Director of Advancement

About Leverage: Leverage Colorado is a start-up 501(c)(3) dedicated to advancing smart, equitable policies that make aging more affordable in Colorado. With an initial grant of $3 million from Next50 Foundation, Leverage is in a strategic growth phase focused on expanding our donor base, strengthening long-term sustainability, expanding our advocacy influence, and developing strategic messaging.

We are seeking a Director of Advancement to build a sophisticated revenue strategy, support community partnerships, and oversee strategic communications across the 501(c)(3) as well as an affiliated 501(c)(4) organization.

Reporting to the President and CEO, this is a senior leadership role for a builder and operator. At this stage of growth, advancement is not just fundraising - it is organizational strategy. The Director of Advancement will shape how the organization sustains and scales its impact across both charitable and advocacy efforts. This is a high-ownership, high-impact role for a senior leader ready to build the next chapter of growth.

The Director of Advancement will:

• Drive multi-year revenue growth from diverse sources
• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy across individual, philanthropic, and corporate donors, and other sources as needed
• Lead strategic communications and narrative positioning to support donor engagement and organizational visibility.
• Strengthen advancement systems and revenue forecasting.
• Lead donor stewardship and engagement strategies that strengthen long-term, sustainable, philanthropic partnerships.
• Manage advancement infrastructure, including CRM systems, donor pipelines, and performance tracking.
• Partner closely with the President and CEO and Board on revenue strategy.
• Lead and support other tasks and projects as needed.
• Keep updated on key philanthropic finance trends and changes within the sector.

The ideal candidate:

• Thinks like a strategist and executes like an operator.
• Has experience making direct asks of high-profile individuals and funders, and managing major donor relationships.
• Has an established network and experience working within Colorado.
• Understands how narrative drives philanthropy.
• Brings strong judgment and compliance awareness.
• Passionate and flexible about building systems in a growth-stage organization.
• Can operate independently while aligning closely with and supporting executive leadership.
• Combine strong relationship-based fundraising experience with the ability to architect systems that support growth beyond our current $3M budget.
• Familiarity and understanding of aging-related issues across sectors.

Core Responsibilities:

Development Strategy & Major Gifts

• Develop and execute a multi-year advancement growth strategy that includes individual, philanthropic, and corporate donors.
• Lead identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Expand and deepen philanthropic foundation and institutional relationships.
• Build compliant and strategic c4-aligned fundraising capacity.
• Set clear annual and quarterly revenue targets.
• Activate board members as fundraising ambassadors.
• Support the President and CEO in all aspects of building revenue strategy and major gifts.

Strategic Communications & Partnerships

• Develop and lead an integrated communications strategy aligned with revenue and advocacy goals.
• Clarify and elevate organizational narrative and positioning within the community.
• Oversee case statements, impact reporting, donor materials, and campaign messaging.
• Guide digital engagement strategy (website, email, thought leadership, media).
• Ensure message alignment across c3 and c4 entities.
• Support the President and CEO in public speaking opportunities as needed.

Advancement Operations & Infrastructure

• Optimize CRM and reporting systems for scale.
• Develop work products for leadership and board oversight.
• Support compliance and clear separation between c3 and c4 funding streams.
• Strengthen gift processing and stewardship workflows.
• Partner with finance on revenue forecasting and budgeting.
• Support the President and CEO in reporting to the Board of Directors.

Qualifications:

• 6+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience.
• Experience in the Colorado non-profit and advocacy ecosystem.
• Demonstrated success in securing and closing major gifts.
• Experience building or scaling donor portfolios.
• Strong strategic communications and messaging capabilities.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership and boards.
• Experience with 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations.
• Policy, advocacy, or systems-level change experience.
• CRM optimization or advancement infrastructure development

At-Will Employment Statement: Employment with Leverage is at-will. Nothing in this job description constitutes a contract or guarantee of continued employment.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Leverage is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Employer-sponsored retirement plan
• 13 paid holidays a year
• 30 days (240 hours) of PTO accrued annually
• Flexible hybrid work environment