Director of Advancement

Description

Reporting to the President and CEO, the Director of Advancement is responsible for overall advancement of the Foundation’s mission, message, and resource development. S/he increases discretionary grant funds for the community, expands the Foundation donor base, oversees Foundation communications, and ensures active and positive donor engagement. S/he designs and leads a fundraising campaign to grow CACF discretionary assets, both endowed and annual. S/he increases fund accounts at the Foundation and has primary responsibility for designing and executing programs that enable donors or others to connect with each other; leverage resources; learn about philanthropic practice; and understand and address nonprofit and community trends. S/he works with the leadership team to ensure execution of a robust communications strategy that advances the Foundation goals. S/he works closely with the Director of Programs to realize synergies between CACF’s donor engagement and grantmaking goals and activities.

Job Duties

Specific responsibilities include:

• Design and implement a short and long-term development plan to meet established goals and objectives. This includes, but is not limited to, strategies to secure major gifts, annual events and appeals, co-funding partnerships, fund accounts, corporate gifts, donor cultivation and stewardship, and developing new approaches to grow the Foundation’s donor base.
• Clearly articulate and promote a strong case of need for philanthropy that builds opportunities to create and sustain a culture of giving to ensure the Foundation’s ability to provide grants and resources to the region.
• Create a quality advancement infrastructure that includes database management, prospect identification and management, gift processing and acknowledgement and meaningful stewardship.
• In partnership with the CEO, serve as the chief major and principal gifts solicitor utilizing the CEO when appropriate and staffing her on all crucial solicitations.
• Build an active, effective volunteer leadership structure who will assist in selective major/principal gifts solicitations that includes both governing board members and important individuals in the community.
• With the approval of the CEO, establish performance metrics that include goals for number of visits, number of solicitations opened and number of gifts successfully closed.
• Create an annual giving structure that includes the use of face-to-face solicitation, direct marketing and social media.
• Manage cultivation and stewardship initiatives. Actively cultivate new donors and steward on-going donors through personal visits, intimate small group gatherings featuring the CEO and larger donor recognition events.
• Actively participate in gatherings of the non-profit community and build relationships with donors and other non-profit executives through a myriad of networking activities. Become known in the Charlottesville community.
• Develop strategies for existing donors to effectively move them through a meaningful cycle of giving.
• Design and carry out strategies for donor retention and ongoing commitment to CACF’s work for the community. Design and execute an annual donor engagement program with relevant content and a vibrant mix of social events, learning activities, and community experiences.
• Provide strategic oversight alongside the President and CEO and the Director of Finance to ensure that overall donor giving supports CACF’s strategic financial goals
• Work with the President and CEO to build relationships with new and existing donors and advisors, enlisting support from CACF’s Governing Board and team
• Supervise the Communications Manager to ensure execution of a robust communications strategy that advances the mission and key messaging of the Foundation. Ensure all aspects of CACF’s communications are compelling and relevant for donors of all ages and types.
• Based on feedback from prospective and existing donors, provide guidance to the Director of Finance on donor requirements or preferences for financial, investment and charitable giving products and services
• Work with the Director of Programs and the Donor Engagement Manager to identify and realize opportunities for aligned giving across donor and committee advised funds and endowed community funds
• Supervise the Donor Engagement Manager to ensure strong donor stewardship, service, engagement, fund management and compliance
• Provide daily supervision of the Donor Engagement Manager and Communications Manager

Skills Required

The Director of Advancement has excellent interpersonal skills. S/he is a relationship builder with specific expertise in working with donors and in connecting people with ideas and opportunities to support initiatives aimed at strengthening our region. S/he is highly strategic and has skills in designing, managing, and delivering on a multi-pronged fundraising plan to achieve financial goals. S/he is also an accomplished manager who can effectively collaborate with colleagues and structure operations to meet the diverse interests and requirements of donors. S/he has a ‘customer service’ orientation and continuously strives to ensure donor satisfaction. The Director of Advancement brings considerable knowledge of our community, the community foundation model, and trends and best practice in philanthropy and charitable giving to CACF’s work. S/he has up to 5 years prior experience of working directly with donors on behalf of a nonprofit organization or a foundation, and a successful track record of donor cultivation, fundraising and engagement. S/he also has strong personal values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is committed to advancing those values in the organization and community.

Additional Info

Personal Qualities

• Unquestioned personal integrity.
• Loyalty to colleagues, direct reports, supervisors and the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF).
• Kindness as a virtue, not as a strategy.
• Strong personal work ethic, self-motivated and results-oriented.

• Extraordinary energy, drive, and initiative.

• Enthusiasm, ability to take considered risks, and the courage to speak and act on convictions.

• Strong and persuasive oral and written communications skills.
• Ability to represent CACF to external audiences.

• Team-builder with a collaborative style.

• Mature, charismatic personality possessing the style, stature, leadership and diplomatic skills to work effectively with the CEO, Governing Board, senior staff and volunteers in marshalling the full fundraising potential of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation.

Qualified applicants should submit a resume and a cover letter describing candidate qualifications and relevant experience with contact information Nareen Scott.  Please send as one document.