Chief Development Officer

JOB TITLE

Chief of Development Officer

REPORTS TO

Executive Director

TIMELINE

• Applications Deadline November 8, 2024

JOB DETAILS

• Full Time, Salary, Exempt
• Some nights or weekends may be required in support of key Ed Fund events.

COMPENSATION

• The salary range for this position is $160k-$170k Annually

BENEFITS

• Average of 13-15 Paid Holidays, plus a winter break.
• 100% Employer Paid Health Insurance (employee only) Health/Vision/ Dental/ Life. 
• EAP, Travel Assistance, and Health Advocate Programs
• Sponsored 401K Plan (non-matched)
• Generous Vacation and Sick time accrual
• Professional Development Budget for all staff
• Work/Life Balance

INSTRUCTIONS

Please read the following in order to avoid application delays:

• Applications will be reviewed immediately and candidates with the best fit will be contacted for interviews. 
• Unfortunately, the volume of applications will prevent us from responding to all applications received. 
• Please send application to [email protected]  with the following instructions:
  • Subject: “Chief of Development Officer” - First and Last Name
  • Please include: Cover Letter and Resume

ABOUT THE ED FUND:

Founded in 2003 the Oakland Public Education Fund leads the investment of community resources in Oakland public schools so that all students can learn, grow, and thrive. We do this by helping Oakland communities build and manage resources, partnerships, and public engagement essential to improving public education. 

OUR WORK:

The Oakland Public Education Fund is a nonprofit that leads the development of community resources in Oakland public schools so that all students can learn, grow, and thrive. We have helped raise over $200M for Oakland kids, placed 10,000 volunteers in local classrooms, and fiscally sponsored more than 150 education-related projects. Learn more about our work and mission at www.oaklandedfund.org. 

WORK LIFE AT THE ED FUND:

• Ability to work from home; with a Hybrid schedule
• Great mentorship and opportunities for both personal development and professional growth;
• The opportunity to make a direct, positive impact on Oakland public schools and programs serving our youth.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Oakland Public Education Fund seeks a passionate and entrepreneurial Chief Development Officer to lead all aspects of fundraising for the organization. Possessing the knowledge and interpersonal communication skills to create and execute a comprehensive fundraising program, develop strategies, and plan for a portfolio of donors and prospects, the CDO will lead fundraising initiatives and activities to support and grow the agency’s programs, mission, and vision.

Reporting to the Executive Director and working closely with the executive team, the CDO will lead and inspire the development team, support the ED and Board of Directors by fostering a culture of philanthropy across the organization, establish strategies to increase contributed revenue to meet agency goal, while managing a personal portfolio of funders across individual, philanthropic, and corporate funders. The CDO manages a robust Development Team including a Development & Partnerships Manager, a Grants Specialist, and a Senior Manager of Development Operations. They are also supported by an Executive Director with knowledge and experience in fundraising, plus an active and engaged Development Committee of the Board.

The CDO will possess the knowledge, creativity, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills needed to support robust philanthropic goals. The ideal candidate is strategic and able to operationalize,  is a positive leader, energetic and engaging, with an upbeat disposition and a ‘can do’ approach. The CDO will lead with a hands-on approach with agency staff embracing change while promoting an agency culture of dignity, and respect, and driving outcomes while remaining committed to consistently learning and growing. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Fundraising and Development:

• With vision and creativity (and in partnership with the ED) design, implement, and manage strategies to meet the annual $3.5M budget in alignment with the organization’s values, vision, and mission, while working to grow philanthropic support;
• Develop a comprehensive, data-driven fund development plan that includes donor segmentation, grants management, individual and institutional fundraising objectives, and success metrics;
• Develop a planned giving strategy; grow and manage this new revenue stream; 
• Manage the portfolio strategy for the team, and maintain a personal portfolio of major donors and prospects;
• Plan, support, and attend a variety of Ed Fund events, including (but not limited to) annual gala donor appreciation events and other fundraising and “friend-raising” events, working to maximize their success and foster a commitment to philanthropy and community of donors;
• Improve upon existing  donor recognition and cultivation plans, including donor appreciation events;
• Work in close cooperation with the ED and Board of Directors to expand the Ed Fund donor base;
• Oversee the tracking and reporting of donor and revenue information using the Salesforce database in coordination with the Development team and members of the Finance team.

Executive Leadership:

• As a vital member of the executive leadership team, serve as a key thought partner and collaborator to the Executive team and the Board to vision and drive strategy and initiatives, expanding organizational impact;
• Act as the main liaison to the Board of Directors for fundraising activities and manage the Development Committee;
• Together with the ED, establish the annual philanthropy budget and monitor progress against the budget;
• Work to institutionalize a culture of philanthropy across the organization.
• Prepare periodic reports to the ED, CFO, and Board of Directors, on the status of development efforts of the organization.

Strategic Planning and Management:

• Manage the Development & Partnerships Manager, a Grants Specialist, and Senior Manager of Development Operations;
• Support the strategic resource development work across Oakland’s public school system: This position, along with the Executive Director, will serve as a partner to District leaders in supporting the development and management of a system-wide fund development strategy that expands the resources available to support systemic and site-level needs of Oakland public schools; 
• Key to this will be engaging with OUSD leaders and other partners to co-construct and manage the resource development process, providing coaching to system leaders in managing relations with key donors, and developing innovative public and private partnerships that support Oakland schools;
• Collaborate with the Programs Department to coordinate donor strategy for public schools and Ed Fund programs;
• Thoughtful and timely coaching of the executive director, staff, board members, fiscally sponsored initiatives, and OUSD partners to strengthen their fundraising effectiveness;
• Develop and manage an annual budget for all development activities at The Ed Fund;
• Promote a culture of collaboration, transparency, feedback, and continuous improvement that values learning accountability, and a commitment to equity;
• Inform the way the organization collects and curates program successes to communicate impact, creating transparent donor relationships and building long-term community engagement;
• Represent the Oakland Public Education Fund’s work and values effectively and compellingly to external audiences.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields or equivalent experience preferred. 
• 7-10 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and development, including 5 years in senior development leadership roles working closely with the executive team and board of directors. 
• A high degree of personal and professional integrity and honesty. Excellent administrative, organizational, and communication skills.
  • Significant professional experience in and passion for resource development with demonstrated success with individual, corporate, and foundation giving that has resulted in meaningful commitments. 
  • Deep knowledge of non-profit fund development and managing funder relationships with experience designing and leading annual campaigns. 
  • Management and supervision: Experience in employee (either staff, contractors, or volunteers) supervision, support, hiring, and evaluation, and departmental budget management,
  • Experience in cultivating experiences that help develop deep and long-lasting donor relationships;
  • Knowledge of and working relationships with the Bay Area funding community;
  • Successful experience with managing, growing, and supporting teams in a hybrid work environment.
• Technical Skills: Familiarity with Salesforce CRM or general experience with databases.
• This role requires a TB clearance and the ability to pass a background check (Livescan fingerprinting).
• The Ed Fund works on a hybrid schedule. Due to the leadership nature of the role, the CDO is expected to work from the office, or be at in-person donor and partner meetings, 3-4 days/week.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY DISCLOSURE:

The Oakland Public Education Fund is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. 

We are dedicated to improving our organization and know that part of it means to better reflect the people we serve. We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages and we especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.