Executive Director - Orange County Classical Academy Foundation

About the Orange County Classical Academy Foundation

The Orange County Classical Academy Foundation exists to advance and sustain the mission of

Orange County Classical Academy: developing students in mind and character through a

classical, content-rich education grounded in scholarship, moral character, and civic virtue. The

Foundation supports the growth of the Academy by cultivating philanthropic investment in

facilities, programs, and long-term institutional excellence. Through strategic partnerships with

families, donors, and the broader community, the Foundation helps ensure that OCCA continues

to form thoughtful, capable citizens prepared to lead lives of purpose and contribution. Rooted in

the principles of classical education and the pursuit of enduring truths, the Foundation serves as

the engine that translates vision into lasting impact.

Position Summary

The Executive Director is responsible for designing, building, and executing a comprehensive

fundraising program that advances the mission and long-term sustainability of the school. This

role establishes philanthropy as a core institutional function--developing the strategy, systems,

and relationships necessary to generate consistent and growing revenue from individuals,

foundations, and community partners. The Executive Director works in close partnership with

the Head of School, Director of School Development, and Board of Directors while maintaining

clear ownership over execution, donor strategy, and advancement operations.

Core Responsibilities

1. Advancement Strategy and Revenue Leadership

-Develop and implement a 12-month comprehensive fundraising plan

-Establish annual revenue goals across Annual Fund, Major Gifts, Events (as needed, not primary driver),

and Institutional giving (foundations/corporate)

-Build a multi-year fundraising roadmap aligned with school growth and facilities vision

-Create and manage a gift pyramid and donor pipeline

2. Major Gifts and Leadership Giving (Primary Function)

-Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward top 25–50 donor prospects

-Partner with Head of School and Foundation Board on leadership-level solicitations

-Develop individualized strategies for each major donor

-Lead preparation for all major gift conversations

3. Campaign Readiness and Execution

-Prepare the institution for future capital campaigns

-Lead feasibility planning and early leadership gift development

-Build campaign infrastructure, including but not limited to: case for support, naming opportunities, and

volunteer leadership structure

4. Systems, Operations and Accountability

-Implement and manage a donor CRM system

-Establish moves management and tracking discipline

-Produce monthly advancement reports, pipeline analysis, and revenue forecasting

-Ensure data integrity and donor segmentation

5. Board Volunteer Engagement

-Support Board members in their role as ambassadors and fundraisers

-Develop clear expectations for Board participation in giving and engagement

-Build and manage a campaign or advancement committee structure

-Provide talking points, strategy, and accountability for volunteer efforts

6. Communications and Donor Experience

-Partner with school leadership on donor-centric messaging

-Ensure consistency across appeals, impact reporting, stewardship communications

-Design and execute a year-round communication cadence

7. Stewardship and Retention

-Build systems to ensure timely acknowledgment of gifts, meaningful donor recognition, ongoing

engagement beyond solicitation

-Track and improve donor retention rates annually

Key Outcomes (First 18–24 Months)

-Establish a functioning advancement program with clear systems and cadence

-Build a qualified pipeline of leadership donors

-Achieve 3–5x return on compensation through philanthropic revenue

-Secure early leadership gifts for future campaign initiatives

-Increase donor retention and average gift size

-Position the school for a successful capital campaign

Qualifications

-5–10 years of experience in fundraising, advancement, or related revenue-generating roles

-Demonstrated success in major gift cultivation and solicitation

-Experience building or scaling fundraising programs preferred

-Strong strategic thinking with disciplined execution ability

-Excellent communication and relationship-building skills

-Alignment with the mission and values of classical education

Reporting Structure and Key Relationships

-Reports directly to the Head of School

-Works in concert with the Director of School Development to align on key initiatives and community

messaging.

-Works closely with the Board of Directors, particularly Board leadership

-May oversee future advancement staff as the program grows

Compensation

-Competitive salary commensurate with experience, there is a range of $150,000-$175,000 per year.

Contact

-To express interest, please submit a cover letter, resume, and at least three professional

references to Phil Consuegra, Chief Strategist, Schola Strategies at phil@scholastrategies.org.

Please do not contact the school directly. The position will be open until filled.