Head of Nonprofit Development

Director Of DevelopmentInner Spark Learning Lab is an education nonprofit based in South Central Los Angeles. We partner with public schools and organizations to help schools be a place kids actually want to be.Our student-facing programs are embedded into every student's school day at ICEF Inglewood Elementary, our inaugural Learning Lab school partner. Students in grades TK-2 participate in Igniting the Spark (project-based learning program). Students in Grades 3 to 5 participate in TheoryxPractice (youth participatory research program). We also have a Learning Specialist on our team, called a Dreamweaver, whose job is to listen and learn from kids and families about what they're learning and experiencing to deepen our understanding of how we can continue to make school a place where kids want to be.Our educator-facing programs include a teacher professional development program (SparkAI) developed in partnership with Loyola Marymount University's iDEAL Institute.The Director of Development will join an organization growing its revenue across three channels: individual giving, institutional giving, and corporate sponsorships. The fundamentals are in place, but it requires the right design, coordination, and processes to make it a disciplined fundraising operation. The right person for this role is not someone who wants to execute a known playbook, but rather someone who is energized by building one.What you'll do:Individual Giving 30% OF SCOPEManage a portfolio of individual donors who have demonstrated capacity between $1,000 and $10,000, while the Executive Director focuses on major gifts above $10,000Design and support the implementation of a major gifts strategy, including cultivation events, one-to-one relationship management, and a disciplined moves management process, alongside the Executive Director, ensuring their time is deployed effectively to meet organizational goalsSupervise the fractional marketing team that will communicate with individual donors under $1,000, and lead the strategy and execution of all Annual Fund campaignsInstitutional Giving 35% OF SCOPEManage the institutional portfolio at a strategic level, including key funder relationships, portfolio prioritization, and FY grant targetsPartner with the Executive Director and Senior Development Manager (to be hired in Fiscal Year 2028), who will own day-to-day grant writing, reporting, and deadline managementMake decisions about which funders and opportunities are worth Inner Spark's time, based on alignment, capacity, and strategic fitWrite and edit grant applications and proposals that are developed in partnership with the Executive Director. Coordinate and manage grant budgets with the bookkeeper and finance support teamCorporate Partnerships 10% OF SCOPEWe have a nascent corporate partnership program. Team and Operations 15% OF SCOPEBuild a development function that is repeatable, documented, and does not depend on any one person to runOwn the development operating system in Notion, including pipeline tracking, workflow documentation, and team accountability structuresEstablish and maintain a recurring coordination routine with the Chief Program and Learning Officer to ensure grant reporting and storytelling are never a scrambleBoard and External Relations 10% OF SCOPEStaff the board development committee and actively deploy board members in donor introductions and cultivation eventsRepresent Inner Spark in funder spaces, at national convenings, and in the Los Angeles education ecosystemOur ideal candidate will have:7 or more years of nonprofit fundraising experience with demonstrated growth in responsibility A track record of identifying new donors, cultivating relationships, and making the ask solo and in partnership with other team members (both individuals and institutional funders)Experience managing or mentoring development staff and executive leaders Familiarity with the Los Angeles and national education funder landscapeStrong written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex program work into compelling funder narrativesProficiency in Notion or comparable project management toolsIt's a bonus if you have:Familiarity with Funraise and HubSpot is a plus but not requiredPay Scale:$110k-115k