Chief of Development & Communications Officer

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 International 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. Model a growth- and results-driven mindset by proactively measuring and reporting on progress against clear goals, assessing efficacy and productivity, and spurring learning and improvement  

• 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. Provide general oversight of the organization’s fund development activities, manage the day-to-day operations of the development function, and monitor adequacy of activities through coordination with staff, appropriate committees, and the organization’s board of directors. 

• Lead their team to accurately forecast and close gifts and grants to ensure adequate revenue for the organization. Support CEO and finance function to monitor cash flow with timely revenue forecasts.  

• 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. Continue to build, strengthen, and leverage the strong internal culture of philanthropy.  

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 and to support learning and improvement  

• 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

Qualifications: 

• 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