Partner, External Relations

Education Forward DC; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Gold health plan contributions

Dental and Vision coverage

Disability insurance

Life insurance

PTO 20 days + annual increase

Flexible personal and sick leave

Professional development budget

Relocation stipends

Job summary

Education Forward DC is seeking a Partner, External Relations to lead our fundraising strategy, donor engagements, and external partnerships. You will work closely with the CEO to drive long-term revenue and elevate the organization's national profile in education philanthropy.

The role requires senior leadership experience, an ability to cultivate principal-level donors, and a commitment to educational equity in DC. The position is hybrid, with in-office days Tuesday and Wednesday.

Qualifications

• Proven success building multi-year fundraising strategy and donor pipelines.
• Track record closing gifts of $250K+ and cultivating principal-level donors.
• Experience leading a small, high-performing fundraising team.
• At least ten years of progressive leadership in development.
• Experience partnering with a CEO on strategic fundraising.
• Commitment to educational equity and DC education.
• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree valued.

Responsibilities

• Design and lead a multi-year fundraising strategy targeting donor relationships and long-term revenue growth.
• Develop systems for donor tracking, reporting, and portfolio management.
• Advise the CEO and senior leadership on how to deploy time and relationships for long-term goals.
• Personally identify and steward principal- and major-gift donors.
• Lead solicitation and proposal development for significant partnerships and represent the organization externally.
• Lead and develop the External Relations team and oversee governance and communications functions.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Donor cultivation

Major gifts

Team leadership

Executive presence

DC education fundraising

Board engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree

Graduate degree valued

Job description

Position: Partner, External Relations
Reports to: CEO
Start date: February 2027
Location: Washington, DC
Application Deadline: 11/16/2026

The Challenge & Opportunity

Over the past two decades, the District of Columbia has made real, measurable progress in public education to become the fastest-improving urban school system in the country. A strong system of public school choice, greater accountability, and sustained investments have created real results. However, today, only about a quarter of students from low-income households attend high-performing schools. Achievement gaps persist as federal funding and our local economy remain uncertain. Without continued strategic investment and a trusted partner, gains could stall or worse. DC students' futures are at stake.

Now is the moment to accelerate DC's progress to fulfill the promise of an excellent education for every student. DC already has high-performing schools that are changing outcomes for students who need the most support. Expanding and improving educational experiences to ensure more students are prepared for bright futures requires investment, partnership, and citywide coordination.

The Organization

Education Forward DC (Ed Forward DC) is a nonprofit organization that combines strategic grantmaking and hands‑on partnerships to ensure a great public school for every DC student. Working across both traditional public and public charter schools, we invest in school quality, developing outstanding leaders and teachers, and advancing the policy conditions that make progress possible. Education Forward DC aims to ensure that 40% of students designated as economically disadvantaged attend high-performing schools by 2029. DC has proven that citywide improvement is possible. Education Forward DC exists to accelerate it and close the gaps that remain.

Key Responsibilities

Education Forward DC is celebrating our 10-year anniversary in 2026. Since 2016 we have raised over $140M for the DC education ecosystem and our work remains critical. The Partner, External Relations, will be a key leader charting our path forward. You will translate our impact and vision into clear narratives that inspire philanthropic investment. Partnering closely with the CEO, you will be a key contributor to organization-wide strategy and executive decision‑making, with regular engagement with board‑level relationships and priorities. As Partner, you will be Ed Forward DC's senior development executive, leading a team of three: External Relations Principal, External Relations Manager, and Communications Principal.

Fundraising Strategy & Leadership

• Design and lead a comprehensive, multi-year fundraising strategy that builds toward Ed Forward DC's long-term revenue goals with particular focus on the donor relationships and pipeline needed to sustain growth in years 35, not just the current year's target, and raise an average of $12M annually
• Build and refine the systems and infrastructure needed to support that strategy over time (donor tracking, reporting, portfolio management), in partnership with the external relations team
• Develop the organizational case for support and narrative framework that will anchor future campaign or capital efforts
• Advise the CEO and senior leadership on how to deploy their time and relationships most effectively in service of long‑term fundraising goals

Donor Cultivation & Engagement

• Personally identify, cultivate, and steward a portfolio of principal- and major‑gift-level donors, with the understanding that many of these relationships are being built for long-term relationships and commitments
• Lead solicitation and proposal development for the organizations most significant philanthropic partnerships
• Represent Ed Forward DC externally including, on occasion, standing in for the CEO with foundations, corporate partners, and philanthropists, building the organization's national profile

Team & Organizational Leadership

• Lead and develop the team, ensuring strong day-to-day execution of donor engagement, communications, and reporting
• Maintain oversight and ultimate accountability for Governance and Communications functions, with substantial support and leadership from direct reports
• Serve as a member of the senior leadership team, contributing to organization-wide strategy and decision‑making

Skills, Qualifications, and Experience

• Comprehensive fundraising experience: demonstrated success building and executing a multi-year fundraising strategy, including the discipline of cultivating principal-level donors toward gifts that mature over a 3+ year horizon
• Demonstrated personal fundraising track record: proven ability to build relationships with, solicit, and close gifts from donors, and boards, including a consistent track record closing gifts of $250K+
• Experience directly managing, developing, and growing a small, high-performing team to achieve ambitious fundraising goals
• At least ten years of progressive leadership experience in development, including experience operating at the senior executive level
• Experience partnering with a CEO or executive director to deploy their time and relationships strategically
• Ability and readiness to represent the organization at a senior level, including standing in for the CEO on occasion: comfortable independently building relationships and credibility with national foundations, corporate leaders, and philanthropists
• Ability to design and adapt a multi-year fundraising strategy in a changing revenue environment, managing multiple priorities and driving work to completion without a fully settled roadmap
• We work intentionally to disrupt patterns of racial inequity; a strong candidate will demonstrate an unwavering commitment to educational equity and improving education
• Experience with education and fundraising in DC is valued
• Bachelor's degree required; graduate degree in a relevant field valued

The Tangible Good

The salary for this position is $215,378.

This is a hybrid role; all team members are in person in our office each Tuesday and Wednesday.

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, including:

• a 401(k) program with a 4% match that is fully vested day one
• 100% of Employee Only and 50% of Dependent premiums towards a reference Gold plan. Employees may apply this contribution amount to any available Gold plan offered by DC Healthlink
• Dental and Vision benefits from Guardian covered 100% for employees, and 50% covered for dependents
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Transit/Commuter Accounts
• 100% premium paid for employees short- and long-term disability insurance
• 100% premium paid for $50,000 life insurance policy for employees
• 20 days of annual PTO for the first year of service. PTO increases by one additional day per year
• 7 days of flexible personal and sick leave each year
• $1,000 annual budget for self-directed professional development
• Options for Supplemental Life/ADD, Prepaid Legal, Critical Illness, and Accident Insurance
• Relocation stipends are available

We are Deeply Committed to Equity & Diversity

We are on a mission to build a team that reflects DC's students and strongly encourage candidates of color to apply. Education Forward DC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.

Research suggests that qualified women and people of color are less likely to apply for opportunities if they dont believe they meet 100% of the requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.