Vice President of Development at Partnership for Los Angeles Schools

About the Role

The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is looking for a strategic, collaborative, and proactive new Vice President (VP) of Development to help build our next phase of transformative growth and community impact. The VP will drive the Partnership's philanthropic revenue strategy, which is responsible for delivering an ambitious five-year income plan that secures increasing levels of support.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute a multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with organizational vision and strategic plan, including annual targets and gift table plans
• Personally manage and grow a portfolio of top prospects and donors, including individuals, foundations, and corporations, with a focus on high-net-worth individuals and multi-year transformational gifts
• Oversee development of compelling cases for support, tailored donor communications, and stewardship strategies to strengthen relationships and secure flexible, unrestricted funding
• Expand and refine prospect pipeline, integrating historical context and new identification strategies to diversify and grow the donor base
• Serve as a dynamic external face for the Partnership, representing the organization at major events, donor meetings, and public forums to increase visibility and inspire investment
• In collaboration with the organization's communications team, elevate the voices and stories of students, families, and school communities in donor-facing communications
• Equip internal stakeholders with tools, training, and messaging to confidently support donor cultivation and stewardship efforts
• Strengthen internal systems and processes for prospect management, donor tracking, stewardship, and revenue reporting to ensure accountability and data-driven decision-making
• Ensure operational excellence and sustainability in all fundraising activities, positioning the organization for long-term financial resilience
• Lead, build, inspire, and support a high-performing Development Team that grows an increasingly larger and diverse base of support by increasing donors and prospects, ensuring effective management, and maximizing strategic donor engagements
• Mentor the Development Team members through individualized coaching, instilling a growth mindset, engaging in identity-based learning and management practices, and community-building
• Champion the Partnership's values and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all team and external fundraising activities
• Build and embed a collaborative, organization-wide fundraising culture, engaging board members, executive leadership, and program teams as active fundraising partners
• Model effective cross-functional collaboration, project management, and alignment to organizational values and priorities
• Provide thought partnership and collaboration with the Executive Team, Board of Directors, and other team members

Requirements

• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible development leadership experience
• A strong track record of securing multi-year funding and building diversified and unrestricted revenue streams towards an overall portfolio goal of at least $6 million
• Proven experience in raising and leading teams to secure significant major gifts at the six- and seven-figure level, including events and campaigns
• Proven ability to hire, manage, motivate, and retain a diverse team of professionals that strive to achieve and exceed annual goals in an open, transparent, and inclusive manner
• Deep expertise in cultivating high-level donor and foundation relationships, including grant writing and stewardship of major institutional funders
• Experience as a proactive, goal-oriented, and data-informed development leader with demonstrated success in building productive, long-term relationships with senior administrators, community leaders, boards, volunteers, and donors
• Inspiring and persuasive interpersonal and communication skills with experience serving as an external ambassador to diverse audiences, including Board members and community partners
• Strong emotional intelligence and people-centered leadership skills, with the ability to foster a culture of care, model curiosity-driven problem-solving, and resolve conflicts with empathy
• Ability to cast a clear and mission-aligned strategy and vision, and bring others along through goal-setting, progress monitoring, and executing day-to-day work
• Strong skills in managing multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with CRM platforms (Raiser's Edge preferred)
• K-12 public education experience valued, but not required

Qualifications

• A deep belief in the power of our communities, the Partnership's mission, approach, and core values
• A commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment for all team members
• A willingness to learn, grow, and model the Partnership competencies: Anti-racism, root cause analysis, long-term thinking, teaming and collaboration, psychological safety, and learning and growth