Friends of the Children Los Angeles

Chief Advancement Officer

Friends of the Children Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California (Hybrid position)

The Moran Company is pleased to partner with Friends of the Children - Los Angeles to recruit the organization's next Chief Advancement Officer.

Founded in 2017, Friends of the Children – Los Angeles (Friends LA) is a chapter of the national Friends of the Children network, which began 30 years ago. Friends LA’s mission is to impact generational change by empowering youth facing the greatest obstacles through long-term professional mentorship relationships for 12+ years, no matter what. Our professional mentors (Friends) support children navigating significant trauma, providing each child and family with weekly 1:1 support from kindergarten through high school completion. Friends LA is recognized as the premier child mentoring organization in LA County, taking a two-generational approach that supports both children and their caregivers.

Friends of the Children Los Angeles has a dedicated and diverse team of 80+ full-time staff, including a dynamic Executive Director and an engaged Advancement team comprised of a Major Gifts Officer, External Relations Manager, and Development Operations Manager. Friends LA also has a committed Board of Directors and an active Advancement Committee. Friends LA operates five sites, with headquarters in Metro-South Los Angeles and additional sites in Antelope Valley, San Gabriel Valley, and South Bay. The organization manages an $8 million annual operating budget. Friends LA has a goal to double the number of families served by 2027 and increase annual revenue from approximately $8 million to $12 million.

This is a hybrid position based in Los Angeles County. Candidates must live in LA County, be available to work on-site in the office at least once a week and regularly attend external donor meetings throughout LA County. Friends LA seeks a Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) who is a build-and-scale leader to ignite the next phase of the organization’s advancement strategy, including reimagining team structure and fundraising systems to scale impact. Reporting to the Executive Director and serving as a key member of the executive leadership team, the CAO is responsible for leading all revenue-generating and external engagement strategies, including individual giving and major gifts, institutional giving and grants, government and public funding (in partnership with the Executive Director), corporate support, events, strategic communications, and board engagement. The Chief Advancement Officer will oversee a team of three, evaluate and intentionally build systems and team capacity, and drive high-level execution of the organization's fundraising and communication strategies.

This is an ideal role for a seasoned advancement leader who thrives in a growth environment, brings both strategic vision and roll‑up‑your‑sleeves execution, and is excited to help an engaged CEO scale a high‑impact organization in a complex market like Los Angeles. The CAO will be a high-achieving, strategic, collaborative, and mission-driven thought leader with a proven track record of successful fundraising and building a culture of philanthropy.

This position requires a bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of senior advancement experience with demonstrated success building and scaling advancement revenue across multiple revenue streams. Other qualifications include a passion for Friends LA’s mission, deep expertise in institutional giving and grants, and strong major gifts experience. Familiarity with child welfare systems, foster care prevention and intervention strategies, and/or lived experience in or with the foster care system is a plus, as well as familiarity with public funding environments or reimbursement (i.e., Medi-Cal) is a plus.

The salary range for this position is $175,000 to $190,000, depending on qualifications and experience. A comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance (100% premiums paid for the employee), retirement match, life and disability insurance, EAP, work-from-home allowance, and generous holidays, vacation, and sick leave, including a summer recess the first week of July and an annual winter recess during the last week of December.

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to Angie Heer, The Moran Company. The resume should include all professional education and experience, examples of fundraising accomplishments, dates of employment (month and year), position/title, and organization names. The cover letter should highlight your relevant experience, passion for Friends of the Children LA’s mission, and your approach to building and scaling fundraising revenue. Applications should be submitted by February 9th. APPLY NOW

Friends LA offers a generous vacation and sick leave policy, quarterly reset days, 12 paid holidays, summer half days, a summer recess the first week of July, and an annual winter recess during the last week of December. Employees are eligible for medical benefits (including vision and dental), 401k retirement plan and match, EAP, and ongoing professional development opportunities.

Employees can add optional plans, at employee expense, which include medical coverage for dependents, Flexible Spending Accounts, supplemental life insurance, and more.