VP, Advancement & Growth

VP, Advancement & Growth

Location: Hybrid 

Status: Full-time 

Innovate Public Schools is a power-building organization launched in 2012. Our vision is a high-quality school experience that cherishes and affirms every student, particularly Black and Brown students and prepares them for a lifetime of opportunity and choice. Our mission is to build the capacity of parents and families to organize, advocate, and demand high-quality schools for their children.

Our program model centers on long-term power-building through community organizing for parents & education stakeholders. To support this work, we deploy our Research & Policy (RAP) team to collect & publish data that supports the informed demands of engaged parents. Our Communications team helps to disseminate RAP findings and supports parent leaders in implementing effective outreach strategies that bring more parents into our established organizing communities. Our Consulting & Training team then scales this work nationally, providing training for schools & community leaders to build capacity within their organizations to support authentic grassroots parent organizing.  We deeply engage with parents and education stakeholders to support them in cultivating sustainable power-building practices that ensure that their voices are heard in the education advocacy space. 

Reporting & Responsibilities:

The VP of Advancement & Growth reports to Innovate’s CEO. Major areas of responsibility include:

Ensure the success of the organization’s fundraising and development efforts (~70%)

• Set a clear vision for Innovate’s current and future fundraising strategy that aligns with Innovate’s mission and goals. Establish the team goal of increasing annual contributions by 10% each year.
• Led the development and execution of Innovate’s fund engagement strategy, including delivering compelling, personalized communications; identifying funder prospects; grant writing (with some external support); and exposing donors and prospects to program work.
• In partnership with the CEO, cultivate, establish, and maintain relationships with prospective funders in all regions. Prepare and send regular and personalized updates to prospects and supporters.
• Serve as a powerful ambassador for Innovate, discussing our work publicly in an inspiring way, drawing on deep expertise in education, racial equity, and community organizing.
• Draw on and build connections between partners and prospects to build coalitions of partners and funders who are committed to supporting Innovate’s work, either overall or in particular geographies and/or functional teams (e.g., San Francisco, Mid-Peninsula, San Jose, Los Angeles, National Organizing, Statewide).
• Develop and manage the Development Team’s goals and budget, and monitor progress toward both. Collaborate with the Director of Finance to prepare reports for the board of directors and leadership team, as needed.

Serve as a senior leader in the organization (~10%)

• Play a key role on the organization’s leadership team.  Foster a culture that encourages diversity, equity, inclusion, collaboration, accountability, and transparency.  Contribute to the organization’s overall success and sustainability.
• Work with the VP, People & Impact and the leadership team to further embed Innovate’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work, including raising and leaning into important and sometimes uncomfortable conversations with authenticity, thoughtfulness, openness, and sensitivity.
• Collaborate with other Innovate staff and volunteer parent leaders, and participate constructively in team meetings and project planning.

Effectively manage the development team (~20%)

• Set and clearly articulate priorities, roles and responsibilities, and decision-making processes. Monitor team capacity and progress toward department goals.
• Focus on empowering and supporting others to achieve (set the vision then let the team do it). Support the development and professional growth of department staff through effective delegation and diligent project management.
• Create and lead inclusive decision-making processes, including team syncs with the department and CEO.
• Consistently use data to drive decision making in projections and budget-building. Understand that data is a backbone of our work, not an island or a team - it’s woven through everything we do, and is part of our practice.
• Refine and maintain existing processes and systems. Systematize and document our work so we can do it consistently and well.

Qualifications

• Alignment with Innovate Public Schools’ mission.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Demonstrated experience as a successful fundraising professional, or related work experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated success in acquiring, developing, and retaining donor or client relationships resulting in significant support for an organization.
• Experience using Salesforce (preferred), or other customer relationship management platforms.
• Ability to approach situations and challenges with a sense of humor.
• Demonstrated team player with the ability to work collaboratively within diverse groups. Able to lead with a DEI lens, and center the voices and experiences of parents. 
• Consistently uses data to drive decision-making. Understand that data is a central component of our work.
• Orientation toward developing replicable, sustainable processes and systems that help us do our work consistently and well.
• Able to set and articulate priorities, roles and responsibilities, and decision-making processes.
• Ability to work in an environment requiring flexibility, self-motivation, self-directed problem-solving, collaborative work style, drive toward results, and enthusiasm.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive, professional relationships with a diverse team of colleagues.
• Proof of eligibility to work permanently in the United States.
• Valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle.

Compensation

Compensation depends on experience and is highly competitive. Innovate offers very generous benefits including health and dental insurance, Unlimited PTO, 33 days paid time off per year (including office closures in July, November, and December), 1 day per year paid volunteering time off, and 5% employer contribution to 401k.

Work Environment/ Work Demands

The work environment characteristics and the physical demands described here represent those an employee encounters while successfully performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Commitment to DEI

Here at Innovate, we believe applying a DEI lens to everything we do creates the most equitable outcomes for our staff and the communities we serve. DEI is alive through a well established Equity Working Group which serves as the vehicle for ensuring our policies, practices, and overall staff culture is equitable. We also have race-based employee resource groups, DEI Institutes, consistent DEI programming in our staff meetings, as well as an Intranet with relevant DEI resources.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the person in this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills.