AbilityFirst_Candidateprofile

CANDIDATE PROFILE

POSITION TITLE

CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

PRIMARY LOCATION

PASADENA, CA

CREATED FOR

AbilityFirst

AbilityFirst stands for, and alongside, people with developmental disabilities and their families We create a welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong and are valued Through mutual trust and an enriching community, each person is supported to achieve his or her personal best At AbilityFirst we look beyond disabilities, focus on capabilities and expand possibilities

With an annual operating budget of nearly $18m and over 250 staff, AbilityFirst provides a variety of programs designed to help people with disabilities achieve their personal best throughout their lives The 97-year old organization operates out of 12 centers through out Los Angeles from Long Beach to Claremont, plus a summer camp in Crestline, providing programs that include: after school care for children and teens, College to Career, day programs and community integration programs, employment services, aquatics and recreation Through these individualized programs, we to help people to successfully transition from childhood to adult life

Position Overview

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Development Officer (CDO) is responsible for the strategy, implementation, execution, expansion, and monitoring of all aspects of resource development for AbilityFirst The resource development department includes oversight of major gifts, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, grants, sponsorships, planned giving, and special events With the support of a specialized development team of 5; and a highly collaborative programmatic team, the Chief Development Officer will continue to build on AbilityFirst's signature events, loyal donor base, and culture of philanthropy, raising a minimum of $1 5m annually in private contributions

As a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Chief Development Officer Is an organizational leader who will help to facilitate the creation of short-term and long-term development plans and lead ongoing efforts to build and integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the organization The Chief Development Officer also works closely with the Board of Directors and special events committees, guiding their passions and supporting their efforts as ambassadors and fundraisers for the organization and preparing reports to Inform and engage the Board in meeting their fundraising objectives

In addition to the leadership goals within the organization, the Chief Development Officer Is also an external-facing position, working to elevate AbilityFirst's brand and advocate for people with disabilities In partnership with the Communications team, the Chief Development Officer will share AbilityFirst stories and profiles with the broader community, increasing the organization's overall visibility The Chief Development Officer is also highly visible internally, spending time in each center's respective community cultivating and stewarding local donors This position will interact frequently with a variety of stakeholders, building trusting relationships with our Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, donors, and partners

IDEAL CANDIDATE

With strong leadership skills and a strategic mindset, the ideal candidate Is a macro-level thinker that understands how to translate large objectives Into manageable goals that leverage the skills of each Individual on the team An experienced fundraiser with a deep background in all aspects of fund development, this candidate will have extensive experience in moves management and a strong track record of designing donor cultivation and stewardship strategies to support a robust major gifts program that includes planned giving Having successfully secured five-figure major gifts and six-figure foundation grants and corporate sponsorships, this fundraising professional is well-versed in all aspects of development including data management This person understands how to best utilize a CRM system for tracking moves management and has likely led efforts to build such systems

As a true leader and exceptional communicator, this Individual thrives In a team environment and fostering relationships both with their team and the Board and Executive team The ideal CDO is authentic, inspiring, and deeply motivated to build community connections This person will be the type of person who listens and learns but also innovates: recommending exciting ideas and taking calculated risks

AbilityFirst™ provides a variety of programs designed to help people with disabilities achieve their personal best throughout their lives We do this by: creating targeted programming to help an individual successfully transition from childhood to adult life

Children & Teens

After school and summer programs teach basic life skills, communication, socialization and healthy living (center-based and in the community)

Student Services Work Experiences provides work experience to high schoolers

WHAT WE DO our programs

AQUATICS

Warm water exercise classes offered at three different center locations

Group & private swim lessons as well as open swim for community

Ideal for promoting joint flexibility, range of motion and muscle tone

Offering children, teens and adults with disabilities a traditional camp experience

Additional programs: friends & family day camp, friends & family weekend camp, friends & family overnight camp and Moms' weekend retreat

Employment Services

Extensive period of training and career exploration, innovative adaptations, long-term job coaching, and continuous feedback from teachers, job coaches, and employers

On-site for 6 hours at business location

College to Career

Traditional community college education program

Beginning with selfdiscovery, developing a plan to achieve goals

Upon completion of the academic component, transition to community job, internship, or volunteer program

adult programs

ExploreAbility - To help adults identify what is important to them and to develop the skills necessary to achieve their goals

PossAbility - Intended for adults who want to enhance their skills and independence

Camp Pavika

SEARCH TEAM

Envision Consulting has been retained by Ability First to conduct the search for their incoming Chief of Development Officer

Click {link} to make recommendations or to be considered for the role

Ability First is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion or creed, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status recognized by federal, state or local law with respect to employment opportunities

Envision Consulting is a minority-owned firm specializing in executive search, organizational strategy, merger exploration, and executive leadership transitions With offices in Denver, New York and Los Angeles, our partners and consultants are former executive leaders within nonprofit organizations who are truly inspired by our collective power to lift up the communities we serve Our broad spectrum of services helps increase revenues, expand awareness and strengthen service delivery to the clients who need us the most

Learn more at www.envisionnonprofit.com