Director of Development

Envision Consulting; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan options

Paid time off

Health, dental, and vision coverage

Life and long-term disabilityinsurance

Job summary

The Ebell of Los Angeles seeks a dynamic Director of Development to lead and scale its philanthropy at a pivotal moment. Reporting to the CEO, the DOD will build major gifts, manage a donor pipeline, and advance annual, capital, and campaign priorities.

This role partners with the CEO, Board, and volunteers to craft strategies, mentor staff, and strengthen operations. It requires seven-figure gifts experience, fundraising leadership, and a passion for arts and culture in Los Angeles.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of nonprofit development with major gifts experience.
• Proven success soliciting six-figure gifts; seven-figure gifts preferred.
• Experience with a capital or comprehensive campaign.
• Ability to partner effectively with a CEO, Board, and senior stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication; donor proposals.
• Familiarity with CRM and fundraising data analytics.
• Experience in arts, culture, or mission-driven orgs is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead frontline fundraising with major individual and institutional donors.
• Build and manage a major gifts pipeline with moves management.
• Expand donor base across LA and beyond.
• Develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy across units.
• Lead capital fundraising for campus preservation and campaigns.
• Work with campaign counsel, volunteers on strategy and solicitations.
• Identify diverse capital sources including public funding and tax credits.
• Serve CEO and Board, coach volunteers in solicitations.
• Lead donor communications and grants pipeline.
• Oversee Salesforce implementation and data integrity.

Skills

Major gifts

Frontline fundraising

Donor cultivation

Campaign strategy

Leadership

Relationship-building

Communications

Tools

Salesforce

CRM systems

Job description

The Ebell of Los Angeles is a women-led nonprofit organization that has served the Greater Los Angeles community for more than a century. Its mission is to inspire women and build community through arts, culture, education, service, and stewardship of its historic campus and collections.As The Ebell enters an ambitious new chapter, the organization is preparing to steward its historic landmark campus for its next century while expanding its philanthropic capacity and community impact.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Development (DOD) is a seasoned, entrepreneurial leader responsible for building and scaling The Ebell’s philanthropic program at a pivotal moment in the organization’s history.Reporting directly to the CEO, the DODwill initially serve as the organization’s lead frontline fundraiser, developing relationships with individual and institutional donors, making direct asks, and building a robust major gifts pipeline in support of annual, capital, and campaign priorities.

This is an opportunity for an experienced development professional to help create a culture of philanthropy across an organization where fundraising capacity andexpertiseare still evolving. The DODwill serve as a close partner and advisor to the CEO, Board, and senior leadership team, helping organizational leaders become more effective ambassadors, relationship-builders, and fundraisers.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as The Ebell’s lead frontline fundraiser, cultivating,soliciting, and stewarding major individual and institutional donors, including six- and seven-figure prospects.
• Build and manage a robust major gifts pipeline, using disciplined prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation,movesmanagement, and stewardship practices.
• Expand The Ebell’s donor base by developing new philanthropic relationships throughout Los Angeles and beyond.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy encompassing major gifts, annual giving, institutional giving, sponsorships, campaigns, and stewardship.
• Play a senior leadership role in The Ebell’s capital fundraising efforts to preserve and ensure the future of its historic campus, addressing near-term needs while building toward a larger, long-term campaign.
• Partner with campaign counsel, organizational leadership, and volunteers to develop campaign strategy, prospect plans, feasibility efforts, solicitations, and a compelling case for support.
• Identifyand pursue diverse sources of capital, including individual and institutional philanthropy, public funding, historic tax credits, and government support.

CEO & Board Partnership

• Serve as a trusted fundraising advisor to the CEO and partner closelyondonor strategy, campaign priorities, and key external relationships.
• Engage, coach, and equip Board members toidentifyprospects, cultivate relationships, open doors, andparticipateeffectively in solicitations.
• Provide leadership and the Board with clear reporting on fundraisingperformance, pipeline development, campaign progress, and opportunities.

Development Operations & Team Leadership

• Strengthen the systems, processes, metrics, and infrastructure necessary to support significant fundraising growth and a strong culture of philanthropy.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the development team, including theSeniorDevelopment Manager and grant writing resources, while assessing future staffing needs.
• Establish clear goals, roles, workflows, and accountability across the development function.

Donor Communications & Institutional Giving

• Oversee compelling donor communications, cases for support, proposals, campaign materials, and stewardship strategies that strengthen donor engagement and giving.
• Lead foundation, corporate, and government fundraising, cultivating relationships with key institutional funders and overseeing a strong grants pipeline.
• Collaborate across marketing, programming, membership, events, and other teams to ensure cohesive messaging and donor engagement.
• Lead the continued implementation and optimization of Salesforce as The Ebell’s central development CRM, ensuring strong adoption and data integrity.
• Use donor, prospect, and campaign data to manage the pipeline, evaluateperformance, forecast revenue, and inform fundraising strategy.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 7+ years of progressively responsible nonprofit development experience, withsignificant experiencein major gifts and frontline fundraising.
• Demonstrated success cultivating,soliciting, and closing six-figure gifts; experience with seven-figure gifts strongly preferred.
• Experience with a capital or comprehensive campaign, ideally within an ambitious, multi-year fundraising effort.
• Experience building or significantly strengthening a major gifts program, development operation, and culture of philanthropy.
• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with a CEO, Board members, campaign volunteers, and senior stakeholders, including coaching leaders in donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Sophisticated understanding of major gifts,moves management, stewardship, annual and institutional giving, and campaign strategy.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing fundraising staff and external resources.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience developing cases for support, proposals, donor communications, and solicitation materials.
• Strong command of CRM systems and fundraising data, with the ability to use data to evaluate pipelines,performance, and strategy; Salesforce experience preferred.
• Collaborative leadership style and ability to work effectively across marketing, membership, programs, operations, finance, and events.
• Experience in arts and culture, historic preservation, education, community-based organizations, or another mission-driven environment is highly desirable; familiarity with the Los Angeles philanthropic community is a plus.
• Ability to manage multiple complex priorities andworka flexible schedule, including occasional evenings, weekends, and local travel for donor meetings and events.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
The Ebell offers a competitive executive compensation package commensurate with experienceincludinga salary range of$150,000-$160,000and a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plan options; paid vacation, sick time, and holidays; medical, dental, and vision coverage; life and long-term disability insurance; and an employee assistance program.

Ebell of Los Angeles is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to provide equal opportunity to all employees, applicants and program beneficiaries. Ebell of Los Angeles does not discriminate against any person because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, political affiliation or citizenship. All qualified applicants, including minorities and women, are encouraged to apply.