Development Director - Advokids

About Advokids

Advokids' mission is to protect and promote the right of every child in foster care in California to safety, security, and a permanent home. For over 30 years, Advokids has been the only statewide legal advocacy nonprofit organization in California dedicated to securing the physical safety and emotional well-being of the 42,000 children in the California foster care system. Advokids’ free legal services and legal programs meet the urgent and immediate needs of individual children in foster care while identifying and curing systemic failures for the benefit of all children in foster care in California.

Position Overview

The Development Director is a key member of the Advokids’ leadership team. The Director will be responsible for leading the strategy, goals and implementation of an advancement plan that will drive Advokids’ short- and long-term financial growth and sustainability. This will include identification, outreach, solicitation and stewardship of major donors, foundations and corporations as well as oversight and execution of our annual fundraising event. The ideal candidate is a dynamic, relationship-oriented leader who can develop and implement fundraising and communications strategies that increase the impact of Advokids’ legal programs and services.

Expectations & Benefits

This is a full time, exempt position working 4 days per week, Monday - Thursday. Compensation is $90,000 - $110,000 depending on experience. Advokids offers its employees a monthly Health Care Costs Reimbursement Program, 401k plan, 4 weeks of PTO annually, plus 12 paid holidays.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Development Planning & Implementation:
  • Lead the development and implementation of a long-term advancement plan that aligns with Advokids’ mission, goals, and priorities.
  • Oversee and manage all aspects of fundraising, including major gifts, annual gala planning and execution, grants, corporate partnerships, planned giving, and annual giving.
  • Develop effective strategies for donor engagement, retention, and stewardship.
  • Identify, cultivate, and steward relationships with individuals, foundations, and corporate partners.
  • Personally manage a portfolio of major donors and prospects, ensuring timely and effective outreach, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Fundraising Campaigns and Events:
  • Oversee the planning and execution of major fundraising campaigns and events, including our annual fundraising gala with a goal to engage a broad donor base.
  • Partner with the communications team to design compelling campaign materials and strategies to increase donor engagement.
• Board and Executive Collaboration:
  • Partner closely with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to engage them in the fundraising process and ensure that they are actively involved in donor cultivation and solicitation.
  • Provide regular updates to the board on fundraising goals, achievements, and challenges.
  • Support the development and execution of board-level fundraising initiatives and campaigns.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years of successful experience in nonprofit fundraising, including direct experience raising funds from individuals, corporations and foundations.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills and a proven ability to expand major donor support and achieve significant growth in both new and existing donor bases.
• Expertise in donor relations, major gift solicitation, corporate partnerships, and foundation fundraising.
• Experience working with and supporting Boards of Directors in fundraising efforts.
• A self-directed individual with the ability to multi-task, manage long-term deadlines as well as short-term deliverables, while implementing systems to track progress, measure outcomes, and set clear priorities in a resource-constrained environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with donors, board members, potential partners, corporations, foundations, and staff members and an ability to excite and motivate supporters.
• Self-starter and proactive problem solver
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Experience using Microsoft Office, Adobe, Google Suites, Salesforce, Zoom, and survey platforms (SurveyMonkey)

Working Conditions

Advokids is composed of a small team of dedicated attorneys and administrative professionals, many of whom have been with the organization for many years. Desks are situated in shared office settings, as collaboration between team members is essential to our work. The office environment is one that emphasizes ideas over hierarchy and the mission of protecting the rights of children above all else.