Director, Advancement

Company Description

KIPP

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of tuition-free public schools educating 120,000 studentsin grades Prek-12 across 21 states and Washington, DC.While each of our schools is as unique as the community to which it belongs, we are united around a shared promise: Together, A Future Without Limits. You can learn more atwww.kipp.org.

KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools

KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools is part of the KIPP national network. Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose – college, career, and beyond – so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

In the 2025-26 school year, the KIPP Jacksonville region will be comprised of four schools educating more than 3,000 students, kindergarten through twelfth grade in the North and West sides of Jacksonville, Florida.

• KIPP Impact Academy:Kindergarten- 8th grade
• KIPP VOICE Academy:Kindergarten - 8thgrade
• KIPP Bessie Coleman Academy:Kindergarten - 8th grade
• KIPP Bold City High School:9th - 12th grade
  
  

For the currentschool year, teachers at KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools work the following hours Monday through Friday and may have occasional meetings or special school events outside of these hours. Hours for teachers and students may vary slightly by school.

• K-8 Staff:7:30am - 4:30pmK-8 Students: 8:00am - 3:30pm,Wednesday K-8dismissal is at 1:30pm
• High School Staff:6:45am - 3:45pm,High School Students:7:15am - 2:30pm,Wednesday High Schooldismissal is at 12:30pm.
  
  

Every Wednesday is a student early release day, which allows teachers to participate in weekly professional development and content team meetings. *This doesn’t include Wellness Wednesdays when all staff leave at student dismissal.

To support these schools, we will employ more than 300full-time staff members. We seek educators and colleagues that represent our core values of high expectations, growth mindset, commitment to team, trust, joy, and sustainability. To learn more about what it is like to work and teach at KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools, please visitwww.kippjax.org/teachwhere you can also view all of our job postings.

Job Description

KIPP Jacksonville seeks a Director of Advancement.

The Director of Advancement leads the organization's philanthropic and community engagement strategies, ensuring sustainable growth in fundraising, donor stewardship, and external relations. This role oversees the full spectrum of development efforts, including major gifts, annual fund campaigns, grants, corporate partnerships, and volunteer engagement. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director of Advancement is a key driver in expanding the organization's impact and ensuring alignment between fundraising efforts and strategic priorities.

A successful candidate will have deep experience in the nonprofit sector including experience in soliciting philanthropic gifts on behalf of an organization and cultivating relationships with donors and corporate partners to benefit KIPP Jax. A successful candidate will also have a working knowledge of education advocacy, urban education practice and policy, and experience working in under-resourced communities. They will be passionate about public education and have the ability to effectively engage donors, partners, and stakeholders in conversations about the challenges and opportunities within public education.

Director of Advancement is a full-time role on the Shared Services team which oversees four schools currently and is actively planning for growth in future school years. As a member of the Shared Services team, this individual would be responsible for furthering KIPP’s mission.

This position is year-round and performs duties as assigned by their manager. Typical hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. but can vary based on role and season.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Fundraising Growth

• Develop and execute a comprehensive advancement strategy integrating fundraising, donor stewardship, marketing, and community engagement.
• Establish and track ambitious fundraising goals, metrics, and benchmarks to ensure sustainable revenue growth.
• Identify and pursue new funding streams, including planned giving, corporate sponsorships, and multi-year philanthropic commitments.
• Partner with the Chief Advancement Officer and board to align advancement efforts with the organization’s strategic plan.
• Ensure all fundraising initiatives reflect a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in public education, particularly in urban and underserved communities.
  
  

Donor Engagement & Major Gift Fundraising

• Manage relationships with up to 500 philanthropic individuals or entities, focusing on high-net-worth individuals, institutional funders, large corporations, annual fund donors, volunteers, and small businesses.
• Develop and implement major gift and annual fund solicitation strategies, ensuring a strong pipeline of donors at all levels.
• Lead donor stewardship efforts, ensuring meaningful engagement, recognition, and long-term retention.
• Write persuasive, high-impact fundraising materials, including grant proposals, stewardship reports, direct appeals, and case statements that highlight the organization’s impact in urban education.
• Initiate and complete at least 1,500 donor interactions throughout a fiscal year across all channels including in-person, email, mail, text, phone call, and event attendance.
  
  

Marketing & Communications

• Oversee fundraising messaging, storytelling, and donor communications to ensure a compelling and cohesive narrative.
• Work closely with the marketing team to develop campaigns, newsletters, social media strategies, and press outreach that drive donor engagement.
• Ensure all communications align with the organization’s mission, vision, and advocacy for public education.
  
  

Events & Stewardship

• Organize and execute up to two high-profile donor events per year to cultivate and steward major donors and annual fund supporters.
• Oversee the planning and execution of exclusive donor experiences, recognition programs, and community engagement opportunities.
  
  

Community Representation & Advocacy

• Represent the organization in the Jacksonville community by joining up to two civic organizations or high-visibility boards which will include event attendance on nights and weekends.
• Serve as a public advocate for favorable education policies, speaking confidently and engaging stakeholders at events, conferences, and networking opportunities.
• Develop and implement a policy agenda in partnership with key stakeholders, ensuring alignment with broader advocacy efforts in education reform and urban education best practices.
  
  

Volunteer Program Development

• Build and lead a volunteer engagement strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and deepening community connections.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to deploy targeted, measurable initiatives that maximize volunteer impact.
  
  

Operations & Budgeting

• Oversee the advancement department budget, ensuring financial efficiency and alignment with fundraising goals.
• Ensure compliance with fundraising laws, ethical guidelines, and donor data management best practices.
• Utilize Bloomerang to track donor interactions, record gifts, generate reports, and analyze fundraising performance.
  
  

Compensation:

• The annual salary for this position is between $67,000 and $75,000. This does not include any stipends for which the person in this role would be eligible.
• Free individual health benefits (including medical, dental and vision)*
• 403(b) retirement program with a company match*
• All staff members receive individualized support and professional development
• *Offerings are subject to change each school year. Details would be outlined in an offer letter, if issued.
  
  

Qualifications

• Proven experience in fundraising, major gifts, donor relations, and nonprofit leadership.
• Strong track record in securing five and six-figure gifts and stewarding high-net-worth donors.
• Working knowledge of education advocacy, urban education practice and policy, and experience working in underserved communities.
• Experience collaborating with school-based leaders (principals, assistant principals, guidance counselors, and other staff) to align fundraising efforts with student and school needs.
• Deep commitment to public education reform.
• Expertise in strategic planning, donor communications, and community engagement.
• Exceptional public speaking, writing, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency in donor database management (Bloomerang or similar CRM).
• Experience managing budgets and high-profile donor events.
  
  

Additional Information

APPLY

Please complete an application and upload a resume via our job board. No applicants will be considered that submit resumes through other job postings. Link here:https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/KIPP/jacksonville

If you're a current KIPP Jax team member, you should:

• Inform your current manager of your interest in the role and
• Complete the online application
  
  

QUESTIONS

If you have questions about this position, please email Emma at ekosanda@kippjax.org. Please understand that resumes and/or cover letters are not accepted via email and you will be redirected to apply via the website.

KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying for employment at our schools. KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin.