Chief of Development & Communications Officer

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About Umoja Community Education Foundation (UCEF) : Operating with over 75 campus programs in California and Washington and serving over 6,000 students, UCEF is a community of educators and learners committed to college success, personal growth, and self-actualization of African American and other students.

UCEF seeks to educate the whole student body, mind, and spirit. Informed by an ethic of love and its vital power, UCEF deliberately engages students as full participants in the construction of knowledge and critical thought and to help students experience themselves as valuable and worthy of an education.

About the Chief of Development & Communications Officer : The Chief of Development & Communications Officer will work with the executive leadership and play a pivotal role in shaping the fundraising, marketing, and communications strategies of the organization.

The successful candidate is a mission-focused, strategic, collaborative, results-driven, and creative leader and manager with a proven track record of growing a diverse and sustainable revenue portfolio, building and amplifying a positive brand position, and leading a team of talented individuals.

Reporting directly to the chief executive officer (CEO), the CDCO’s primary responsibility is to effectively develop, lead, and manage the fund development and communications strategies and functions of Umoja.

In addition to successfully leading all fundraising activities, the CDCO will oversee marketing, communications, events, and brand strategy for the overall organization, positioning Umoja as an internationally known and recognized Foundation focused on Black student success.

Key Responsibilities :

Organizational Leadership & Development :

• Lead team to develop and execute against multi-year strategic goals and annual workplans.
• In partnership with the CEO and board leadership, lead and manage Umoja’s strategic board engagement and stewardship.
• Foster efficient and effective cross-functional teamwork and results-oriented deliverables.
• Mentor and coach direct reports and support teams, delegating work streams effectively, fostering professional growth, and motivating and holding team members to a high standard of excellence.
• Model ingenuity in leading the evaluation and development of cost-effective and efficient systems, processes, and contract relationships to maximize staff success and impact.
• Develop and manage budget for all fundraising and marketing activities across the organization.
• Serve as a contributing member of the organization’s Executive Team.

Fundraising :

• Develop, lead, and manage effective strategies for obtaining donations and grants that advance the organization’s goals and priorities and contribute to financial sustainability.
• Actively cultivate, solicit, and steward a personal portfolio of high-capacity, transformational donors with major gift track record and / or potential from corporate, foundation, and individual sources.
• Identify and build relationships with high-impact community leaders, businesses, media, thought leaders, and prospective donors.
• Lead, manage, and model best practices and systems to support stewardship throughout the donor life cycle and with a growing donor pipeline.
• Lead their team to accurately forecast and close gifts and grants to ensure adequate revenue for the organization.
• Identify and oversee resources to write grant applications, case statements, major gift and sponsorship proposals, technical reports, communication materials, and other documents as necessary to support ongoing fundraising activities.
• Create, implement, and monitor revenue Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to support internal and external dashboards, learning, improvement, and reporting needs.
• Provide partnership, training, and support to staff across the organization to help them successfully participate in fundraising efforts for the organization.

Brand, Marketing and Communications, and Events :

• Provide strategic direction and management support to the creation and execution of an effective organizational marketing and communications plan to advance fund development priorities and other organizational goals and objectives.
• Use metrics and insights to regularly assess efficacy of the marketing and communications plan against fund development conversion impacts and other key metrics.
• Proactively create and amplify a positive public image, brand, and reputation for the organization.
• Lead active creation, maintenance, relevance, and compliance of organization’s brand and marketing research, assets, collateral, events, and messaging.
• Directly oversee the writing and editing of all fundraising and marketing communications, speeches, press releases, letters, and articles.
• Lead and manage the prioritization of and delivery against communications needs across the organization.
• Support and possibly serve as stand-in for CEO or other leaders for public appearances and responses to media inquiries.

Requirements :

• Progressively responsible fundraising experience, including a minimum of five years in a senior director role and seven years of successful track record attracting and closing major gifts of $100,000+.
• Proven track record of identifying, cultivating, securing, and stewarding major donor relationships.
• Proven track record of partnering with high-level boards of directors, volunteers, and organizational partners.
• Ability to think and act strategically; understand the role of individuals, corporations, and foundations in contemporary philanthropy.
• Experience with proven results in designing, building, and managing to a development plan and function that is experiencing growth.
• Demonstrated competency in marketing, communications, and brand management.
• Exceptional skills in writing and content creation; demonstrated ability to present complex information in a clear, compelling, and concise manner.
• Proven ability to lead strategic planning, manage team execution against measurable goals and objectives, and develop and manage budgets.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work of a team and cross-functional organizational colleagues and meet deadlines within a fast-paced environment with competing demands.
• Demonstrated ability to engage in excellent written and oral communication.
• Ability to recruit, motivate, organize and retain a high-performing and diverse team; ability to foster talent development, growth, learning, and improvement.
• Exceptional project management skills.
• Thrive in a dynamic, entrepreneurial, results-driven, and fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated proficiency using Microsoft Office products.
• Experience and proficiency with database tools (e.g. Raisers Edge, DonorPerfect, or similar software); development and communications analytics for performance measurement, learning, and improvement;

and web content management systems.

• Commitment to equity, social justice, and community-centered approaches to education.
• Experience working in diverse communities or multicultural settings is highly desirable.
• Flexibility to travel occasionally and work evenings or weekends as needed.

Benefits :

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Training & Development
• Free Food & Snacks

Salary Range : $100,000-$130,000

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