“BUILD shined a mirror into how I wanted to change and be a better me. Honestly, the program was so life changing.” Ay’anna Moody, Director of Social Impact, Golden State Warriors and BUILD Alumna

Organization Profile: 

Founded in 1999, BUILD’s mission is to use entrepreneurship to ignite the power of youth in under-resourced communities to build Career success, Entrepreneurial mindsets, and Opportunity. We help students become the CEO of their own lives.

BUILD’s unique program offers students a four-year entrepreneurship experience designed to develop 21st Century Skills and motivate student engagement in school. Starting in 9th grade, BUILD students work with their peers and community mentors to develop business ideas, pitch to funders and launch real businesses. As students journey through high school and continue to grow their businesses, BUILD helps them explore college and career options, and assists students with the college application process. Entrepreneurship is the spark – college, career, and life success are the goals.

We recently launched and completed a $15M growth campaign called BUILDing Gen E to inspire a diverse new generation of entrepreneurial leaders and changemakers across America. Our BUILDing Gen E Campaign includes three core pillars:

• Digital Acceleration: reaching more students and educators with greater impact.

• Geographic Expansion: bringing our work to new communities nationwide.

• Systemic Change: making entrepreneurship a foundational course in under-resourced schools.

Key Program milestones

• 55,000 High School Students served through our digital program

• 2,500 High School Students served via in school program in regional hubs in San Francisco, Washington DC, New York City, Boston Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh

• 2,500 Teacher participants

• In the next two years, we aim to serve 24,000 youth and eventually build a vibrant 100,000-person community including BUILD students, alumni, educators, mentors, and volunteers.

For more information, please visit www.build.org. 

OUR CULTURE

BUILD is made up of a diverse, results driven and passionate team who believe in the potential of every student and the power of entrepreneurship to transform the education landscape. We work in a collaborative environment where perseverance and flexibility are encouraged and celebrated. Our culture thrives by embracing diversity, equity and inclusion, including cross-cultural understanding. Kindness, empathy and respect are at the forefront of the way we treat each other, our students, our teachers and our supporters. We believe in the potential of every student and are dedicated to breaking down the educational, economic and social barriers that stand in the way of their long-term success. The remarkable young men and women whom we serve are at the center of everything we do. We are intentional about our culture so that we can best support them. 

POSITION SUMMARY 

We seek a strategic and results-driven leader to join our team as our Chief Advancement Officer (CAO). As our first CAO, this person will be a key member of our Executive Team and will play a pivotal role in bringing philanthropic resources to BUILD so we can achieve the ambitious fundraising and partnership goals. Reporting to the CEO, the CAO will lead all national fundraising activities including implementing a fundraising strategy, and marketing & communications strategy to support and advance BUILD’s strategic priorities. The CAO will be responsible for driving fundraising efforts and increasing fundraising from $12 million a year currently to $25 million dollars, in order to meet a cumulative organization-wide revenue goal. Ideal candidates will bring achievements in cultivating and securing six and seven figure gifts, and a commitment to fostering an inclusive and productive team environment. 

The Chief Advancement Officer will report to the CEO and oversee all development and communications staff. They will directly supervise the National Director of Events, the Creative Director, the Assistant Director of Donor Engagement, and the National Manager of Grants and Foundation Relations.

MAJOR FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

As Chief Advancement Officer, you will be responsible for the following threads of work:

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP

• The Executive Team (E-Team) is the CAO’s first team. The CAO will effectively collaborate and partner with their E-Team colleagues to ensure that the organization’s collective goals and objectives are prioritized.

• Build and sustain excellent relationships both within and external to BUILD.

• Nurture a transparent and compassionate culture where staff feels able to bring their full selves to work, supported and cared for personally and professionally, and able to engage in critical conversations productively and openly.

• Uphold and build on our ongoing work on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

FUNDRAISING STRATEGY AND EXECUTION

• Lead the building, implementation, and adoption of systems and practices that support regional and national collaboration, integration, communication, and relationship building to meet/exceed annual fundraising goals.

• Collaborate with Regional Executive Directors (RED) to set annual fundraising goals and the plans to achieve them.

• Instill a culture of philanthropy throughout BUILD, ensuring all staff members understand their role in the organization’s philanthropic success.

• Cultivate and steward critical relationships with corporate partners, foundation and individual funders, and other strategic revenue partnerships, to reach organizational growth and sustainability goals.

• Develop and manage the departmental budget, ensuring strategic investments and responsible fiscal controls and stewardship are maintained.

• Monitor, analyze and report out fundraising data and key performance indicators to assess progress towards fundraising goals.

TEAM LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

• Mobilize the Advancement team by sharing ambitious, inspiring and compelling approaches to greater organizational impact and sustainability.

• Be accountable for the organization's fundraising performance. 

• Set a clear strategic direction and provide guidance to the Advancement team, setting expectations to ensure the team is driving forward organization-wide strategies and meeting or exceeding their goals.

• Foster a collaborative and results-oriented culture within the Executive, RED and Advancement teams that embraces teamwork, transparency, seamless communication and mentorship.

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

• Represent BUILD in external-facing work with donors, partners and other stakeholder communities and partner with the CEO and other organizational leaders to serve as a passionate advocate for BUILD's mission.

• Guide vision and messaging for external communications, including public relations and marketing to increase knowledge and awareness of BUILD, its mission, activities, and the value of its work. 

• Monitor, analyze and report out key performance metrics to assess the impact of communication and marketing efforts.

• Maintain a working knowledge of significant educational developments and trends and build BUILD as a sought-after resource in the field of college affordability and access.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. This said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below.

• Progressive senior-level leadership experience with a proven track record of successfully leading, managing, and growing outcomes-based fundraising and marketing departments, preferably within the educational, nonprofit, or philanthropic sectors working at a national scale.

• Success in and passion for fundraising that is demonstrated in a commitment to maintaining current funders, a zest for cultivating new donors, an ability to generate new revenue streams, and a history of successfully taking organizations to the next level of sustained philanthropic support. 

• Experience overseeing nonprofit marketing and communications. A functional understanding of how to effectively utilize various communication mediums and distribution channels for optimal exposure and impact, as well as leveraging media to increase the visibility of our work.

• An enterprise-level orientation to effectively support the Advancement team while prioritizing the continued growth and direction of the organization.

• Thrives in a lean, fast-paced, highly collaborative, and entrepreneurial environment; with the integrity, wisdom, persistence, and humor necessary to address the practicalities of a growing, dynamic organization.

• Exceptional oral and written communication, networking and public engagement skills, including the ability to adapt style and approach to diverse constituencies and needs.

• Ability to build sustainable and productive partnerships with nonprofits and philanthropic partners. 

• Ability to compel others to action as a key storyteller of our organizational mission, priorities for growth and the young people we serve.

Successful candidates will demonstrate BUILD’s Core Values and competencies through a combination of previous education/work experiences:

BUILD’s Core Values:

• Keep Students at the Center - As BUILDers, we hold an unwavering passionate commitment and belief in the power and potential of youth. Our organization exists to serve students. We seize each opportunity to contribute to the foundation of knowledge, skills, and networks from which students can build extraordinary lives. Our operating principles and decisions focus on what is in the best interest of our students. 

• Bring the Spark - As BUILDers, we excel in the entrepreneurial Spark Skills that we teach our students - Communication, Collaboration, Problem Solving, Innovation, Grit and Self-Management. We communicate through transparent and honest dialogue. We cherish teamwork, tenacity, and thinking outside the box. We demonstrate a relentless pursuit of excellence and approach work with a positive can-do attitude. When we bring the spark we achieve great things together, and we model the way for our students.

• Bridge Communities - As BUILDers, we develop and foster relationships in service of creating access and opportunities for our students, staff, and stakeholders. We value all who come to the table as partners to maximize our collective impact. By connecting the communities in which we work, we build empathy, equity, and social capital. 

Role Specific Competencies:

• Managing Performance: Take responsibility for one's own or one's employees' performance by setting clear goals and expectations, tracking progress against the goals, ensuring feedback, and addressing performance problems and issues promptly.

• Interpersonal Skills: Use a variety of techniques, as appropriate, to connect with others to build positive relationships.

• Strategic Thinking (Networking): Take into account and analyze various points of view/relationships and pieces of data to form a perspective appropriate to a particular context/network.

• Persuasive Communication: Plan and deliver oral and written communications that make an impact and persuade their intended audiences.

• Vision: Envision innovative yet achievable possibilities for the future and communicate those possibilities to constituents in an inspiring and motivational style.

• Forward Thinking: Anticipate the implications and consequences of situations and take appropriate action to be prepared for possible contingencies.

Compensation:

The salary range for this position is $185K-200K in accordance with BUILD’s equity-focused salary bands and based on experience.

In addition to the salary, BUILD offers a competitive compensation and benefits package to all full-time employees, including:

• medical, dental, & vision coverage, 

• flexible spending account, 

• 403(b) plan with employer match.

In addition, BUILD employees are eligible for generous paid vacation, sick time, 10 paid holidays per year, a flexible work environment, and performance bonuses.

This is a remote position with some travel required for organization/team, funder, and partner meetings. 

How to Apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to promptly submit their application through our online portal. All applicants will receive a response to their application within two weeks of submission. Please email mcoleman@positivelypartners.org with questions or for support submitting your application. 

Candidates who advance should expect to have initial interviews with the recruitment team at Positively Partners, beginning in late January, followed by a virtual interview with the hiring committee in February, and a final interview, which will include opportunities to meet and engage with the BUILD team more broadly. The target start date is March 2024. 

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At BUILD, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!

Department: National Programs
This is a management position
This is a regular full time position