Chief Development Officer

BLCI seeks an individual that is committed to closing the educational achievement gap, creating change in education and interested in expanding BLCI’s impact. BLCI offers their employees an opportunity to impact policy, families, and a large community through education. Working at BLCI is an opportunity to be part of a movement.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Chief Development Officer (CDO) is responsible for the philanthropic strategy and infrastructure needed to grow the revenue budget through retention and acquisition of individual, corporate, government and foundation support. The CDO is also responsible for organizational advancement through the creation and implementation of an annual communications plan to support marketing and engagement efforts.

The CDO is in charge of building strong internal and external relationships and oversees the vision, goals, and strategies for the Development department. The CDO oversees and manages all development-related programs and functions with the aim of properly engaging supporters in the organization, making them feel as part of the Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI) family. The CDO serves as a role model to lead the Development department staff in working collaboratively across the organization to ensure that BLCI’s mission is achieved.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Serve as an ambassador for BLCI and the communities we serve.
• Collaborate with the CEO and Board to develop, cultivate, and strengthen BLCI's culture of philanthropy within all BLCI constituencies including employees, volunteers, clients, and donors.
• Foster a community of support and access for all our constituents (families, partners, etc.)
• Collaborate with leadership to set organizational performance goals.
• Align strategic revenue growth priorities with development opportunities.
• Educate donors about BLCI, our mission, and the need for our services.
• Coordinate development initiatives and reports for leadership and the Board.
• Manage and/or serve on ad hoc committees as needed, and serve on the Finance Committee.
• Create regular opportunities for the Development team to meet with other BLCI stakeholders to share knowledge, strategies, stories of impact, and other important information that will enable BLCI to successfully reach its goals in a collaborative, aligned manner.
• Maintain a working knowledge of national, state, and regional programmatic priorities and issues.

Fundraising

• Build development strategies across all areas of individual, corporate, government and foundation giving.
• Lead the creation of fundraising plans to ensure financial goals are achieved through multiple fundraising approaches/channels.
• Implement a fundraising plan with annual benchmarks for the engagement of donors and partners that includes individuals, corporations, foundations, government, and other nonprofit organizations that support BLCI.
• Drive fundraising efforts including grant making, tracking, special events, direct mail and online fundraising, major, special and community giving strategies and stewardship
• Review, update and implement BLCI’s annual fundraising plan to achieve the annual financial goal.
• Oversee strategy and contract support for grant identification, research, and reporting processes to ensure timely submissions, accurate documentation, and alignment with organizational goals.
• Manage BLCI’s external consultants for grant writing.
• Provide strategic leadership in developing the strategy for all aspects of the gift cycle, including initiating donor relationships and stewardship, crafting and executing cultivation strategies, guiding potential donors through solicitation and closure, leading solicitation efforts, and overseeing comprehensive donor stewardship activities.
• Maintain a portfolio of top corporations, foundations, leadership, and individual donors and prospects.
• Evaluate fundraising activities annually to ensure quality, productivity, and relevance towards meeting goals.
• Advise the CEO on the relationship building and fundraising opportunities that are strategic and of the highest priority.
• Collaborate with the CEO to schedule attendance at fundraising and donor cultivation processes and events.
• Train Board members in fundraising and help to identify and recruit new Board members.

Advancement

• Provide vision and direction for advancement communications, aligning fundraising and impact messaging with brand positioning to strengthen the case for support.
• Develop high-touch executive communications on behalf of the CEO, including annual reports, quarterly impact reports, and monthly e-communications.
• Oversee the maintenance and/or update of the BLCI website, social media, and online fundraising.
• Build strategy and lead efforts for all organizational initiatives, social media, and other fundraising support and collateral to be used by the Development team.
• Represent BLCI community on boards, panels, and community events that support the organization’s community and fundraising goals.

Development Team Leadership

• Lead the Development team and ensure that the team is meeting or exceeding fundraising goals.
• Hire, develop, supervise, coach and evaluate team members and create a supportive, goal-oriented and productive work culture based on BLCI values.
• Set performance goals for team members and evaluate performance against goals on a regular basis.
• Effectively coach team members and provide supportive and developmental feedback to enhance performance.
• Develop a high-performance team culture focused on leadership and accountability at all levels, continuous learning, collaboration, measurement and goal achievement.
• Ensure that processes, procedures and assignments of responsibilities are designed to meet fundraising goals in an efficient, manageable, and effective manner.

Financial Management

• Create and monitor the organization’s revenue budget/projections as well as the Development team expense budget.
• Work collaboratively with the CEO in creating the organization’s overall operational budget by providing accurate information and the best revenue forecasts possible.
• Assist in collecting and reporting any data necessary for the Board, funders, and other external requirements.
• Ensure the integrity of all gift acceptance processes and data management.
  • Oversee data entry and gift processing, ensuring accurate and timely submission.
  • Ensure that accurate and updated records of all communications and donor information are maintained by the team in donor database systems.
  • Oversee creation and maintenance of gift acceptance policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and laws, maintain accountability to donors, and the ethical standards of professional conduct.

Other Duties

• Represent the organization positively in public and private settings, embodying its mission and values.
• Participate in staff meetings, adhering to policies and procedures, and actively contributing to the overall functioning of the organization.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization of shared facilities, promoting a productive and professional work environment.
• Assist with events and organization functions as needed, demonstrating a collaborative and adaptable approach.
• Exemplify a commitment to the organization's mission and values.
• Be a team player, willingly taking on tasks beyond the scope of work as assigned, aligning with organizational needs and leveraging individual skill sets.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Effectively communicate organizational needs, oversee employee performance, and provide guidance, coaching, and support.
• Identify development needs and align individual performance expectations with organizational goals.

Direct Report(s)

• Development Manager
• Manage all staff, consultants, committees, and volunteers in development functions

Required Competencies/Skills/Abilities:

• Effective leadership skills, inspiring and motivating teams to achieve high-level results.
• Strong relationship-building and rapport with stakeholders, including students, staff, parents, leadership, Board members, donors, and the community.
• Excellent conflict resolution and collaboration skills, fostering positive relationships among team members and stakeholders.
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills for effective engagement with others.
• Deliver exceptional customer service, exceeding the needs and expectations of stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and critical thinking skills for effective problem-solving and decision-making.
• Proactive approach to change management, embracing new challenges and adapting swiftly to unexpected circumstances.
• Impartial and objective evaluation of facts, exercising sound judgment, discretion, and thorough research in decision-making.
• Positive influence through professional behaviors and practices, inspiring others to excel.
• Effective workload management, prioritizing tasks, setting goals, and consistently delivering results within timelines and guidelines.
• Commitment to excellence in work processes and outcomes, adhering to organizational policies and external requirements.
• Effective communication of needs, clear expectations, providing feedback, guidance, and holding individuals accountable.
• Resilience, professionalism, openness to feedback, a willingness to learn, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Competence in developing evaluation systems, managing data, and preparing reports with meaningful recommendations.
• Collaborative work style, fostering a positive and inclusive team environment.
• Wisdom and thoughtfulness in addressing complex issues with competing interests.
• Strong passion and commitment to supporting underserved students for college and careers and serving underrepresented communities.
• Proven success as a strong and effective advocate.
• Uphold high standards of ethics and accountability in actions and decisions.
• Demonstrate emotional intelligence and responsiveness in interactions with others.
• Fair and equitable treatment of all students, promoting inclusivity and diversity.
• Cultivate a growth mindset and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Education and Experience:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in related field.
• 7 years of relevant work experience in fundraising, prospecting, senior leadership, management, and related skills, knowledge, and subject areas.
• Demonstrated continued success in increasing monetary fundraising at one or more nonprofits
• Demonstrated success building relationships for fundraising
• Demonstrated experience managing staff and volunteers
• Knowledge of donor software and other fund development tools
• Ability to work some weekends and late nights
• Proof of eligibility to work in the United States.
• Must be able to drive, hold a valid California driver’s license, use BLCI and personal vehicle and provide proof of insurance
• Successfully pass background check.

Preferred

• Master’s Degree in related field
• 10+ years of relevant experience
• 3+ years experience in one or more nonprofits in San Diego County
• Experience with roles related to higher education access for traditionally underserved populations.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish

Health, Dental, Vision, SIMPLE IRA, HSA, PTO, holidays

Preferred but not required, bilingual English and Spanish