Senior Director of Growth & Strategic Communications
23 hours ago
San Jose
Armanino is proudly partnered with LEAF on the hiring for this position, we are looking forward to hearing from you! Organization Overview The Latino Education Advancement Foundation (LEAF) is committed to promoting equal opportunities for Latinx students to excel in higher education and realize their career aspirations for social and economic advancement. As a 501(c)(3) organization, we offer a range of programs and education initiatives, including comprehensive support services for postsecondary enrollment and persistence, career pathways preparation, and educational equity advocacy. Since 2019, we have supported over 1400 LEAF Scholars and their families throughout their college journey. In 2023 alone, we served more than 300 LEAF Scholars and over 60 LEAF Mentors, along with more than 200 families. A remarkable 86% of our students persist in college, considering that fewer than 20% of low-income Latinx students nationally persist in earning a college degree within six years. Our comprehensive support system includes scholarships, workshops, peer mentorship, parent engagement, and college partnerships, which all work together to increase the enrollment and retention rates of Latinx students. With our unwavering commitment, we aspire to empower and uplift our community's next generation of Latinx leaders. Position Overview LEAF is seeking a senior leader to own and elevate the organization’s advancement and communications functions, bringing both strategic leadership and hands-on execution in these two critical areas. This role serves as a key partner to the Executive Director, ensuring that LEAF’s story is clearly articulated, its impact compellingly communicated to funders and partners, and its fundraising efforts are focused, intentional, and aligned with organizational priorities. In addition to leading fundraising and communications, this role will lead and support select strategic initiatives and cross-functional projects that advance LEAF’s goals, strengthen internal alignment, and support the organization’s continued growth. This is an ideal role for a nonprofit leader who thrives at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, revenue generation, and initiative-based leadership in a growing organization. Core Responsibilities Fundraising & Development Strategy and Execution • Partner closely with the Executive Director to lead and execute LEAF’s fundraising strategy, • Provide strategic direction and hands-on support across the fundraising lifecycle, including:, • Donor cultivation and stewardship, • Foundation, corporate, and institutional relationships, • Individual giving strategy (growth area for the organization), • Help prioritize funders and partners to ensure time and effort are spent where impact and return are greatest, • Lead the development and submission of grant proposals, reports, and donor communications, • Strengthen internal fundraising systems and practices, including:, • Effective use of the CRM, • Clear coordination between development, communications, finance, and leadership, • Consistent stewardship and follow-up processes, • Lead the planning and execution of donor events and cultivation activities, • Lead the planning and execution of LEAF’s annual fundraising event, donor engagement gatherings, and other cultivation events., • Implement year-end appeals, peer-to-peer campaigns, and other special fundraising initiatives, ensuring they contribute to annual revenue and revenue diversification goals., • Track progress toward fundraising goals and help leadership understand performance and opportunities, • Attend and serve as a representative of LEAF at events, meetings, conferences, and other opportunities to cultivate LEAF’s presence and donor base, • Partner with the Board of Directors to strengthen their involvement in fundraising, including training, support, and participation in donor outreach., • Manage and grow development staff as assigned Communications Leadership & Execution • Develop and lead LEAF’s overall communications strategy, ensuring clarity, consistency, and impact across all audiences, • Translate LEAF’s strategic plan, program outcomes, and organizational vision into compelling narratives for:, • Funders and donors, • Board members, • Community and institutional partners, • Staff and internal stakeholders, • Oversee and execute external communications, including:, • Newsletters and donor communications, • Impact and annual reports, • Program and organizational messaging, • Social media and digital content (directly or through staff/consultants), • Ensure communications move beyond activity reporting to emphasize impact, outcomes, and strategic priorities, • Supervise, support, and set priorities for communications staff or contractors, • Serve as a steward of LEAF’s voice, brand, and values across all platforms Organizational Strategy and Project Management Support • Serve as a thought partner to the Executive Director on organizational strategy, priorities, and external positioning, • Help prepare for key meetings, presentations, and conversations with funders, partners, and board members, • Support select strategic initiatives and new projects that cut across teams (e.g., new partnerships, pilots, or revenue opportunities), • Ensure follow-through and alignment as the organization grows and takes on new initiatives What Success Looks Like in This Role • LEAF’s communications are clear, consistent, strategic, and funder-focused, • Fundraising efforts are well-coordinated, intentional, and positioned for growth—particularly in individual giving, • The Executive Director is supported by a senior partner who strengthens execution and focus, • Staff, funders, and partners understand LEAF’s impact, priorities, and long-term vision, • Communications and fundraising function as integrated, mutually reinforcing systems Ideal Candidate Profile • 7–10+ years of experience in communications, development, or advancement roles, • Demonstrated success leading both strategy and execution in communications and fundraising and project management, • Strong writer and storyteller with the ability to communicate effectively to varied audiences, • Experience working closely with senior leadership or executive directors, • Systems-oriented and organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, • High level of judgment, discretion, and emotional intelligence, • Comfortable working in a growing organization where structure is still being built, • Deep commitment to educational equity and community-centered work, • Experience working with Latinx communities strongly preferred, • Bilingual Spanish/English preferred Growth and Development LEAF is a rapidly growing organization with an ambitious goal to expand from serving approximately 940 students today to 4,000 students by 2030. The Senior Director of Growth & Strategic Communications will grow alongside the organization, with opportunities to take on increasing executive responsibility over time. For the right candidate, this role offers a meaningful pathway toward a Chief of Staff or other leadership functions as LEAF's infrastructure and team continue to develop. Additional Information Reports to: Executive Director Direct Reports: Development & Communications Associate