Chief Advancement Officer

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Organizational Mission: Quality educational experiences are essential to preparing students for the future, yet systemic barriers create pronounced disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes. The Emily Krzyzewski Center, a nonprofit organization in Durham, North Carolina, implements four distinct programs designed to build on the academic, career, and leadership potential of students who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education. Collectively, our programs serve students from elementary school through college and equip them with the skills necessary to successfully complete higher education, connect to promising careers, and become agents of change within their communities. We amplify our efforts through partnerships with our local school district, community-based organizations, and universities.

Organizational Health: The Emily K Center is a large and well-established nonprofit organization with an operating budget of $4.05M in FY25, the largest in our 18 years of operation. The Center has experienced significant growth since its inception in 2006, without incidents or distinct setbacks that have impacted that progress. Over that time, the Center has developed its own identity, reputation, and brand in addition to the positive association with Coach K, former Duke men’s basketball coach, a factor that has been known from the outset to be important within the Center’s long-term success. A major achievement in May was the completion and Board approval of the Center’s new strategic plan, providing an excellent roadmap to guide the Center’s work through 2027.

The Chief Advancement Officer: The Emily K Center seeks a dynamic and proven leader to oversee the development and implementation of a comprehensive fundraising program that advances the Emily K Center’s mission and generates the sustainable growth needed to achieve our impact goals. The Chief Advancement Officer is a key member of the executive leadership team and will join a team of passionate and dedicated colleagues in a values-driven environment in which organizational mission, responsible stewardship of resources, and achieving impact are key. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Advancement Officer will lead a coordinated strategy that meaningfully unites the organization’s fundraising, development, and communication activities while working collaboratively across the organization as a whole to advance the Center’s goals in serving the Durham community. The successful candidate will authentically connect to the organizational mission and values, cultivate a culture of philanthropy across the entire organization, and lead the organization into the next decade of fundraising success.

Position Description: Chief Advancement Officer

Job Goal: The Emily K Center seeks a dynamic and proven leader to oversee the development and implementation of a comprehensive fundraising program that advances the Emily K Center’s mission and generates the sustainable growth needed to achieve our impact goals.

Key lived experiences, attributes, and skill sets sought:

• Minimum of seven years of professional experience leading a comprehensive fundraising program including major gifts, annual giving, corporate sponsorships, grants, and special events in a nonprofit organization with a demonstrated record of success
• Proven track record of achieving ambitious revenue targets in a highly competitive environment, as well as creating new programs and/or reinvigorating existing programs
• Confidence and proficiency using a donor database (preferably Raiser’s Edge) and operating within the Microsoft environment
• Effective leadership skills, excellent communication and relationship-building competencies, and the ability to authentically represent the Center’s mission and goals with a broad and diverse donor base
• Flexibility, adaptability, creativity, initiative, and resilience are key attributes
• Minimum of Bachelor’s degree required

Primary Responsibility Areas:

Fundraising Strategy & Program Management:

• Lead the creation, implementation, and evaluation of a multi-year fundraising strategy that includes diverse revenue streams and is tracked by clearly defined goals, objectives, timelines, and tactics
• Design strategies for the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual, corporate, and foundation gifts through vehicles such as annual fund direct mail, e-solicitations, personal solicitations, partnerships/sponsorships, special events, planned giving, and special campaigns as needed
• Provide periodic progress updates to the Chief Executive Officer, Advancement Committee, and Board
• Work closely with the executive leadership team to project annual revenue goals and define annual fundraising priorities as they relate to the organization’s strategic priorities
• Perform monthly revenue reconciliation in order to ensure financial accountability
• Create the annual departmental budget and revenue plan, and track budgeted vs. actual expenditures
• Work with Duke Men’s Basketball program to support events that benefit the Center

Prospect Development and Management:

• Build on a foundation of existing donors and relationships and identify new prospects and donors with additional capacity to increase giving
• Provide oversight of moves management and prospect research systems and processes
• Represent the Center in community, civic, and other engagements that provide an opportunity to share the Center’s story and generate interest in investing in the mission of the Center

Campaign Planning and Major Gifts:

• With guidance from the Board and executive leadership, plan for and execute targeted or comprehensive campaigns and initiatives as needed in the Center's fundraising lifecycle, including a current endowment campaign
• Provide needed support for prospect identification and solicitation, campaign materials development, and a strategy for ensuring that campaign goals are met
• Oversee the development of a major gifts program, supervising the Director of Leadership Giving to ensure appropriate benchmarks are established and met
• Provide support to the Chief Executive Officer in their work with major donors

Staff and Committee Leadership:

• Provide leadership, management, and support to the Center’s development team, directly supervising three full time staff (Director of Leadership Giving, Associate Director of Development and Associate Director of Communications) and two part-time staff (Grants Manager and Communications Specialist and Development Assistant)
• Lead staff through an annual performance management plan, monitoring progress toward goals and fostering staff development and a growth mindset
• Provide indirect leadership of the Center’s Advancement Committee through guidance and support of the committee’s staff lead (Associate Director of Development)
• Collaborate with the Chief Executive Officer to support the work of the Nominating and Governance Committee, including the identification and onboarding of new board prospects
• Provide or secure training as needed for the Board, staff or other volunteers on fundraising, philanthropy or other relevant areas

Terms of Employment: Full-time position with comprehensive benefits. Some flexibility in scheduled work hours. This role requires some evening and weekend events. Some travel required. Employment is contingent upon successful clearance of criminal background check. Hiring range: $110-130K. Preferred start date: April 2025.

Evaluation:Performance of this job will be evaluated annually.

To appyy: Submit one document that includes your resumé and a cover letter outlining your qualifications and interests to the attention of Dr. Valerie Anderson at jobs@emilyk.org with the subject line “Chief Advancement Officer.” Priority application deadline is March 31, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. For more information, visit www.emilyk.org.