Position Overview

The Director of Development leads resource development operations for UNITE-LA, responsible for the design and management of the organization’s revenue and resource generation plan, supporting a $7.5 - $8.5 million budget per year. The plan utilizes a broad portfolio of major donors through key sources, including foundations, corporations, government, public agencies, and individuals, annual appeal, special events and public funds. The Director supports grant writing, sponsorship requests, annual appeals, special events, and other resource development activities.

About Us

Over the past 25 years, UNITE-LA has established itself as a trusted education and workforce intermediary, dedicated to improving the economic mobility and well-being of the region’s diverse workforce. Leveraging strategic cross-sector partnerships at local, statewide, and national levels, we advance policies, programs, and systems that strengthen anti-racism and equitable education and workforce outcomes from cradle through career.

Primary Responsibilities:

• In concert with the Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, set annual qualitative and quantitative goals and strategies to retain donors, expand donor base, increase year-to-year donor giving, and further diversify the organization's portfolio of resources.Co-develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan with program leads, based on organizational funding priorities established by UNITE-LA's leadership, incorporating government, foundation and corporate giving, individual donations, fee for service, and special events.
• Develop and manage a portfolio of prospects for the purposes of discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Identify and qualify new prospects and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies for prospective donors.
• Develop funding proposals in collaboration with program leads and other partners as needed, including support with proposal budgets.
• Oversee customer relations management system (Salesforce) for prospect identification and tracking, grants administration (including report deadlines), donor recognition, and a proposal/application schedule. Determine most effective means to report progress and provide assessment on a regular basis.
• Monitor and analyze fundraising data and communicate progress and analysis through reports to the board of directors and staff.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Accounting on proposal and program budgets.
• Manage Development Coordinator, who coordinates the development of each team's proposals and reports and manages donor data in UNITE-LA's CRM and project management databases.
• Manage the Board of Directors Development Committee activities and coordinate and track the "give or get" policy of UNITE-LA's full Board of Directors.
• Collaborate with the Marketing and Communications team on a donor communications plan and needed print/digital fundraising materials and content.

Skills for Success

• Collaborative: excellent interpersonal skills, ability to build relationships, work effectively with diverse groups of people and have crucial conversations.
• Excellent Written and Verbal Communications: Craft compelling proposals, communications, and marketing materials to a diverse pool of donors and partners; Effectively communicate to team members alignment between donor and partner interests with UNITE-LA's mission and goals.
• Leadership and Management: ability to set goals and expectations, motivate team members, and provide technical guidance and support.
• Growth Mindset: ability to identify challenges and create solutions to meet fundraising goals using data and critical thinking to drive action.
• Strategic Thinker: ability to think outside the box to identify a broader set of opportunities and assets from which to advance UNITE-LA's fundraising goals.
• Flexible and Adaptable: ability to work under tight deadlines, pivot when there are changing external factors, work within different working styles on the team, and maintain a positive, solutions-oriented approach.

Experience

• A solid foundation in the principles of nonprofit management and fundraising.
• A proven track record of meeting or exceeding fundraising goals for an organization with a budget of $5 million or more per year.
• Making direct funding requests and successfully closing gifts.
• Supervising professional and administrative support staff highly desired.
• Knowledge of the Southern California philanthropic landscape, as well as education and workforce funders, is a plus.

The Director of Development will report to and work closely with the SVP, Strategic Partnerships to advance resource development for the organization's multiple initiatives. The Director will oversee one direct report, who manages donor information in UNITE-LA's CRM. Additionally, the Director will work closely with the Sr. Director of Strategic Partnerships, who oversees UNITE-LA's national resource development plan and supports resource development for UNITE-LA's local work. Finally, the Director will work with UNITE-LA's partners with whom we have or will have joint ventures to co-develop fundraising strategies.

Position Details

Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter summarizing your qualifications for the position to [email protected] using the email subject line "Development Director – (Last Name)" Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until filled, with a priority deadline of Sept. 30, 2023.

This is a full-time exempt position. While many staff continue to regularly work remotely, attendance at our downtown Los Angeles office is expected several times throughout the year. Occasional travel is required for in- and out-of-state conferences.

UNITE-LA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to developing and sustaining a diverse workforce, because we believe that it makes our organization stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or age. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

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