Director of Advancement

Oct 22

Anticipated Start Date: 1/6/25

Description

The Director of Advancement is a visionary leader who inspires stakeholders to invest in 826 Valencia’s mission and programs. As a member of the leadership team and the staff member chiefly responsible for contributed revenue (approximately 99% of our annual income), the Director of Advancement reports to the Executive Director, works closely with the Board, and oversees all aspects of comprehensive and strategic fundraising plans and awareness-building campaigns that meet both short- and long-term revenue goals. This position effectively manages and supports the Advancement Team, and helps build collaboration across the organization. The person in this role also spearheads an organization-wide culture of philanthropy and champions our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled Advancement leader to join an iconic, mission-driven, and fiscally strong organization in the second year of a three-year $25M Campaign, with over $12M raised to date.

POSITION SNAPSHOT

Supports a team to raise $8M annually toward $25M campaign goal
Builds effective systems for fundraising and communications
Manages a diverse team and supports team members to collaborate effectively and develop professionally
Builds effective, mission-driven, and high-impact relationships both internally (within team, across teams, and with the board) and externally (with donors, partnership organizations, and media)

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Director of Advancement reports to the Executive Director of 826 Valencia and manages three staff members (the Director of Institutional Giving, Manager of Individual Philanthropy, and Communications Manager) while indirectly supporting three additional staff members (Grants and Database Manager, Development and Annual Fund Coordinator, and Communications Coordinator).

Responsibilities

Fundraising and Communications

Lead fundraising and communications efforts, including individual and corporate giving, foundation, and government grants, raising upwards of $8M annually and $25M by June 2026
Develop and execute annual and long-term fundraising plans, employing best practices to maximize contributed revenue, scale the organization, and plan for its future sustainability
Direct special coordinated events, messaging, and fundraising opportunities for 826 Valencia’s $25M Campaign (ending in June 2026) and 826 Valencia’s 25th Anniversary in 2027
Provide assistance and leadership to the Executive Director and Board members to build and maintain long-term relationships with donors and to cultivate effective, meaningful relationships with prospects that lead to measurable results
Manage a personal portfolio of major individual donors, with full responsibility for all cultivation, stewardship, and progressive levels of engagement and giving
Design innovative and high-quality opportunities for donor involvement and stewardship, leveraging best practices for community-centric fundraising and equity
Evaluate and analyze the existing development program and implement effective changes, responses to changing environment, and policies and procedures to increase overall fundraising performance In collaboration with the Communications Manager, guide strategic, on-brand, and timely communications (press relations, partnerships, publications, social media, and internal communications) to build an audience and position the organization as a thought leader in topics including writing, educational equity, and student voice
With the Director of Institutional Giving, oversee the preparation of high-quality, targeted grant proposals and reports that inspire deeper donor connection and investment
With the Manager of Individual Philanthropy, oversee the creation and execution of our annual spring gala and smaller fundraising events, as well as the end of year appeal
With the Grants and Database Manager, oversee the management of the Salesorce donor database and ensure the accuracy of donor records; build systems to use Salesforce effectively for fundraising projections, reporting, and moves management Supervision and Organizational Leadership
Supervise and support team members by providing ongoing coaching, formal evaluations, two-way feedback, and professional development plans
Build a culture of philanthropy: guide the Board, staff, and volunteers in understanding and implementing development best practices and integrating the work into all aspects of the organization
Serve on the 826 Valencia leadership team to support team members from diverse backgrounds and help build a collaborative, mission-driven, and effective work culture
Work collaboratively with the Executive Director and Department Heads to establish and support the strategic direction for 826 Valencia, and integrate the team’s work to support the organization's vision and mission
Collaborate across the 826 Network, supporting, teaching, and learning from the cohort of 826 Development Directors across the country to build the strength of the network

Other Duties

Actively participate in 826 Valencia meetings (including internal committees on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), performance appraisal systems, and other work events (such as DEI trainings, professional development workshops, and the annual 826 National conference)
Meet all deadlines
Support programs as needed in order to gain a broad and deep understanding of our work; all non-programs staff are expected to tutor with at least one program per week (approx. 2 hours)
All other duties as assigned by the Executive Director

Requirements

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience
At least 10 years of progressive responsibility in fundraising
At least 5 years experience managing fundraising staff
Demonstrated ability to solicit and close major gifts, especially individuals in the six- and seven-figure range
Experience in best-practice protocols and systems, including creating development strategies and research profiles, data gathering and interpretation, and external environmental analysis
Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM system
Proficient with computer applications—a thorough understanding of the Microsoft Office and Google suites, and the ability to learn and master other computer technology/software programs as needed
Public relations, media, and communications experience (preferred)
Planned giving training or experience (preferred)
Excellent command of English language and grammar, both verbal and written

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Designs enduring, scalable, and codified systems for sustainable development and fundraising that plan for interdependencies, risks, and contingencies
Leads others in creative problem solving, applying project management and fundraising best practices
Develops and implements systems to effectively support managers in developing and demonstrating management skills; develops and implements accountability and coaching structures to support managers as they coach and develop their teams
Develops and implements systems to take down silos within and across departments, creating formal/informal structures for cross-department collaboration that leverages differences and inspires trust among members
Demonstrates awareness of cultural values, biases, and differences in self and others, and tailors approach based on this understanding; applies a culturally competent lens to work
Demonstrates highly developed awareness of how one's leadership and behaviors directly and indirectly impact others; anticipates and understands implications and communicates these across the organization
Works with the Executive Director to confidently lead the Department through times of change and transition, working with a team to identify opportunities for innovation amidst change
Identifies and understands stakeholder perspectives; anticipates and embraces stakeholder reactions and works to address concerns in ways that resonate
Creates a culture of professional development, continuous feedback, and mutual support among staff within the purview and in collaboration with other Directors; provides a compelling career progression within the Department and environment for growth and development; develops and implements systems to celebrate team accomplishments

Salary Range and Employee Benefits

$130,000–$150,000, depending on experience

How to Apply for this Job

Apply Now

About the Organization

826 Valencia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting under-resourced students ages six to eighteen with their creative and expository writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

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