Major Gifts Advisor

Job description

Who We Are

KIPP SoCal Public Schools is a nonprofit organization that operates 20 tuition-free, open-enrollment charter public schools, within 20 Local Education Agencies (LEA), educating more than 10,000 students and supporting 6,800 alumni to and through college and beyond.

What We Believe

KIPP SoCal believes that the purpose of education is for liberation. This means that we see, develop, and inspire the limitless potential in each and all of our KIPPsters.

What We Do

At KIPP SoCal we build trusting relationships that are strengthened by high expectations and collaboration alongside laughter and joy. We set ambitious goals and hold each other accountable for students achieving their greatest potential. We work together with each other and in partnership with families and communities in the active pursuit of a more equitable world. We do the right thing, even when it’s not always comfortable standing up and speaking out against anti-blackness, racism, oppression, and injustice. We persevere through obstacles and treat failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.

The Opportunity

The Major Gifts Advisor opens doors to new fundraising opportunities, identifies and cultivates new champions of KIPP SoCal, and secures gifts to support KIPP SoCal’s philanthropic needs (with a special focus on major gifts ranging from $25,000 to $1,000,000). Reporting to the Chief External Impact Officer, the Major Gifts Advisor is responsible for sustaining and expanding new-to-KIPP individual, foundation, and corporate philanthropic support over $100,000 in partnership with the VP of Advancement and the Associate Director of Development.

Instrumental in shaping the culture of major giving to KIPP SoCal, the Major Gifts Advisor will secure philanthropic support to benefit the children, families, and communities KIPP SoCal serves, advancing educational opportunity at a time where there is tremendous need. The funds raised support the building of permanent homes for all of our KIPP SoCal schools, counseling services to navigate college and career for our alumni, and talent pipeline programs to ensure our kids have the best teachers and leaders in front of them daily. To meet our emerging campaign goals, the Major Gifts Advisor will manage and steward a robust portfolio of complex top donors. They will also work closely with Development colleagues and organizational leadership to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward new potential KIPP SoCal donors. This individual’s demonstrated passion and commitment to education and equity, combined with an experienced and strategic approach to fundraising, will motivate and inspire donors and prospects alike.

The mission of the Development team is to inclusively engage a diverse community of champions in advancing the mission of KIPP SoCal by providing the resources necessary to drive systemic change and equitable educational outcomes for our KIPP SoCal students, alumni, and communities. The Development team is a talented and passionate group that ensures KIPP SoCal is able to meet its operating obligations each fiscal year. The team raises $7.5M annually in private revenue and is in the process of launching a five-year, multi-million dollar comprehensive campaign.

This role is anticipated to last the length of the capital campaign (FY24-FY28). If the results of the campaign necessitated ending the role sooner, the person would be eligible to seek out other KIPP SoCal positions as an internal candidate.

Priority Deadline is Thursday, May 8, 2025.

Major Donor Stewardship

• Manage and steward a portfolio of major donors ($25,000 and above) who have made complex, multi-faceted investments in KIPP SoCal.
• Design and execute comprehensive annual stewardship for major donors, in partnership with our VP of Advancement, with a focus on gift renewals and above and beyond campaign gifts.
• Execute and report on quarterly/annual fundraising plans including donor identification, qualification, activity, and solicitations, and comprehensive campaign progress.

New Champion Cultivation

• Work closely with Development leadership and senior leadership to acquire new corporate, institutional, and family foundation donors with the capacity for major gifts as part of KIPP SoCal’s efforts.
• Analyze and predict donors’ propensity, capacity, and enthusiasm to give, gathering data to determine the best candidates for major gifts.
• Cultivate major gift prospects, building relationships designed to understand the impact of alignment with KIPP SoCal’s mission and objectives.
• Prioritize major gift pipeline and execute engagement, cultivation, solicitation, recognition, and stewardship strategies for new prospects and donors in portfolio
• Actively engage internal and external networking and continuously learn about our mission, vision, and progress to share the story of KIPP SoCal effectively.
• Represent KIPP SoCal at appropriate events to learn, share, and cultivate new partnerships; attending/leading/supporting events outside of normal business hours will be expected.
• Provide strategic guidance on and produce prospect letters of inquiry, grant proposals and reports, briefings, and associated documents in collaboration with the Marketing/Communications team.

Organizational Storyteller, Teammate & Representative

• Speak compellingly to KIPP SoCal’s mission and values, and can share concrete examples of how our mission and values influence key workstreams.
• Develop strong, trusting, respectful relationships with others.
• Identify and create opportunities to partner through networking and participating in cross-functional, multi-stakeholder groups.
• Display consistently strong listening and synthesis skills; is able to pull together information and input from various parties and from many streams and reflect back succinctly key ideas and decisions, ensuring stakeholders across lines of difference feel appropriately heard and involved.
• Write and communicate clearly, professionally, and as needed persuasively across mediums, including in presentation and instructional situations.
• Demonstrate results and the ability to sustain and persevere through significant challenges to reach goals. Empower team members to propose approaches to increase performance and deliver results more efficiently/effectively.

Board Engagement & Comprehensive Campaign Support

• Work closely with the Director of Development, Campaign Manager, and Campaign Associate to support the campaign timeline and promote timely decision-making and activity in alignment with the campaign timetable.
• Collaborate with the KIPP SoCal Board to identify potential fundraising opportunities and new prospect connections
• Align campaign progress on a consistent basis using established metrics.
• Ensure that the campaign remains a top organizational priority.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have

• Commitment to KIPP SoCal’s mission.
• Ability to work with the most senior levels of an organization and the ability to effectively strategize and engage various groups and constituents.
• Experience and comfort with securing major gifts from individual donors.
• Experience in nurturing and motivating volunteers, particularly board members, and an appreciation for their role in building an effective fundraising network.
• Ability to inspire and motivate a team to achieve fundraising goals.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to communicate KIPP SoCal’s mission and work clearly and in a compelling manner to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability in strategic planning, critical thinking, problem-solving, and change management.
• Entrepreneurial disposition and track record of building new programming, operations, and procedures to sustain the work.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to efficiently manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Ability to lead and work well with diverse stakeholders.

The Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred
• 7+ years of professional work experience, with significant experience in Development, within an entrepreneurial non-profit environment strongly preferred.
• Successful track record in fundraising six-figure + gifts, and in managing complex relationships and grants with institutional donors.
• Very strong verbal and written communication skills, organizational and analytical skills, and project management skills.
• Ability to articulate forward-thinking strategies and compelling stories that inspire and motivate diverse stakeholders and constituencies to achieve ambitious revenue generation goals.
• Energized by a fast-paced, collaborative, dynamic working environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Able to continuously learn and improve from feedback, experience, and self-directed professional development
• A demonstrated passion for improving K-12 public education and equitably education outcomes
• Strong commitment to a personal journey towards becoming an anti-racist and advancing social justice
• This is a telework position, working remotely, though the role will require on-site (school, main office/hoteling space, internal and external meetings/events) in-person work across the Greater Los Angeles area.
• Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet all requirements listed in the job description. At KIPP SoCal, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If this role appeals to you, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification on the job description, we encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Physical Requirements

• The usual and customary methods of performing the job’s functions require the following physical demands:
• Prolonged periods of working at a computer and sitting at a desk.
• Prolonged periods of working on your feet at school sites (i.e. supporting tours and events) and external events in the community
• Travel to the regional office, various school locations, internal and external meeting/events within the Los Angeles and San Diego area

Benefits & Compensation

• KIPP SoCal Public Schools offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience in a similar position. The salary range for this position is $79,200 to $118,800. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint of $99,000 depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budget allocated for this role.
• 100% of healthcare premium costs covered by employer, dependents added at 50% of the cost
• Employer-paid KIPP SoCal life insurance
• 401(k) plan with up to 6% match by KIPP SoCal
• Voluntary Benefits (Pet Insurance, Supplemental Life, Accident, Short Term Disability, etc.)
• Generous paid time off program includes 22 holidays, 10 sick days, and 10 vacation days per year
• Other great benefits (Flexible spending account, EAP, etc.)

KIPP SoCal Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation/gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

KIPP SoCal strives to ensure that our careers website is accessible to all, including individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, please contact us. You can find our contact information on our website, http://www.kippsocal.org/. Information will be sent to a talent acquisition representative who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration in the hiring process.