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Director, Leadership Gifts

California Academy of Sciences

About the Opportunity:
Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director, Leadership Gifts is a senior fundraising and management position. The focus is on raising restricted and unrestricted gifts, working closely with the Executive Director and the Chief Advancement Officer to achieve the Academy’s fundraising goals and to work with its most generous supporters. It also oversees the Academy’s gift planning program and is on the department leadership team and integral to developing strategies to solicit and secure significant gifts for the Academy’s cross-functional and forward-thinking initiatives. This role manages a portfolio of 65-80 major donors and prospects, and works closely with the Trustees, volunteers, and senior staff members to steward and solicit significant contributions and integrate planned gifts as part of donor strategies. This position oversees a team of 5.

Organizational Culture:
Join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values! Currently, the Academy’s strategic plan includes three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are intrinsic to Academy culture and operations, from recruitment and retention to science and advocacy. 

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every one of the qualifications for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. Staff are currently expected to work from the Academy offices at least 2-3 times per week, which may fluctuate based on business needs. Please do not apply if you are not able to work onsite. Candidates are required to have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, absent qualifying exemptions in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals receiving a conditional offer of employment from the California Academy of Sciences will be provided the full text of the vaccination policy.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Develops short- and long-term strategic plans for Leadership Gifts program; prepares and manages income and expense budgets; creates annual plan for fundraising activities; manages team to achieve objectives; evaluates outcomes.
  • Manages direct reports to engage in strategic, coordinated, high-value relationship management that maximized philanthropic support for the Academy. 
  • Acts as a strategic advisor to Academy leadership on structuring programs and projects effectively to maximize donor engagement and philanthropic impact.
  • Collaborates with the Chief Advancement Officer, Executive Director and other organizational leaders to enable stronger relationships with key partners, such as non-profits, think tanks, trade associations, funders, funder networks, and investors.
  • Partners with the Chief Advancement Officer, Executive Director and key stakeholders and may represent the Academy at appropriate public venues/conferences/convenings to amplify the mission, the work of Academy scientists and educators, and further the goals of the Academy’s strategic vision.
  • Partner with Direct Response staff and gift officer team to meet donor affinity group goals for building donor pipeline.
  • Collaborate with Gift Planning program and ensures it is well integrated into Leadership Gifts.
  • Personally stewards a portfolio of 65-80 prospective and current individual and family donors.
  • Partners with Trustees and other volunteers on activities related to individual and leadership gifts.
  • Supports Chief Advancement Officer and other Senior Leaders with high level donors.
  • Directs, manages, and evaluates the major gifts program, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, upgrades, and annual gift renewals. Engages in stewardship activities and collaborates on donor events.
  • Oversees Leadership Gifts activities to ensure the success of a strategic and integrated fundraising program. Collaborates with Directors of Institutional Giving, Development Information Services, and Donor Experience in strategies related to individual donors.
  • Works with the Development Information Services team to identify individual prospects and assign portfolios to solicitors, development officers, volunteers, and senior staff.
  • Oversees all internal and external communications and marketing collateral related to the Leadership Gifts program
  • Attends and hosts Academy events, and represents the Academy at outside functions, as required.
  • Follows all Academy safety regulations.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: A successful candidate will have the following:
Education and/or Experience:

  • 10 years in Individual and Major Gifts within the development non-profit field, including extensive work in major gifts, planned giving, and endowment/capital/growth campaigns.
  • Bachelor’s degree 
  • Experience in cultural, environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or academic institutions is desirable.
  • At least 5 years of supervisory experience is required.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

  • Proven success in collaborating with executive-level leadership, trustees, philanthropists, and social leaders.
  • Extensive knowledge of fundraising techniques, including major and planned gifts, campaigns, stewardship, and non-profit policies and procedures.
  • Deep commitment to scientific research, education, and environmental sustainability.
  • Superior communication skills with the ability to confidently articulate the Academy’s mission, goals, funding priorities, and giving opportunities; excellent writing and public speaking skills.
  • Strong supervisory, leadership, and management abilities in motivating staff and volunteers to achieve goals.
  • Proficiency in developing and managing lean budgets, as well as addressing financial and audit questions.
  • Competence in Tessitura (preferred), “moves management,” and software such as Google Docs, MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint functions.
  • Ability to travel throughout the Bay Area and beyond, when necessary.
  • Flexibility in work hours and availability some evenings and weekends.

Physical Environment:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, sit, walk, and reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. Must be able to perform repetitive motions 80% of the time.

Compensation and Benefits:
The salary range for this position starts at $175,000.00. Actual compensation will be commensurate with experience, skills/knowledge set, and internal equity. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Schedule: Full-Time, 40 hours per week

APPLICATION PROCESS:
Please upload your resume, cover letter, and complete the brief online application

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Review of applications will begin on January 28, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. 

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance(SF Police Code, Article 49).

We are committed to ensuring that all employees and applicants shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, placements, transfers, promotions, compensation, benefits, terminations, training, and social and recreational programs, will be on the basis of qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled. The Academy does not discriminate against qualified applicants or employees with respect to any terms or conditions of employment on account of any characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. Read our full Equal Opportunity Statement here.

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