EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Access Opportunity; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 126,000 - 154,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental insurance

3 weeks paid time off

403(b) retirement plan with 3% company

Mileage reimbursement

Job summary

Access Opportunity, based in Boulder, CO, seeks an Executive Director to guide the organization through strategic transformation, expand funding streams, and build long-term sustainability. You will lead with the Board, deepen donor relations, and advance program impact across K-12 and higher education landscapes.

The role requires collaborative leadership, fundraising expertise, and the ability to navigate diverse stakeholders, including funders across the Denver metro area, with occasional

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• 2-3 years nonprofit leadership with fundraising track record.
• Excellent communications with Board, staff, donors and external stakeholders.
• Experience building teams, culture, structures and systems.
• Ability to work autonomously with strong self-management.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Board to set strategic direction and major gift opportunities.
• Serve as spokesperson to funders and community stakeholders.
• Recruit and support Board members for governance and fundraising.
• Coach and develop a small team, fostering inclusive high performance.
• Oversee budgeting, compliance, and organizational operations.
• Lead development plans, major gifts, and donor stewardship activities.
• Manage portfolio of major donors with regular meetings and solicitations.
• Drive communications strategy, branding, and digital presence.

Skills

Leadership

Fundraising

Board relations

Donor relations

Strategic planning

Communication

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Job description

Access Opportunity’s vision is equity in opportunity for all students. Our mission is to create opportunities for high-potential students from low-income households to define their individual paths through high school, college, and career, ultimately benefiting the lives of others.

The program begins with a selective admissions process at the end of 10th grade, and continues through graduation from a four-year college. Our students are ambitious leaders who hope to use their education to make change in their communities. The ultimate goal of Access Opportunity is to help students, their families, and their communities reach their full potential.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Access Opportunity seeks an Executive Director to lead the organization through the next phase of strategic transformation alongside the organization’s co-founders, Board of Directors, and team. This role will help drive our mission forward through collaborative leadership, relationship building, and fund development.

The Executive Director will build upon an engaged Board, strong network, and programmatic success while expanding funding streams and building long-term sustainability. This mission-driven leader will have a proven track record of inspiring constituents, teams, and communities towards shared goals; successful fundraising, including experience with major gifts; and the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership & Board Relations

• Partner with the Board to set strategic direction, goals, and policies; as well as to identify, engage, and leverage networks for major gift opportunities.
• Serve as the primary spokesperson and ambassador to funders and community stakeholders.
• Recruit, engage, and support Board members to strengthen governance and fundraising.
• Coach, lead and develop a small team of professionals in their programmatic and other work, fostering an inclusive and high-performing culture.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the K–12 and higher education landscape to inform strategy, partnerships, and program development.
• Design and execute comprehensive development plans, including major gifts, and identify, research, and qualify new prospects.
• Personally manage a portfolio of major donors and prospects, conducting regular one-on-one meetings, solicitations, and stewardship activities.
• Ensure consistent and high-quality donor stewardship, including personalized communications and impact reporting.
• Lead organizational communications strategy, including messaging, branding, and digital presence, to strengthen visibility and stakeholder engagement.
• Support grant development efforts by managing key relationships, collaborating on proposal writing, gathering program data and impact metrics, and ensuring timely submission of high-quality grant applications and reports.
• Utilize Salesforce CRM system to track donor engagement and optimize fundraising performance.

Operations Oversight

• Manage daily operations and ensure alignment with Access Opportunity’s mission, culture and standards.
• Oversee program administration and key activities, including coordinating logistics, supporting workshops and events, and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.
• Develop and manage the annual budget with organizational leadership, and ensure sound fiscal practices; as well as review and approve monthly financials with organizational leadership.
• Maintain compliance with all organizational, federal, state, and local requirements.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• At minimum, Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Demonstrated commitment to Access Opportunity’s vision and mission.
• At least 2-3 years nonprofit leadership preferred, with a strong track record in fundraising and stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent communications skills, including verbal and written communications. Must also be able to effectively communicate with Board, staff, donors, external stakeholders, and clients.
• Proven experience building teams, organizational culture, structures, and systems to support an impactful organization.
• Demonstrated success working in a highly autonomous environment, including strong self-management, proactive communication, and the ability to help others structure their work in this kind of environment.
• Collaborative leadership style with excellent interpersonal skills and an openness to professional feedback and growth (both delivering and receiving).
• Ability to effectively manage a large volume of work.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Knowledge of general business practices and budgeting, as well as knowledge of organizational functioning.
• Strong working proficiency in Microsoft Office and Salesforce.
• This role requires occasional evening and weekend availability to support community needs. Regular in-person meetings with funders across the Denver metro area are expected, and reliable transportation is required.

COMPENSATION:

The salary range for this position is $140,000, with a generous benefit package. These benefits include fully covered health and dental insurance, 3 weeks paid time off, enrollment into a 403(b) retirement plan after one-year of service with a 3% company match, and mileage reimbursement.