Organization Mission

uAspire’s mission is to ensure that all young people have the financial information and resources necessary to find an affordable path to—and through—a postsecondary education. Removing financial barriers to higher education leads to higher enrollment and graduation rates, helping more students fulfill the economic promise of an affordable college degree that will break the cycle of poverty in this and subsequent generations.

Organization HISTORY

uAspire was founded in 1985 in Boston. After three decades of establishing a proven track record, uAspire is working to achieve direct and systemic impact in communities of need nationwide through three impact models: direct service to students and families, training and technical assistance for other practitioners, and policy and systems change work.

uAspire Bay Area opened in January 2014 as uAspire’s newest direct service site. During a pilot semester in four high schools and after-school programs in San Francisco and Oakland, uAspire delivered our college affordability services to 450 Bay Area students and families. In the 2014-15 school year—our first full year of operations locally—we supported more than 1,850 high school students in San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward. Over the next three years, we aim to continue expanding in our initial cities while adding programming in Silicon Valley.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director (ED) of uAspire Bay Area, the Director of Development and Strategic Growth (DDSG) will lead all Bay Area fundraising initiatives and deliver on the site’s revenue-generating goals to ensure that we can achieve ambitious goals on behalf of local students. As a key strategist and face of the organization, the DDSG will also inspire external stakeholders to engage with the organization’s work. The successful applicant will embrace our mission of helping all Bay Area youth find affordable ways to access and complete a postsecondary education and the opportunity to help build and sustain uAspire’s work in our newest geographic area.

This position is located in Oakland, with regular travel throughout San Francisco, Oakland, and Silicon Valley and occasional travel to uAspire’s central office in Boston, MA.

Principal Responsibilities

« In partnership with the Bay Area ED and central office fundraising team, refine uAspire Bay Area’s fundraising strategy and revenue plan and ensure that all collaborators are executing on it to meet the site’s annual revenue goal (currently $1 million and expected to increase annually for the next three to five years).

« Drive fundraising best practices to ensure implementation excellence in all aspects of resource-building, including cultivating prospects and stewarding donors; organizing events; attracting gifts from a diverse array of individuals/families, corporations, and foundations; identifying, applying for, and reporting on grants; and advancing a nascent earned-income plan.

« Personally manage a portfolio of high-priority prospects and donors. Cultivate, solicit, close, and steward 5- to 7-figure gifts, with an emphasis on growing major donor support. Leverage internal and external constituents in driving relationships that will generate resources for and awareness of uAspire’s work.

« Effectively and authentically represent uAspire to its diverse constituents by learning from our programmatic stakeholders and tailoring messages and communications formats to various audiences.

« Ensure that all major local funding programs are coordinated with national organization efforts as appropriate. Implement and inform system-wide development strategies used by all uAspire sites and leverage the national resources available to support Bay revenue opportunities.

« Use appropriate metrics in Salesforce to track outcomes and progress toward goals. Ensure data integrity and perform data analysis related to fundraising activities.

« Establish, coordinate, and manage a local board Development Committee and attend all uAspire Bay Area board meetings. Assist in identifying and recruiting a Board Chair.

« Enhance marketing and communications efforts to increase uAspire’s visibility in a new region. Collaborate on or oversee additional activities related to fundraising and awareness-building as requested by the ED.

« Oversee, support, and further develop a talented Bay Area Development and Communications Coordinator.

Qualifications

« 5-8 years of experience with fundraising, either in a fundraising position or in a programmatic leadership role in a related organization; experience should include: relationship management with individuals, corporations, and foundations; the continuum of fundraising strategies; identifying, soliciting, and closing major and multi-year gifts; leveraging existing relationships into bigger dollars and a growing network; and being resourceful in identifying new opportunities.

« Demonstrated commitment to uAspire’s mission. Embodiment of uAspire’s core values—being student-centered, collaborative, excellent, dedicated, and systems-focused—and to diversity and inclusion.

« Knowledge of and network within diverse Bay Area philanthropic communities.

« Experience with and ability to lead and excel in a results-oriented environment focused primarily on education or youth. Desire to become an integral part of a growing organization, with its associated ambiguity and need for agility and adaptation. Willingness to go above and beyond to get the job done.

« Demonstrated ability to think strategically while executing tactically in order to meet the organization’s growing resource needs. Experience setting vision and goals. Advanced project planning, organizational, and managerial skills, including prioritizing and implementing projects in a fast-paced environment and working effectively with a diverse set of internal and external partners. Strong time and task management a must.

« Strong and mission-appropriate communications ability, including: a keen sense of empathy coupled with an ability to authentically relay the student, family, and school experience to external stakeholders. Excellent verbal communication skills and a comfort with representing uAspire externally through presentations and meetings. Proven ability to engage and inspire a wide range of audiences. Excellent written communications skills, including grant-writing and reporting; experience in marketing, web, and/or social media a plus.

« Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree preferred.

« Ability to work flexible hours that will include occasional evenings and weekends.

How to apply

Applicants should submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter that outlines how your skills and experience meet the qualifications and goals of this position. We will not accept applications without a cover letter. Please send to jobs@uaspire.org, with the subject line: Bay Area Director of Development and Strategic Growth.