Director of Advancement

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Advancement leads Envision Education's communications, marketing fundraising, partnerships, and brand strategy. This position is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that strengthen organizational visibility, deepen stakeholder engagement, expand philanthropic support, and advance Envision's mission and long-term sustainability.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Director serves as the organization's lead strategist for advancement and external affairs while overseeing execution through the Advancement Coordinator and external vendors, consultants, and partners.

The Director is responsible for setting annual marketing, communications, and development goals and strategic priorities, managing key external relationships, and ensuring alignment between organizational priorities and external engagement efforts.

Applications Due: June 15, 2026

Start Date: July 2026

WHO WE ARE

Our mission is to transform the lives of students - especially those who will be the first in their families to attend college - by preparing them for success in college, career, and life. Envision Education currently operates four small schools in San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward, as well as a national educational consulting firm called Envision Learning Partners. Envision Education has made an explicit commitment to becoming an exemplary network of schools with an instructional and cultural vision rooted in an anti-racist and pro-Black framework. The following represents Envision Schools’ vision for 21st-century skills, character traits, and cognitive and social-emotional skills that learners need for success in college, career, and life.

• Knowledge and Love of Self and Land

• Collectivism

• Critical Thinking

• Self Determination

• Criticality

• Leadership

WHO YOU ARE

• You are equity-focused. You are unapologetic about your deeply held belief that all children can achieve. You believe that anti-racist and pro-Black practices and frameworks are essential to change the status quo for all students.

• You are collaborative. You make decisions in partnership with others, focused on what is best for the students 

• You are invested in our core values. You hold high expectations for the entire school community. You examine your own biases in your pursuit of equity for all. Every opportunity to learn something new excites you.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Communications, Marketing & Brand Leadership

Lead organizational communications and marketing strategies that strengthen awareness, engagement, and reputation aligned to organizational goals.

Responsibilities include:

• Develop and oversee organizational communications and marketing plans.

• Establish brand standards, messaging frameworks, and communication priorities.

• Guide storytelling that highlights student outcomes, organizational impact, and strategic priorities.

• Oversee communications channels including website, email, social media, publications, and presentations.

• Review and approve major external communications and marketing materials.

• Ensure consistent messaging and brand alignment across schools, programs, and departments.

• Partner with school leadership to align marketing and communications efforts with enrollment and family engagement priorities.

• Establishes annual communications priorities, audience segmentation strategies, and campaign objectives while delegating production and implementation activities.

• Establish communications metrics and evaluate effectiveness of outreach efforts.

Advancement Strategy & Fund Development

Lead the organization's advancement strategy to support revenue generation, donor engagement, and long-term sustainability.

Responsibilities include:

• Develop and implement annual and multi-year advancement plans aligned to organizational priorities.

• Establish fundraising goals, strategies, and performance metrics.

• Build and manage a diversified fundraising portfolio including foundations, corporations, individual donors, sponsorships, and special campaigns.

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and institutional funders.

• Partner with executive leadership and board members on fundraising activities and donor engagement.

• Defines objectives, audience strategy, sponsorship strategy, fundraising goals, and success measures for advancement events while delegating logistical planning and implementation.

• Oversee grant development strategy, funding calendars, and proposal pipelines.

• Establishes advancement performance metrics, portfolio management practices, donor engagement strategies, and fundraising systems while ensuring operational execution through the Advancement Coordinator.

• Establishes advancement performance metrics, portfolio management practices, donor engagement strategies, and fundraising systems while ensuring operational execution through the Advancement Coordinator.

Strategic Partnerships & Community Engagement

Develop relationships that advance organizational visibility, influence, and mission impact.

Responsibilities include:

• Identify and cultivate partnerships with philanthropic organizations, community partners, educational institutions, and corporate supporters.

• Expand opportunities for strategic collaborations and community engagement.

• Represent Envision at community, philanthropic, educational, and networking events.

• Strengthen relationships with key stakeholders, funders, and external partners.

• Coordinate executive-level engagement opportunities that support organizational priorities.

• Position Envision as a leader in educational innovation, equity, and student success.

Leadership Support & Board Engagement

Support organizational leadership in fundraising. 

Responsibilities include:

• Partner with the CEO, COO, and executive leadership on advancement priorities.

• Prepare fundraising, communications, and stakeholder engagement materials for leadership.

• Support Board committees and Board fundraising efforts as assigned.

• Provide regular reports on fundraising, communications, and engagement metrics.

• Assist with strategic planning related to advancement and external affairs.

Department Leadership & Operations 

Provide oversight of advancement operations and ensure effective execution of department priorities.

Responsibilities include:

• Supervise and support the Advancement Coordinator.

• Establish annual department goals, priorities, and performance expectations.

• Manage department budget and external vendor relationships.

• Oversee advancement systems, CRM utilization, project management processes, and reporting structures.

• Ensure effective coordination of communications, events, fundraising activities, and stakeholder engagement efforts.

• Develop systems and processes that improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

KEY COMPETENCIES & QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong strategic planning and growth leadership experience

• Ability to translate mission into compelling external engagement strategies

• Entrepreneurial mindset and results-oriented approach

• Exceptional ability to cultivate donors, partners, and strategic allies

• Comfort representing organizations publicly and building networks

• Experience shaping brand strategy and organizational narrative

• Strong storytelling and messaging capabilities

• Demonstrated success growing philanthropic or partnership revenue

• Experience building fundraising or partnership pipelines

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Commitment to the mission of Envision Education.

• Commitment to anti-racist and pro-Black practices and organizational culture.

• Bachelor's degree required.

• Master's degree or CFRE certification preferred.

• Five to eight years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit development, communications, advancement, external affairs, marketing, or related fields.

• Demonstrated success managing fundraising initiatives and external partnerships.

• Experience developing communications and stakeholder engagement strategies.

• Experience supervising staff and managing projects.

• Strong written, presentation, and relationship-building skills.

• Experience using CRM systems and fundraising databases (Salesforce preferred).

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

This is a 12 month, on-site position. The salary range for this position is $130,000-$150,000 and based on relevant experience. Benefits are competitive: 

• Paid sick leave

• Paid vacation time

• Excellent health benefits package with employer contribution to benefits.

• Optional Flexible Benefits Plan including dependent care, medical care, parking, and commuter benefits

• 403b Plan

• Life Insurance at no cost to employee

• Access to ongoing opportunities for learning, professional, and leadership opportunities.

As an equal opportunity employer, we believe deeply in diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all people. Envision recruits, employs, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, disability, age, veteran status, and the many other characteristics that make us diverse.

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