Director of Development

About AdvanceEDU

AdvanceEDU is a young nonprofit organization improving student outcomes in Colorado by offering an innovative higher education model aimed at closing equity gaps related to income and race. AdvanceEDU students earn an online degree from a high-quality, nonprofit, and accredited university collaborator. We prioritize degree programs that are flexible and career-relevant. AdvanceEDU provides students with funding opportunities for college, intensive personalized success coaching (academic and career), career connections, and access to our warm and thriving co-learning community (both in person and online).

AdvanceEDU is funded by a mix of fees from partners, government sources, and philanthropic fundraising. AdvanceEDU currently fundraises $1-2 million annually, with the vast majority to date coming from some of the leading local and national foundations in education and workforce development. AdvanceEDU was also the recent recipient of a highly competitive scale grant from the State of Colorado’s Opportunity Now grant program. AdvanceEDU is proud of its high rate of repeat giving by its philanthropic funders.

As we continue to grow, we are seeking an equity-minded and entrepreneurial individual to join our leadership team as our first Director of Development, with the goal of incrementally growing our annual fundraising and diversifying our fundraising sources. We value teamwork, innovation for impact, and an unwavering dedication to the success of each student. If you are passionate about making a difference, embody our start-up values, and have a strong background in fundraising, donor stewardship, fundraising events, and communications, we encourage you to apply.

Role Mission Statement

The Director of Development will be responsible for creating and implementing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to secure financial resources and support the organization's mission of providing innovative, supported career pathways that close Colorado’s socioeconomic equity gaps in college completion and career attainment.

Responsibilities

• Fundraising Strategy: Partner with the CEO to develop and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies aligned with the organization's mission and goals. This will include collaboratively setting a target for the annual amount of philanthropic dollar raised, as well as the potential proportion of funding coming from various sources, including foundations, government agencies, and individual donors.
• Donor Cultivation and Stewardship: Cultivate and steward a diverse portfolio of donors, including with a focus on foundations and individual giving. Manage donor relationships, and ensure timely and effective communication.
• Grant Writing and Reporting: Research and write grant proposals to secure funding from various sources, including foundations and government agencies. Help the team ensure timely and accurate grant reports by maintaining a grant reporting schedule and recruiting the right team members to complete the reports.
• Special Events: Oversee the planning and execution of fundraising events and campaigns; this will primarily involve planning for 3-4 smaller “Salon Series” events over the course of the year.
• Board Communication: Work with the AdvanceEDU CEO to maintain regular communication with the board of directors regarding fundraising activities and progress.
• Communications and Marketing: Collaborate with the Outreach team to create compelling fundraising materials, including an Annual Report and target donor updates. These should feature success stories from students and AdvanceEDU’s strong outcomes.

Competencies

AdvanceEDU Teamwide Competencies

• Equity and Anti-racism: We approach our work with a lens of equity and inclusion and embody our Commitment to Anti-racism (found in the AdvanceEDU Operations Guide) in everything we do.
• Student Service Orientation: We put our students and our community at the center of every decision we make and every action we take. We believe our students are capable of meeting the highest standards, and we are here to help them do so.
• Collaboration and Team Support: We invest in relationships, and we’re mindful of how our interactions with others helps to move the work forward. We elevate each other’s achievements, support each other through the setbacks. We act in a manner that demonstrates our belief that every relationship matters, and we offer support when things are going wrong.
• Continuous Improvement: We prioritize getting it right, not being right. We admit when we are struggling and take action to fix it. We put the toughest issues on the table and do the right thing, even if it isn’t the easy thing. As the world changes and we continue to get feedback from the students we serve, we’ll be constantly building and rebuilding our organization for as long as we exist.
• Giving and Receiving Feedback: We provide proactive, candid feedback with positive intent, even when it is hard. Team members actively seek and incorporate feedback from peers and leaders. We work hard to value feedback, even when people tell us things that might be tough to hear. We believe that those courageous enough to tell us what we need to hear should be rewarded, not punished.
• Willingness to Help Draw the Roadmap: There is not a clear roadmap for the work we are doing at AdvanceEDU. Many of those things will be built here over time. A key to success here will always be to seek answers and proactively propose solutions when challenges are identified, as well as supporting the team’s prioritization of the most urgent and important shifts that need to be made.

Competencies for AdvanceEDU Directors

• Setting the Bar: Manages multiple teams or smaller functions (in this case, the Development Function), setting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and monitoring progress.
• Thriving in Ambiguity: Accepts and anticipates frequent pace of change without having the full picture and navigates change using innovative solutions.
• Problem-Solving and Sense-Making: Identifies and addresses challenges that touch the Development function but impact multiple departments in the organization, creating clarity from ambiguity.
• Strategic Planning: Balances organizational priorities with current context to develop Development strategy, working collaboratively across AdvanceEDU departments as needed.
• Making Sound Decisions: Anticipates and considers cross-organizational implications of functional decisions in the Development space.
• Improving Systems: Drives a team/function-wide systems improvement lens on student- and staff-facing processes that involve the Development function, identifying opportunities for improvement and taking steps to make those improvements.
• Developing Team Members: Coaches, mentors, and develops team members, where applicable, towards strong growth.

Competencies Specific to This Role

• Strategic Fundraising Acumen: Demonstrates expertise in developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies that align with organizational goals, ensuring sustainable revenue growth.
• Donor Relationship Management: Possesses strong skills in identifying, cultivating, and stewarding a diverse portfolio of donors, including individuals, corporations, foundations, and government entities, ensuring long-term donor engagement and retention.
• Grant Writing and Research Proficiency: Exhibits advanced proficiency in researching, writing, and securing grant funding from various sources, effectively communicating the organization's mission and needs to potential funders.
• Event Planning and Execution: Skilled in overseeing the planning and execution of special events and fundraising campaigns, ensuring they are successful, impactful, and align with fundraising objectives.
• Board and Executive Communication: Strong ability to maintain regular and effective communication with the CEO and board of directors regarding fundraising activities, progress, and challenges, fostering transparency and collaboration.
• Collaborative Marketing and Communication: Demonstrates the ability to work closely with the Outreach team and partners to create compelling and targeted fundraising materials, including newsletters, social media content, and donor reports.
• Community and Partnership Building: Expertise in building and maintaining strategic relationships with community partners, organizations, and stakeholders, leveraging these connections to support and enhance fundraising efforts.

Success Metrics

• Dollars raised
• Number of unique donors added
• Percentage of repeat donations
• Number of prospective donors reached through events
• Number of prospective donors reached through Annual Report and/or other target communications

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $77,500 to $110,000, depending on previous experience and professional capacity. Benefits include:

• Company-sponsored health, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401k with employer match up to 4%
• 19 company holidays
• Hybrid work arrangement
• Unlimited vacation and sick leave

All AdvanceEDU roles have hybrid work arrangements, allowing for some at-home work and some work in the field. Candidates should be comfortable commuting to AdvanceEDU's downtown Denver Office at least twice per week.

AdvanceEDU is an equal employment opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

Location: Denver, Colorado