Director of Development

EJEA Logo

OUR STORY

Excellence and Justice in Education Academies (EJEA) Charter School is a dual-language immersion school, created for the community, by the community. EJEA is a space where the needs of the whole child are met, family engagement is encouraged, and all cultures are celebrated. EJEA opened its doors in 2005, evolving from a parent advocacy group that, throughout the course of two decades, fought to ensure parents had access to quality bilingual education programs for their children. With a $14M annual operating budget, EJEA’s passionate team continues to offer the highest quality dual language education through the same social justice lens that was critical to our founding. Each year, we serve 833 TK – 8th grade students from diverse populations, providing the resources, instruction, and support needed to excel in higher education and become future leaders in the creation of a just global society. With the help of our partners, we proudly support our students and families beyond the classroom. This includes offering preventative healthcare at our onsite health clinic, nutritious lunches, family counseling, and college and career support to our graduates through our EJEA Alumni Center.

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

EJEA’s core values are based on justice, excellence, and service from the heart. These values are modeled every day by our leadership team, faculty, and staff and are infused throughout the campus by vibrant murals decorating school walls. Our work is guided by a passionate and dedicated Board of Directors, and senior leadership team, including Founder, Señora Eva Pacheco, Executive Director, Janet Vasquez, and Principal, Ariana Gonzalez. In fact, a number of our faculty and staff are EJEA graduates themselves, reflecting the strong and ongoing commitment to the community we have built and the impact our school has consistently provided over the years. Culture is everything to us. Our organization is built on the principles of a true “familia” – reflective of the community we serve, fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace, and providing employee development and internal growth opportunities, as reflected by the long tenure of our leadership team. At EJEA we are “all in”!

BENEFITS & FEATURES

  • Salary – $120,000 – $130,000
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • CalPERS retirement plan
  • PTO: 10 paid days, 9 paid holidays
  • Vacation: Thanksgiving (one week) and Winter Break (two weeks)
  • Accidental Life Insurance

LOCATION

This is a hybrid role with an office located at 851 S Johnson Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020.

POSITION SUMMARY

This is the most exciting time in our school’s history, with the launch of a $40M capital campaign to support the development of our new middle school academy, and our Wellness Center building on campus.  $30M of the $40M total project has been secured and new buildings are beginning to rise. Reporting to EJEA’s founder, Señora Eva Pacheco, the Director of Development will initially focus on the completion of our capital campaign, partnering closely with Señora Pacheco and our campaign consultant, Jerry Buckley. Ultimately, the new Director will have responsibility for EJEA’s entire philanthropy portfolio, including campaigns, individual giving, major gifts, grants, and special events, with a primary focus on foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and an annual fund. This is a highly collaborative role, partnering with senior leadership and the Board of Directors to strengthen and improve EJEA’s overall fundraising capacity, providing critical funds to serve more students and further develop our programs. As one of our senior team members, the Director will also represent EJEA in the community, developing lasting relationships to build EJEA’s visibility, impact, and financial resources.

Strategic priorities for the Director of Philanthropy include:

  • Oversee our $10M capital campaign.
  • Collaborate with senior leadership to develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan.
  • Build trusting relationships with new and existing stakeholders.
  • Magnify the culture of philanthropy across the organization.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising Strategies & Execution

  • Lead, develop, and execute strategies for all EJEA’s fundraising areas including campaigns, major gifts, individual giving, planned giving, special events, grants, and corporate sponsorships.
  • Plan and execute a moves management approach to individual and institutional giving.
  • Design and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan for annual and capital campaign needs.
  • Create and implement innovative strategies for securing new and untapped resources.
  • Partner with the leadership team to plan and execute special events.
  • Oversee grant proposal development, working in close collaboration with relevant staff.
  • Work with the leadership team to develop a solid understanding of academic initiatives, programs, and activities to best plan for grant proposals and funder updates.
  • Collaborate with the Communications Consultant and EJEA leadership team to create an annual communication plan to ensure communication and promotional goals are met.

Donor Relations & Engagement

  • Manage prospective and current funder relationships, ensuring all funders are informed about our work on an ongoing basis and feel connected to our organization.
  • Provide outstanding customer service and support to donors, volunteers, staff, alumni, students and families, and community members.
  • Build and cultivate trusting relationships with key local organizations and community partners.
  • Integrate development and marketing/communications strategies to maximize EJEA’s brand exposure and fundraising opportunities.
  • Oversee the design and production of donor recognition materials and solicitations, as well as the development and distribution of publications, newsletters, and the annual report.

Organizational Management

  • Strengthen the culture of philanthropy across EJEA, demonstrating how employees can become advocates for EJEA in the community.
  • Work with staff members, the Board of Directors, and other stakeholders to proactively enhance, expand, and execute development efforts, building current and new relationships.
  • Serve as liaison to the Board of Directors in all development-related areas.
  • Create and manage clear success metrics, holding yourself and others accountable for achieving those goals.

Department Operations

  • Develop and manage an annual fundraising budget.
  • Establish policies, systems, and procedures, with a special emphasis on professionalism and ethical standards, for soliciting, acknowledging, tracking, and reporting gifts.
  • Supervise the appropriate use of Salesforce software and reporting, ensuring donor privacy, data accuracy, and timeliness of acknowledgments and reporting.
  • Leverage technology and data across all development strategies and practices.

BACKGROUND PROFILE

  • The successful candidate must have a passion for empowering youth, an entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit, and be a self-starter.
  • Successful professional nonprofit fundraising experience, with a strong understanding of fundraising strategies, systems, and processes.
  • Experienced with constructing, articulating, and implementing a strategic fundraising plan, including solicitation and stewardship of individual, foundation, and corporate donors, grant writing, and special events, and collaborating with the Board of Directors to achieve fundraising goals.
  • Excellent communication skills: using both written and oral skills to influence and engage diverse audiences.
  • Strong analytical skills and use of data to drive fundraising, partnership decisions, and forecasting.

FURTHER INFORMATION

COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY
If employees are not fully vaccinated, they are required to complete monthly COVID tests.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO APPLY, PLEASE CONTACT:

Shira Jacobs, Director, Blair Search Partners
1855 1st Ave., Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101
shira@blairsearchpartners.com