Director of Development - KIPP Texas Public Schools

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 59 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to 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.

Founded in Houston in 1994, and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in our classrooms, in our offices, and in the communities we serve is unwavering. We are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join our Team and Family and champion equity, chase excellence, persist with purpose, bring joy, and help us rise together.

KIPP Texas is part of the national KIPP network of 255 college-preparatory public charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average of students from low-income communities.

You can see all our job opportunities at https://kipptexas.org/join-our-team/.

The Director of Development will work alongside the Deputy Chief of Development to ensure that all fundraising objectives are met. Responsibilities include successfully fundraising for the capital campaign, general operating, and special events across giving segments including individuals, foundations, corporations, and individual donors. The Director of Development will build and maintain relationships, internally and externally, to stay informed of the needs of KIPP Texas - Houston as a whole and the individual schools specifically. The Director of Development will also work closely with the Deputy Chief
of Development to establish the strategies and targets for the Development Team.

Key Responsibilities and Duties
The Director of Development will:
● Work in partnership with the Managing Director of Development & Regional Boards to develop the strategic fundraising plan for KIPP Texas - San Antonio and create a diversified funding base to sustain KIPP Texas ongoing financial needs
● Manage a portfolio of approximately 150 prospects and capture, document, and track all actions and next steps in the donor database

● Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward new and lapsed Houston donors for general operating, capital gifts, and the annual fundraising event
● Promote KIPP Texas-San Antonio through in-person, phone, and email conversations and seek out potential corporate, foundation, and individual donors
● Work in partnership with the Managing Director of Development & Regional Boards to cultivate, solicit, and steward San Antonio Regional Board Members and prospects
● Prepare materials for San Antonio Regional Board Meetings, Chief’s Memo, and meetings with major donors
● Develop and execute strategies to nurture a perpetually growing list of individual donors
● Collaborate with the KIPP Texas Grants Team to write engaging and effective corporate and foundation grant proposals and complete reporting and compliance requirements as needed
● Serve as representative of KIPP Texas to external Houston funding community
● Develop an understanding of each KIPP Texas - Houston school’s culture and personality to connect donors’ missions to specific school initiatives and school programs
● Manage and coach the Development Associate in San Antonio
● Connect the Development Team members with a variety of resources that will help them with KIPP Texas - San Antonio fundraising
● Participate as an active member of the Development Leadership Team and lend your knowledge and skills to enhance the overall strategy and effectiveness of KIPP Texas’ fundraising efforts
● Build and maintain internal relationships to develop knowledge of KIPP Houston needs and priorities across functions
● Perform other duties as assigned by Managing Director of Development & Regional Boards, Deputy Chief of Development and Chief Advancement Officer

Qualifications
● Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
● A proven track record of closing gifts of $100,000+
● 5+ years of securing major gifts, leading a team, and delivering results
● Experience with a variety of fundraising methods and techniques including direct mail
campaigns, capital campaigns, and grant writing is preferable, but not required
● Experience in the public education sector is a plus
● Experience with prospective donor research
● Knowledge of charter schools and the local philanthropic community

Skills
● Strong record of engaging board members, and direct solicitation of major donors, including individuals, corporations, and foundations
● Experience working with non-profit or education organizations in a fiscal capacity
● Comprehensive experience tracking development in relation to income projections and
departmental budgets
● Must be detail-oriented, self-motivated and have the ability to act in a manner that will reflect positively on the organization

● Demonstrate flexibility in adapting fundraising plans when situations change unexpectedly,
effectively adjusting plans to achieve intended outcomes.
● Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication and facilitation skills
● Personnel management experience
● Evening and weekend hours required at certain times of the year
● Proficiency in MS Office Suite, MailChimp, Raiser’s Edge, and social media
● Model positive and healthy character traits and habits, such as being organized, consistent, and understanding
● Unquestioned integrity and commitment to the KIPP Texas mission

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is based on years of experience, degree of education, and level of expertise.

As a full-time KIPP Texas employee you are eligible to participate in all KIPP Texas’ benefit plans. KIPP Texas offers a robust variety of benefits choices with competitive rates, including medical, dental, and vision options, life insurance,  fertility, and disability plans starting as low as $25/month.

KIPP provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.