Chief Advancement Officer

ABOUT US

UpStart accelerates growth, nurtures ideas, and advances new experiences for the Jewish community by connecting impact-driven entrepreneurs to expertise, community, and capital.

UpStart was founded over fifteen years ago with a sole focus: to accelerate the success of social entrepreneurs fueling a renaissance in Jewish life. Since then, we have invested in hundreds of ventures and their leaders while cultivating an ecosystem of institutional leaders and funders committed to Jewish community change. We are excited to be actively implementing a new Strategic Plan to put social entrepreneurs at the center of everything we do. 

INCLUSIVE HIRING COMMITMENT

UpStart is powered by Jewish wisdom, ethics, and values. We believe these elements of Judaism help shape diverse, inclusive, equitable and vibrant communities. As such, we aspire to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem that models a future that is more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just. Statistics show that women and structurally marginalized and/or underrepresented groups of people need to see themselves in almost 100% of the requirements in a job posting to apply. We welcome you to apply even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications, as no one applicant ever does.

UpStart strongly encourages applications from individuals with varied identities and backgrounds, including people of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, LGBTQIA people, and people who come from low-income or working-class backgrounds. As an equal opportunity employer, all individuals are encouraged to apply without regard to race, color, religion, age, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, genetic information, medical condition, veteran status, or any other class protected under federal, state, or local laws. 

POSITION SUMMARY

UpStart seeks an experienced, dynamic, and forward-thinking leader to serve as its new Chief Advancement Officer. The Chief Advancement Officer will be directly responsible for successfully creating, leading, and implementing an integrated fundraising strategy across UpStart's programs while building new and maintaining existing relationships to drive UpStart's visibility, impact, strategic partnerships, and financial resources. Overseeing UpStart's Development and Communications resources, the Chief Advancement Officer is responsible for marketing & communications, institutional giving, individual giving, and board relations.

This role requires a visionary leader who will set development and communication strategies for the organization, work collaboratively with the Executive Team to execute those strategies and lead and inspire a high-performing team toward ambitious development and communication goals. Reporting to the Deputy CEO, the Chief Advancement Officer is a member of UpStart's Management Team and works closely with the Chief Philanthropic Engagement Officer. This role will supervise the Senior Director, Board Relations & Major Gifts and an agency of record responsible for delivering a full suite of marketing & communication services on a monthly retainer.

UpStart's approach is deeply rooted in community, as reflected in our Guiding Principles, which emphasize the inclusion of diverse ideas. The experience of Jewish life in North America is closely connected to the Land, People, and State of Israel. Our Guiding Principles outline our stance on these matters. It is essential for the person in this role to have a thorough and nuanced understanding of how the conversation about Israel intersects with North American Jewish identity and to be comfortable having and leading that conversation with a variety of stakeholder groups.

This position will work in either our New York or Bay Area office and is expected to travel up to 20% of the time for donor meetings and convenings.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Fundraising, Development, & Institutional Advancement

• Lead the fundraising efforts of the organization to grow rapidly and strategically in all facets of contributed revenue generation, including an increase in both amount and diversification from the current $5ML annual budget.
• Define and operationalize a high-impact development model that provides cross-organizational support, coaching, and accountability to stakeholders.
• In partnership with the CEO and Deputy CEO, serve as UpStart's lead external representative. Manage a diverse portfolio of major donors and prospects and build a multi-year strategic pipeline of existing, new, and expanded funding streams.
• Integrate a revenue diversification lens into the development strategy, expand support from major donors, and collaborate on expanding UpStart Labs and UpStart Solutions, part of UpStart’s new earned income model.
• Identify opportunities to leverage donor relationships to create mutually beneficial partnerships that align with UpStart's mission and goals.

Brand Management, Marketing, & Communications

• Elevate UpStart’s story by developing strategies to capture and share powerful stories from the UpStarter network that educate and inspire external stakeholders, donors, and audiences new to UpStart's work.
• Enhance and execute branding strategy by improving and implementing a comprehensive branding strategy that encompasses UpStart's identity, vision, and values and ensures all branding and messaging align with UpStart's mission and goals.
• Craft a cohesive social media strategy to engage audiences across platforms, promote UpStart's work, and amplify impact stories while ensuring consistent messaging and branding across all channels.
• Leverage digital marketing tools and platforms to enhance UpStart's online presence and reach. Use data and analytics to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and adjust strategies as needed.
• Develop and maintain an external-facing crisis communication plan to address and manage any potential issues that may arise. Provide leadership and guidance during times of crisis to protect and uphold UpStart's reputation.
• Work closely with other departments to ensure a cohesive and unified communication, marketing, and brand strategy approach while fostering a culture of collaboration to achieve organizational goals. 
• Collaboration with the Program and Central Operations teams with recruitment for initiatives that seek participants using researched and own networks.

UpStart Council on Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• Oversee the UpStart Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, an advisory body that offers strategic insight and guidance to UpStart.
• Engage with council members, fostering strong relationships and ensuring alignment with UpStart's mission and vision.
• Leverage the expertise and networks of council members to drive innovation and entrepreneurship within UpStart and its community.
• Collaborate with the Deputy CEO and other management team members to integrate council recommendations into strategic planning and program development.

Board Development & Engagement

• Collaborate with the CEO and board chair to create and steward UpStart's board development plan. Work with the Managing Director, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice to build a pipeline of diverse board candidates. Strategically develop board committees to advise UpStart's executive team and support the organization's growth, impact, and sustainability goals.
• Oversee the Senior Director, Board Relations & Major Gifts in engaging and activating board members, ensuring they are effectively oriented and ready to participate in donor cultivation strategies
• Together with the CEO, support the board's overall capacity to cultivate new donors and fundraise.
• Actively serve as a key steward and liaison for major donors and board members, managing and facilitating UpStart's board gift strategy and executing key asks.
• In coordination with the CEO, lead the board development committee, attend board meetings, and report on Development and Communications activities.
• Work with the CEO to deepen the board's understanding of UpStart's work, ensuring board members are engaged and energized by their association with the organization.

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, or responsibilities associated with the position.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Passion and commitment to the mission and vision of UpStart: We accelerate growth, nurture ideas, and advance new experiences for the Jewish community.
• It is essential for the person in this role to have a thorough and nuanced understanding of how the conversation about Israel intersects with North American Jewish identity and to be comfortable having and leading that conversation with a variety of stakeholder groups.
• Commitment to integrating a diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice lens into every piece of their work.
• C-suite level professional experience driving significant philanthropic revenue generation (e.g., $10M+); experience in either the private or nonprofit sector is valued, while cross-sector experience would be ideal.
• Experience managing significant major donors and foundations and building multi-year pipelines toward strategic revenue goals.
• Demonstrated success in thinking creatively and strategically about revenue diversification and ability to effectively develop and implement plans in support of revenue growth, particularly in the area of major gifts and/or government funding.
• Experience leading diverse cross-functional teams to meet ambitious goals while also serving as a key organizational leader.
• Strong writing skills; excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to refine and adjust systems and tools for development operations, including databases, reporting, and donor research tools that support revenue growth and diversification.
• Collaborative, decisive, motivating, and engaging style.
• High standards of excellence combined with a supportive and growth-oriented management style.
• Culturally competent regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Able to have difficult and effective conversations about race and equity while meeting someone where they are.
• Adaptability and agility in the face of change, both organizational and technological.
• Passion for UpStart’s mission and the work of UpStart’s network.
• Commitment to UpStart’s values.