished by her track record and network, and by her approach, which combines the strategic power of data with a finely tuned ability to understand the client’s organization and identify high-caliber leaders who fit the culture.
Jill began as a recruiter, transitioning seamlessly to Human Resources Management after several successful years. She has diverse experience in the dot com, biotechnology, and media industries. After taking time to raise her children, Jill returned as a Human Resource Manager for a multimedia company. In this role, she excelled in recruiting, administering benefits, and managing employee relations. Jill's passion continues to be connecting top talent and organizations, both locally and nationally.
St. Francis House, Boston - Case for Support (PDF)
