ABOUT ALLIANCE COLLEGE-READY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

The Alliance College-Ready Public Schools Foundation (Alliance Foundation) raises resources and visibility for the Alliance network of schools, advocates for policies that improve quality public education for historically underserved youth, and builds partnerships to strengthen Alliance schools and the communities that Alliance serves. We believe in the unlimited potential of our scholars and work to shine a bright light on what is possible for all public schools.

Incorporated in 2019, the Alliance Foundation builds on the strong legacy of engaged civic leaders who are committed to educational justice and who believe in the brilliant promise of Alliance scholars and schools. In joining the Alliance Foundation, you will join a collaborative community dedicated to making long-lasting change across Los Angeles.

ABOUT ALLIANCE COLLEGE-READY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools (Alliance) was founded in 2004 on the belief that all young people, regardless of zip code, are capable of achieving at high levels. Alliance is now one of the largest and most successful public charter school networks in the nation, operating 26 high-performing middle and high schools serving 13,000 scholars in systemically-oppressed communities across Los Angeles.

Now in its 17th school year, Alliance has a proven track record of success: though scholars come to Alliance on average four grade-levels behind in reading, 95% of Alliance graduates get accepted to college each year, including 73% to a four-year university. Alliance strives to change the trajectories of the scholars and communities it serves, with a goal of 75% of Alliance graduates completing a four-year college degree.

ROLE SUMMARY

As the Director of Events and Donor Engagement, you will have three primary areas of responsibility:

1. Fundraising Events: You will lead two high-quality, high-yield annual fundraising events to support Alliance scholars and schools, specifically: our Heroes Among Us celebration which currently raises over $1.1M annually, and our Leaders of Change scholarships fundraiser which currently raises over $150K annually.

2. Young Professionals Board and Network: You will lead the work of the Alliance Foundation Young Professionals Board (YPB), a dynamic group of rising civic leaders in Los Angeles, who support Alliance scholars and schools through fundraising, growing the Young Professionals Network (YPN), and running high-impact volunteer efforts. You will cultivate, solicit, and manage a small donor portfolio that includes YPB and YPN members. You will also manage and grow YPB and YPN members’ fundraising efforts on behalf of the Alliance Foundation.

3. Donor Engagement: You will lead key aspects of our work to keep donors engaged and connected to our mission and people. You will organize periodic donor cultivation events. You will also manage our Year-End Annual Report Mailing, through which many supporters make their annual contributions to support Alliance scholars and schools.

As the Director of Events and Donor Engagement, you will report to the Vice President of Development. You will manage one full-time staff member, the Development Associate, who drives development operations and event support at the Alliance Foundation. You will work as part of a diverse, collaborative, and growth-oriented seven-member team at the Alliance Foundation to raise critical revenue to support Alliance scholars and schools.

WHAT YOU WILL DO  

Overall

  • Serve as a key leader on the Alliance Foundation team who brings strategic and creative thinking, a deep orientation to relationships, and a strong track record of producing high-quality events and fundraising results to increase our revenue from events, the YPB and YPN’s efforts, and broad-based donor engagement work.
  • Manage and coach the Development Associate to drive key operational areas of work, including fundraising data entry, database management and reporting in Salesforce, events support and logistics, donor acknowledgements, supporting volunteer opportunities, and scheduling for the Executive Director.

Fundraising Events

  • Lead the strategy, planning, and execution of the Alliance Foundation’s two annual fundraising events, Heroes Among Us and Leaders of Change, including overseeing strong fundraising and high-caliber event production.
  • Lead these two fundraising events with an increasing amount of autonomy over time.
  • Increase revenue from our Heroes Among Us and Leaders of Change events each year. Heroes Among Us currently raises over $1.1M annually. Leaders of Change currently raises over $150K annually.
  • Leverage fundraising events as a critical tool to grow our donor base, introduce new prospects to Alliance’s work, and raise the profile of the Alliance Foundation and Alliance schools in Los Angeles.
  • Conceive and execute income-generating strategies for these fundraising events, including sponsorships, underwriting solicitation, peer-to-peer solicitations, ticket sales strategies, live appeals, and ancillary fundraising activities including gift bags, raffles, auctions, and in-kind event donations. Ensure excellent donor stewardship through fundraising events, in collaboration with teammates.
  • Build strong internal relationships and maintain contact with staff members at all levels at the Alliance Foundation and Alliance, as well as with Alliance scholars and alumni, and a wide range of external volunteers, board members, corporations, vendors, and donors associated with fundraising events.
  • Serve as the staff lead in working with outside vendors hired to support event pre-production and production, including outside event producer(s) for Heroes Among Us.
  • Collaborate with the marketing and communications staff at the Alliance Foundation to execute print and online solicitation campaigns in support of fundraising events.

Young Professionals Board and Network

  • Lead and set strategic direction for the efforts of the Alliance Foundation Young Professionals Board (YPB).
  • Manage a donor portfolio that includes YPB members and YPN members, and increase the YPB’s give / get fundraising efforts each year to drive annual revenue to the Alliance Foundation.
  • Continue to grow the YPB’s membership to elevate the group’s diversity, leadership, reach, and impact.
  • Organize high-impact volunteer opportunities to engage and grow the YPB and YPN.
  • Build the impact of the YPB by working closely with YPB co-chairs, committee chairs, and members at-large to set clear annual goals and execute against these goals.
  • Plan and facilitate high-quality YPB meetings every other month (six times per year) on Saturdays.

Donor Engagement

  • Organize periodic, high-impact donor cultivation events, likely 1-2 annually.
  • Manage our Year-End Annual Report Mailing, which is currently sent out to more than 800 donors and stakeholders, and evaluate the effectiveness of our Year-End Annual Report Mailing based on giving data.
  • Collaborate with the marketing and communications staff at the Alliance Foundation to help shape effective outreach strategies to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATES WILL HAVE

While no one candidate may possess every quality outlined for this role, a successful candidate will bring many of the following professional attributes, experiences, and qualifications:

  • Mission-Alignment: A deep commitment to the missions of the Alliance Foundation and Alliance College-Ready Public Schools.
  • A Fundraising Events Track Record: A proven track record of leading high-quality fundraising events and increasing revenue from these events over time.
  • An Experience Creator: Skilled at creating inspiring event experiences and facilitating engaging meetings.
  • A Relationships Builder: Someone who is adept at building external and internal relationships, possesses strong emotional intelligence, and excels in managing the efforts of groups towards ambitious goals.
  • Project Management and Organizational Skills: Exceptional project management and organizational skills; superior attention to detail; the ability to work efficiently and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and systems thinking necessary to interpret data to inform goals and strategy, as well as build infrastructure and processes where none exist.
  • An Organizational Bridge Builder: The ability to work closely with a large, multi-layered organization (Alliance) and build strong relationships with external and internal stakeholders, including teachers, school leaders, school-based staff, parents, scholars, alumni, vendors, and Alliance Home Office colleagues.
  • DEI Values Alignment: A strong desire to be a part of a team that works to lift up the communities it serves through the values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), Anti-Racism, and Pro-Blackness.
  • An Excellent Communicator: Possess excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
  • An Entrepreneurial Spirit: Has an entrepreneurial spirit; able to thrive in a fast-paced, achievement-oriented environment; interested in working on a small, but mighty team with big ambitions.
  • A Positive Attitude and Strong Work Ethic: A positive, can-do attitude and a willingness to go above and beyond to contribute to the success of a dynamic team committed to a new future for urban education.
  • Familiarity with the Software Tools We Use: Fluency with Google and Microsoft Office applications, project management software, and CRM applications (preferably Salesforce).
  • Nice-to-Haves: Experience in marketing, sales and/or constituent engagement is a plus. Knowledge of urban school environments and school culture is a plus.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
  • A minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, events leadership, and/or sales (non-profit or for-profit), preferably in an educational setting.
  • Residency in the Greater Los Angeles area is required. Regular travel across Los Angeles is required; valid driver’s license and automobile available for daily use.
  • Willingness to work occasional nights and weekends.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The Alliance Foundation is committed to being an environment where employees find meaning and joy in their work every day, within a culture of collaboration, support, and excellence. The Alliance Foundation is proud to offer the following benefits to employees:

  • Competitive salaries commensurate with experience.
  • A comprehensive group health benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • An 401k retirement plan, with an annual employer contribution equal to 5% of regular earnings.
  • Paid time off benefits that include an annual accrual of 15 days vacation and 10 sick days, in addition to 11 paid holidays and paid time off between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

This position is Exempt. The salary range for this position is $91,670 – $133,900. Like all positions at The Alliance Foundation, this position will be based at a home / remote office.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates can apply by submitting their resume and cover letter to humanresources@laalliancefoundation.org.
Please note: only candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.

PLEASE NOTE: The Alliance College-Ready Public Schools Foundation requires that all team members be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the safety of Alliance scholars, families, staff, and supporters. Team members may apply to seek a medical exemption. Regardless of your current vaccination status, our team can advise you on how to fulfill this important requirement so that you can start the position in a timely way.

The Alliance Foundation does not discriminate against any scholar, parent, community member, or employee on the basis of actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.