Vice President of Advancement

Description

 Join the mission of Communities In Schools of Eastern Pennsylvania as the next Vice President of Advancement. The ideal candidate is a strategic leader responsible for driving revenue growth through innovative fundraising, partnerships, and diversified income streams while strengthening donor relationships. Reporting to the CEO, this executive team member leads a comprehensive revenue strategy and builds a strong regional brand to support mission expansion across Eastern Pennsylvania. We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and a 401(k) to support your

long-term goals. Enjoy generous paid time off and a holiday schedule aligned with local school districts as well as an attractive summer work schedule.

The  Vice President of Advancement & Communications is a strategic  entrepreneurial leader responsible for driving revenue growth through  innovative fundraising models, new partnerships and diversified income  streams while strengthening long-term donor relationships.  As CIS of  Eastern PA scales our mission to surround students with a community of  support, the VPAC oversees the integration of an annual revenue strategy  with a sophisticated, regional brand presence.

Reporting directly  to the President/CEO, the VPAC is a vital member of the Executive  Leadership Team, providing the strategic vision necessary to sustain  CISEPA’s current footprint while fueling sustainability and expansion  across Eastern Pennsylvania.

This role is responsible for  Eastern PA.  Currently from the Pocono Mountains through Southeast  Delaware County.  This is a hybrid position, combining remote work,  occasional office meetings as well as some travel throughout the  specified region.  CISEPA currently serves 15 school districts.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The  VPA leads a high-performing team to meet ambitious financial targets  through a diversified funding model. Additionally, the VPA will serve  as a mentor and strategist for key direct reports, ensuring that the  "engine" of our fundraising and the "voice" of our brand are perfectly  synchronized.

Key Responsibilities

Revenue Strategy & Fundraising Leadership

• Lead a comprehensive and aggressive revenue strategy focused on securing high-level support through a diverse funding mix. 
•  Apply market analysis and donor insights to uncover growth opportunities
•  Identify, test and scale new fundraising strategies and revenue streams
•  Oversee  the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of transformative  gifts from individual philanthropists, corporate   partners, and private  foundations, while ensuring a robust pipeline of competitive government  grants.  
•  Manage a high-level portfolio of principal gift prospects to fuel the agency’s expanding regional footprint.
• Cultivate and close annual and multi-year funding commitments aligned with the CIS strategy
•  Create  and oversee the donor management and stewardship strategy including,  but not limited to, campaign-related events, donor recognition efforts,  and public messaging.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead  and mentor a multidisciplinary advancement team—including grant  relations and marketing—to drive strategic revenue growth through a  robust funding pipeline and a high-visibility regional brand strategy.
• Set clear performance expectations and provide ongoing coaching, feedback and development opportunities
• Manage team and direct report workload and priorities to ensure efficiency and high-quality outcomes

Executive & Board Engagement

• Alongside  the CEO, serve as key liaison and point of contact for the Community  Relations Committee and the CIS EPA Board of Directors, ensuring time is  well spent and funds are raised by the Board
• Participate in CIS National Network Leadership gatherings for messaging coordination and alignment
• Lead Regional Advisory Boards to advance the mission, cultivate relationships, and drive fundraising activities. 
• Partner  with the CEO and Board of Directors to identify and secure funding for  new initiatives, ensuring the agency’s growing footprint is backed by  sustainable capital.
• Align marketing efforts with development  goals, utilizing CRM insights to optimize multi-channel campaigns that  provide a direct ROI in donor acquisition and retention. 
• Support other Board initiatives and fundraising work as needed

Additional Responsibilities:

• Remain mission focused and student driven
• Be an ambassador of CIS
• Seek and recommend solutions and improvements
• Deliver upon schedules and plans
• Comply with agency policies and procedures and promote agency values and culture
• May provide off-hours support
• Perform other duties as may be assigned - this position is expected to evolve over time

Requirements

• 5-7+ years of progressive leadership in nonprofit advancement, development, or external affairs. 
• Bachelor's Degree required. Masters preferred.
• Comprehensive understanding of the eastern Pennsylvania financial and philanthropic landscape
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial mindset with a proven track record of launching and scaling revenue generating initiatives
• Demonstrated success in developing and leading a professional staff and fostering a collaborative, high-accountability culture.
• Proven success in managing $1M+ annual budgets and leading successful capacity-building campaigns.
• Exceptional  visionary and strategist to see the "big picture" of the CIS of Eastern  PA educational landscape and successfully position CISEPA as a critical  solution for school districts.
• Ability to operate in a complex  dynamic system and understand programmatic priorities and then to  translate this into compelling funder narratives, building bridges  between subject matter experts and donors 
• Exceptional  communicator able to tailor communication and communicate an inspiring  vision for partnership between the organization and funders 
• Demonstrated  exceptional interpersonal and communications abilities, with a proven  track record of establishing trust both within the organization and with  external stakeholders. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS:

The  physical demands described here are representative of those that must  be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of  this job. 

Upon request for a reasonable accommodation, the  Company may be able to adjust or excuse one or more of these  requirements, depending on the requirement, the essential functions to  which it relates, and the proposed accommodation.

• While  performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to  sit, work on the computer, think clearly and communicate effectively. 
• The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 15-25 pounds. 
• Specific  vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance  vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the  ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

This  job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely  uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers,  filing cabinets and fax machines.

Travel Required:  30%

EEO Statement:

CISEPA  employees are protected by federal laws, Presidential Executive Orders  and other laws designed to protect employees from discrimination based  on the actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, religion, creed,  national origin or citizenship status, ancestry, sex (including  pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), gender identity,  gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital  status, familial status, GED rather than a high school diploma, physical  or mental disability, relationship, or association with a disabled  person, source of income, age (35 years of age and older), height,  weight, veteran status, use of guide or support animals and/or  mechanical aids, or domestic or sexual violence victim status. 

These  protections extend to all management practices and decisions, including  recruitment and hiring practices, appraisal systems, promotions and  training and career development programs.

CISEPA employees are  also protected against retaliation. Consistent with federal laws, acts  of retaliation against an employee who engages in a protected activity,  whistle blowing, or the exercise of an appeal or grievance right  provided by law will not be tolerated. CISEPA managers and supervisors  are also reminded of their responsibility to prevent, document and  promptly correct harassing conduct in the workplace.