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PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT, WEST COAST REGION, Creative Fundraising Advisors

The Organization

Creative Fundraising Advisors’ (CFA) distinctive talent and client-first approach have helped the firm earn a reputation as a trusted strategic partner who prioritizes client needs, speaks the truth, and delivers high-quality work. As CFA continues to evolve during a phase of rapid expansion, the firm is taking strategic steps to improve its organizational design and structure to compete more seamlessly with large-scale competitors and grow in a way that is scalable. CFA is defining a repeatable growth playbook that incorporates geography and nonprofit subsectors, optimizing its products and services mix, building differentiated data and analytics capabilities, and positioning for continued innovation and market leadership, while also considering unique partnerships to rapidly build complementary capabilities and grow the firm’s top line.

In response to tremendous opportunities to serve clients in the Western United States (as well as throughout the country), CFA seeks a dynamic leader with a growth mindset and deep expertise in fundraising strategy and counsel for the newly created position of Principal Consultant for the West Coast Region.

Position Overview

The Principal is key to CFA’s commitment to providing tailored solutions to clients and will use their own experience, best practices, and a creative approach to support mission-driven organizations to design, test, plan for, and execute major fundraising campaigns (including capital, endowment, program expansion, and comprehensive campaigns) that fuel transformative change and allow those organizations to have an even greater impact on the communities they serve.

Interested applicants should be motivated by the opportunity to lead proactively and collaboratively in a highly responsive and entrepreneurial firm and build trusted relationships to advance clients’ fundraising goals. This role will report directly to CFA’s President, serve as a member of the firm’s leadership team, and collaborate closely with CFA staff and project stakeholders.

The Principal will have the opportunity to collaborate on a strategic market plan for the West Coast Region that builds CFA’s presence and brand therein, continues substantial growth of new or expanded client relationships in alignment with the CFA New Business Opportunity Criteria best fit, and establishes a roadmap for sustainable new business expansion leveraging knowledge of fundraising best practices and emerging trends to anticipate prospective client needs as the firm continues on its ascendant trajectory.

Strong candidates will possess an advanced fundraising skillset and experience leading fundraising program audits and assessments, leadership stature, and management experience. They will exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit and hunger to contribute to the evolution of this dynamic firm.

CANDIDATE PROFILE
While CFA will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate will have the following qualifications/experience:

  • Alignment with CFA values (collaboration, transparency, integrity, creativity, change), passionate about the role of nonprofits in social impact, and a builder mindset.
  • 15+ years in nonprofit fundraising with increasingly responsible experience in the creation and execution of development strategies and programs, and an established track record of increasing philanthropic revenue. Broad knowledge of and direct experience overseeing all functional areas comprising a comprehensive fundraising program (inclusive of leadership, annual, and major gifts; stewardship; operations; prospect research, wealth screening, predictive modeling, and/or other data analysis) and leadership in a major fundraising campaign (planning, implementation, and successful conclusion). Experience managing a team of fundraising professionals.
  • Seasoned knowledge of emerging fundraising and philanthropy trends and best practices, including the integration of various giving programs to diversify the funding base and cultivate greater donor commitments.
  • Track record of achieving and exceeding revenue targets, as well as the application of sophisticated metrics and key performance indicators. Entrepreneurial and highly impactful leadership in change management and advancing an organizational vision.
  • Demonstrated success in developing compelling cases for support and strategic, innovative fundraising plans, and executing those plans to grow fundraising and exceed goals. Experience collaborating with executives, senior staff, and board and other volunteer leaders on fundraising activities, providing them with quality support and intelligence and increasing their comfort with and success in fundraising.
  • Direct experience cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major, principal, and transformational gifts from donors (at the level of seven to eight figures or greater).
  • Experience implementing a variety of fundraising mechanisms, including multi-channel solicitations, crowdfunding, events-based fundraising, and membership programs.
  • Track record of managing complex projects, anticipating and identifying obstacles or challenges, and proposing and implementing solutions through sound decision-making. A rigorous, analytical approach and the ability to influence leadership by providing data-driven recommendations.
  • Active listener and outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including proficiency in negotiation, facilitation, and storytelling. Adept in identifying and communicating key insights in reports and presentations in an engaging and inspirational manner.
  • Working knowledge of modern data management practices and innovations that can streamline development processes and contribute to the integration of related functions.
  • Significant knowledge of the players, strategies, and trends in giving within key philanthropic communities throughout the West Coast, with a strong preference for an existing network of relationships and significant, demonstrated fundraising success therein. The successful candidate must possess the ability to access these networks seamlessly and with aplomb.
  • Highly proficient user of Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and PDF applications, with the ability to learn and adapt to various platforms and applications.
  • Ability to work remotely and collaborate with a team in a highly responsive, remote-first environment.

CREATIVE FUNDRAISING ADVISORS EQUITY STATEMENT
Creative Fundraising Advisors values collaboration, transparency, integrity, creativity, and change. These values guide our business decisions, company policies and expectations for our employees, business partners, and clients.

CFA believes that diversity and inclusion are critical to strong partnerships and better business results. Our culture is grounded in respect and appreciation for each person’s unique perspective, strengths, abilities, and contributions. It is our expectation that CFA and its employees, business partners, and clients treat everyone with dignity and respect at all times.

CFA also is committed to a workplace environment that is free of discrimination, harassment, and inappropriate conduct. This expectation extends to any location in which employees are representing or performing work on behalf of CFA.

Discrimination, harassment, or inappropriate conduct based on an individual’s race, color, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, marital status, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic will not be tolerated.

COMPANY OVERVIEW
CFA provides strategic fundraising counsel and comprehensive philanthropic services to a wide range of nonprofit organizations throughout the United States.

CFA helps their clients think big and lead with vision and compelling ideas. They position clients for success, bringing the knowledge and skills necessary to bear the complex business of planning and fundraising. Big ideas are what compel a community of donors to offer their support or inspire volunteers to action.

The CFA process is designed to support the execution of an organization’s big idea. In service of this goal, CFA has positioned itself as a strategic and nimble full-service consulting firm, with the necessary insights to leverage the unique strengths, challenges, and solutions needed to propel each client to new heights.

CFA has engaged in an array of transformative projects across four primary nonprofit verticals: arts and culture, the environment, human services, and education. Projects include the following, among many others: campaign counsel that helped the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures complete its $388 million pre-opening campaign for the world’s premier institution dedicated to the past, present, and future of filmmaking; a planning and implementation study for a comprehensive campaign for The Music Center of Los Angeles County; campaign counsel for the Orange County Museum of Art $90 million campaign; strategic planning for the Santa Fe Community Foundation; a campaign readiness and feasibility study for Colorado Public Radio; a feasibility study and campaign planning for the San Antonio Botanical Garden; a development assessment and fundraising counsel for Sycamores; campaign planning and counsel for the California Film Institute; campaign counsel for the Headlands Center for the Arts $50 million Creative Futures campaign; campaign counsel for Project Angel Food; a campaign readiness and feasibility study and campaign counsel for the Entertainment Community Fund $160 million Essential campaign; a feasibility study for the Dodge Nature Center and Preschool’s $40 million Nourishing Everyone’s Need for Nature campaign; and helping the Northside Achievement Zone create a system to build relationships with new donors and conduct a major gifts campaign, NAZ NOW, that helped them surpass their fundraising goal by more than 60 percent.

As a company, CFA values collaboration, transparency, integrity, creativity, and change. These values guide its business decisions, company policies, and expectations of employees, business partners, and clients. CFA believes that diversity and inclusion are critical to strong partnerships and better business results. Its culture is grounded in respect and appreciation for each person’s unique perspective, strengths, abilities, and contributions. It is CFA’s expectation that the firm and its employees, business partners, and clients treat each other with dignity and respect at all times, and the CFA Equity Statement is included in every client contract.

For more information about CFA and a full list of clients, please visit CFA’s website: https://creativefundraisingadvisors.com/about.

Download the full position description via the following link: https://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/19473-cfa

How To Apply

INQUIRIES, NOMINATIONS, AND APPLICATIONS
Creative Fundraising Advisors has retained the DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice of the Diversified Search Group to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) may be submitted via this link (https://talent-profile.diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/v2/19473) or directed to:

Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.
Managing Director and DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice Leader
Diversified Search Group
The Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue, 49th Floor, New York, New York 10174
gerard.cattie@divsearch.com | 212.542.2587

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