Vice President of Advancement & Communications

SUMMARY 

The Vice President of Advancement & Communications is a strategic entrepreneurial leader responsible for driving revenue growth through innovative fundraising models, new partnerships and diversified income streams while strengthening long-term donor relationships.  As CIS of Eastern PA scales our mission to surround students with a community of support, the VPAC oversees the integration of an annual revenue strategy with a sophisticated, regional brand presence.

Reporting directly to the President/CEO, the VPAC is a vital member of the Executive Leadership Team, providing the strategic vision necessary to sustain CISEPA’s current footprint while fueling sustainability and expansion across Eastern Pennsylvania.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The VPAC leads a high-performing team to meet ambitious financial targets through a diversified funding model. Additionally, the VPAC will serve as a mentor and strategist for key direct reports, ensuring that the "engine" of our fundraising and the "voice" of our brand are perfectly synchronized.

Key Responsibilities

Revenue Strategy & Fundraising Leadership

• Lead a comprehensive and aggressive revenue strategy focused on securing high-level support through a diverse funding mix. 
•  Apply market analysis and donor insights to uncover growth opportunities
•  Identify, test and scale new fundraising strategies and revenue streams
•  Oversee the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of transformative gifts from individual philanthropists, corporate   partners, and private foundations, while ensuring a robust pipeline of competitive government grants.  
•  Manage a high-level portfolio of principal gift prospects to fuel the agency’s expanding regional footprint.
• Cultivate and close annual and multi-year funding commitments aligned with the CIS strategy
•  Create and oversee the donor management and stewardship strategy including, but not limited to, campaign-related events, donor recognition efforts, and public messaging.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary advancement team—including grant relations and marketing—to drive strategic revenue growth through a robust funding pipeline and a high-visibility regional brand strategy.
• Set clear performance expectations and provide ongoing coaching, feedback and development opportunities
• Manage team and direct report workload and priorities to ensure efficiency and high-quality outcomes

Executive & Board Engagement

• Alongside the CEO, serve as key liaison and point of contact for the Community Relations Committee and the CIS EPA Board of Directors, ensuring time is well spent and funds are raised by the Board
• Participate in CIS National Network Leadership gatherings for messaging coordination and alignment
• Lead Regional Advisory Boards to advance the mission, cultivate relationships, and drive fundraising activities. 
• Partner with the CEO and Board of Directors to identify and secure funding for new initiatives, ensuring the agency’s growing footprint is backed by sustainable capital.
• Align marketing efforts with development goals, utilizing CRM insights to optimize multi-channel campaigns that provide a direct ROI in donor acquisition and retention. 
• Support other Board initiatives and fundraising work as needed

Additional Responsibilities:

• Remain mission focused and student driven
• Be an ambassador of CIS
• Seek and recommend solutions and improvements
• Deliver upon schedules and plans
• Comply with agency policies and procedures and promote agency values and culture
• May provide off-hours support
• Perform other duties as may be assigned - this position is expected to evolve over time

• 10+ years of progressive leadership in nonprofit advancement, development, or external affairs. 
• Bachelor's Degree required. Masters preferred.
• Comprehensive understanding of the eastern Pennsylvania financial and philanthropic landscape
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial mindset with a proven track record of launching and scaling revenue generating initiatives
• Demonstrated success in developing and leading a professional staff and fostering a collaborative, high-accountability culture.
• Proven success in managing $1M+ annual budgets and leading successful capacity-building campaigns.
• Exceptional visionary and strategist to see the "big picture" of the CIS of Eastern PA educational landscape and successfully position CISEPA as a critical solution for school districts.
• Ability to operate in a complex dynamic system and understand programmatic priorities and then to translate this into compelling funder narratives, building bridges between subject matter experts and donors 
• Exceptional communicator able to tailor communication and communicate an inspiring vision for partnership between the organization and funders 
• Demonstrated exceptional interpersonal and communications abilities, with a proven track record of establishing trust both within the organization and with external stakeholders. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. 

Upon request for a reasonable accommodation, the Company may be able to adjust or excuse one or more of these requirements, depending on the requirement, the essential functions to which it relates, and the proposed accommodation.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, work on the computer, think clearly and communicate effectively. 
• The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 15-25 pounds. 
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Travel Required:  30%

EEO Statement:

CISEPA employees are protected by federal laws, Presidential Executive Orders and other laws designed to protect employees from discrimination based on the actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, religion, creed, national origin or citizenship status, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, familial status, GED rather than a high school diploma, physical or mental disability, relationship, or association with a disabled person, source of income, age (35 years of age and older), height, weight, veteran status, use of guide or support animals and/or mechanical aids, or domestic or sexual violence victim status. 

These protections extend to all management practices and decisions, including recruitment and hiring practices, appraisal systems, promotions and training and career development programs.

CISEPA employees are also protected against retaliation. Consistent with federal laws, acts of retaliation against an employee who engages in a protected activity, whistle blowing, or the exercise of an appeal or grievance right provided by law will not be tolerated. CISEPA managers and supervisors are also reminded of their responsibility to prevent, document and promptly correct harassing conduct in the workplace.