Los Angeles Community College District

Plans, develops, implements, and directs a comprehensive, strategic advancement program for the District designed to build, cultivate, and strengthen relationships with a broad range of constituencies and to encourage the advocacy of, investment in, and support of the colleges' initiatives, programs, and students.

Plans and directs the District's advancement program which includes the areas of:

• Executive oversight for non-profit 501(c)3 Foundation of the Los Angeles Community Colleges

• Fund development, constituent relations, and program funds administration

• Fundraising and Gift Giving

• Student scholarships administration

• Compliance oversight for non-profit 501(c) 3 auxiliary foundations

• Grant administration

Establishes priorities, strategic goals and objectives for District-wide fund and grant development that increase public awareness and support of District programs, services, and activities and enhance the District’s prominence as a worthy and viable source for investment and support.

Creates and executes innovative fund raising plans and campaigns that utilize best practices in annual, major gifts, private and family foundation grants, and individual and corporate giving to meet fundraising goals.

Researches, identifies, cultivates, and solicits major and annual gifts from donors; cultivates positive and enduring relationships among donors including hosting presentations and tours and producing recognition ceremonies.

Advises the Chancellor, Deputy Chancellor, College Presidents, District managers, and Foundation professionals on initiatives, strategic goals and objectives, project status, and challenges needing attention, evaluation, resolution, and decisions.

Collaborates with the Vice Chancellor/Chief Financial Officer to ensure proper policies and procedures are in place for accounting, fund management reporting, and external audits.

Establishes priorities and goals for principal and major gifts, planned giving, strategic partnerships and programs, stewards all gifts to the Foundation for the District.

Ensures that the priorities of the Foundation align with the strategic and operational needs of the District’s colleges and communities, with an emphasis on student enrollment, retention, and completion.

Evaluates program structure, systems, policies, and procedures and implements changes as needed; insures all elements of the operation are consistent with legal requirements and best practices.

Acts as liaison to the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Foundation of the Los Angeles Community Colleges to recruit, coach, and motivate new directors to engage in effective fundraising and other coordinated cultivation/stewardship activities, interfaces with leadership to invest and budget in the most beneficial manner to support students and educational programs of the District.

Instills a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization, ensuring all individuals understand their role in the organization’s philanthropic success.

Directs and facilitates any external assessments, environmental scan and feasibility studies of District advancement operations.

Integrates operations and drives collaboration among colleges and District auxiliary Foundation teams to create long-term objectives including capital and endowment campaigns, program development, enhanced student support and new academic initiatives; manages master agreement renewals.

Evaluates all program structure, systems, policies, and procedures and implements changes as needed; insures all elements of the operation are consistent with legal requirements and best practices.

Administers private funds for student scholarships across all 9 colleges integrating data from Student Information System (SIS) with software to standardize, track and report progress to donors and LACCD internal administration.

Identifies and implements technology platforms that best serve fundraising activities, including social media, research, and analytics.

Directs the District’s pursuit of external grants to expand financial resources for programs that support the District’s strategic plan; evaluates opportunities, submits applications, measures progress, and oversees compliance and provides reports to funders as required.

Fosters awareness of the benefits of grants and their positive impact on the District and student success.

Monitors foundation operating budgets and insures compliance with all relevant policies and procedures.

Evaluates systems and software applicable to the District advancement program and recommends improvements.

Represents the District to civic organizations, attends meetings and conferences, both locally and nationally, related to advancement, program development, and fundraising.

Develops and oversees the maintenance of the District’s Advancement unit budget.

Directs the selection, training, supervision, and evaluation of unit staff to ensure proficient performance, in a logical, non-duplicative and efficient manner, and structure workflows to best meet the requirements of the unit.

Directs and prepares correspondence, reports, and presentations regarding assigned functions.

Performs related duties as assigned. 

A Chief Advancement Officer is responsible for the planning, implementation, and operations of the District’s advancement program including the areas of fund development, constituent relations, and program funds administration, fundraising and gift giving, student scholarships administration, compliance oversight for non-profit 501(c) 3 auxiliary foundations, and grant administration acts as the Executive Director of the Foundation of the Los Angeles Community Colleges and provides technical direction over college advancement activities. An incumbent in this class instills a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization and builds and strengthens relationships with a broad range of constituencies to encourage the advocacy of and investment in, and support of the colleges’ initiatives, programs, and students.

A Director of Foundation plans, organizes, implements, and directs a comprehensive fund-raising program at a college by identifying and soliciting funds from private individuals, corporations, and foundations and managing the business affairs of the college foundation.

General direction is received from the Deputy Chancellor. General supervision is exercised over administrative, supervisory, professional, technical, and clerical staff assigned to the Advancement unit. Functional supervision is exercised over college staff assigned to advancement functions.

Knowledge of:

Principles and practices of the full spectrum of development including: gift policies, solicitations, stewardship, donor recognition, and administration

Professional and ethical standards and practices as identified and agreed to by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (PPP), and the Council on Resource Development (CRD)

Federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations related to Foundations and gift giving

Principles of communications and public relations and its role in advancing an organizational agenda

Funding mechanisms and sources of funding for higher education

Relevant government departments and industry associations responsible for expanding District organization, operations and objectives

Principles, concepts, and practices of grant development and administration

Communications media sources and their most effective uses, including print, broadcast, web, and social media

Local, regional, statewide and national trends and advancement issues facing higher education and the basic tenets of community college education

Capabilities of computer systems and applications used in the communications and fund raising

Organization, functions, and inter-relationships of operating units and programs of the District

Principles and practices of organization and management

Principles and practices of business and public administration

Principles of supervision, team building, and training

Skill in:

Interpersonal relationships

Presenting concepts effectively verbally and in writing

Achieving the understanding and support of individuals or groups with indifferent or opposing points of view

Ability to:

Formulate a clear organizational vision and operational goals and objectives for institutional advancement

Administer and direct a multifaceted and complex advancement program through a combination of managers, consultants, contractors, and staff

Establish and implement a comprehensive program of reporting and communication

Develop and implement the operating policies required to achieve goals and objectives

Interpret, apply, and explain principles and legal provisions pertinent to an advancement program

Evaluate program operations and staff

Anticipate conditions, plan ahead, and establish priorities; act independently and promptly to situations and events

Translate strategic thinking about complex challenges and organizational gaps into executable plans to deliver on strategic goals and solve problems large and small

Prepare and present effective oral and written communications, presentations, and reports

Integrate technology into business decisions and operations

Effectively communicate complex information concisely and in understandable terms

Successfully navigate and thrive in a multi‐institution context through persuasion, consensus, and effective communication

Foster trust and confidence; earn support from internal and external constituencies

Mentor staff to advance productivity, personal initiative, and collaboration

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with constituency groups, officials and representatives of public and private foundations and organizations, employees, co-workers, and the public

Travel to off-site events and meetings

Education:

A bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university preferably with a major in fundraising management, non-profit management, philanthropic leadership, or a related field. An advanced degree in one of the aforementioned majors is desirable.

Experience:

Five years of recent full-time, professional-level experience in a leadership position with responsibility for private resource development including annual, capital, planned giving, and event fundraising preferably for a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization. Experience in grant development or administration is desirable. Experience with an institution of higher learning or public agency is desirable.

Certification:

Possession of a fundraising professional certification such as Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) or Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE) is desirable.

Special:

Travel to locations throughout the District is required.

A valid Class "C" California driver's license must be obtained within 10 days of establishing residency in the State of California.

Our class specification generally describes the duties, responsibilities, and requirements characteristic of the position(s) within this job class. The duties, responsibilities, and requirements of a particular position within this class may vary from the duties of other positions within the class.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Los Angeles Community College District provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with covered disabilities on a case-by-case basis throughout the application, examination, and hiring processes and throughout employment. If an individual is in doubt about their ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of a position or possession of any other requirement noted in a class specification or job announcement, they should always apply for a position and request reasonable accommodation at the appropriate time.