Description
At Rocketship Public Schools, we believe in the infinite possibility of human potential. We believe that every student deserves the right to dream, to discover, and to develop their unique potential and it is our responsibility and our privilege to unleash the potential inside every Rocketeer we serve.
Our non-profit network of public elementary charter schools propels student achievement, develops exceptional educators, and partners with parents who enable high-quality public schools to thrive in their community.
As an organization in our 20th year, Rocketship Public Schools has a proven educational model, a compelling case for support, and a highly successful fundraising engine. Thanks to strong, established relationships with foundations and institutional partners, we currently raise roughly $10M annually. However, our biggest untapped opportunity is individual giving. We are ready to unlock that potential.
Joining a highly successful national development team, the Director of Major Gifts will report directly to the Vice President of Development while working closely with our Co-Founder & CEO, Regional Executive Directors, and network leaders to establish our major gifts program and scale it across our national network.
Your primary focus will be finding, qualifying, and closing high-net-worth individuals across California and beyond who do not know us yet. This is a role for a builder. While we have a tremendous foundation of institutional support, your mandate is individual growth.
Key Responsibilities
- New donor acquisition and pipeline growth: Identify, research, qualify, and engage new major gift prospects using wealth screening, philanthropic databases, referrals, local networks, and community engagement.
- Build a robust pipeline of prospective donors across California, with opportunities to expand nationally.
- Frontline fundraising and portfolio management: Manage an active portfolio of up to 100 major gift donors and high-capacity prospects ($25,000+).
- Develop and execute individualized moves management strategies across qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Lead the development of compelling, highly personalized proposals, solicitation materials, impact reports, and stewardship communications.
- Executive partnership and strategy: Partner with the CEO, Regional Executive Directors, and other senior leaders to execute strategies for high-value donors.
- Develop annual regional major gifts plans and activity calendars aligned to revenue goals.
- Document and scale effective major gifts strategies to build capacity across the broader Rocketship network.
- Events and community engagement: Design and execute donor events of varying size.
Defining Success
We focus on concrete outcomes rather than vague expectations. While we will partner with you to refine specific metrics during onboarding, the overall blueprint for success includes:
- First 90 Days: Audit and rate the existing $25k+ donor pipeline, launch discovery outreach and build a qualification plan for new prospects.
- First 12 Months: Cultivate 50+ new qualified prospects, close $250k in new major gifts, build a pipeline to secure $500k for Year 2.
- 12–18 Months: Create a pathway to securing $1M+ in total new major gift revenue, scale major gift processes from California across the national network.
Who We Are Looking For
- A documented record of acquiring new major donors.
- Proven track record of cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors.
- 5–8 years of progressive experience in nonprofit fundraising.
- Deep understanding of major gifts strategy and the full donor lifecycle.
- Strong data and CRM management skills.
- Exceptional relationship-management skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Commitment to Rocketship’s mission and advancing equitable educational opportunities for students and families.
Location and Work Arrangement
This position requires residency in the San Francisco Bay Area, within practical commuting distance of Rocketship’s Bay Area schools. The anticipated work arrangement is approximately 60% remote and 40% in person.