Chief Advancement Officer

March 2025 | Malden, MA
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The Immigrant Learning Center seeks an experienced Chief Advancement Officer to lead and grow its fundraising program. This newly created position requires a talented professional with strong vision and strategy, a proven ability to increase private philanthropy, and an enthusiasm for leading the development team.

About The Immigrant Learning Center

The Immigrant Learning Center (The ILC) was founded in 1992 by Diane Portnoy. Her vision to open a free school where adult immigrants can learn English stemmed from her own immigrant experience as the daughter of Polish Holocaust survivors, and later, her role as a public-school teacher, where she saw students struggle to learn the language. Under her leadership, The ILC grew from three classrooms serving 60 students a year to a nationally recognized education center that now serves hundreds of students at a time.

The Immigrant Learning Center is a not-for-profit organization that gives immigrant and refugee adults a voice. It offers programs designed to help immigrants and refugees become economically self-sufficient and socially and civically engaged. Classes are offered free of charge, year-round to students who range from those with little or no formal education to those with advanced degrees in their native languages. Today, The ILC has a waitlist of nearly 2,000 people hoping to enroll in classes and public education programming.

A Robust ESL Experience

The ILC staff determines the language needs and personal and educational goals of each student when they enroll. Students are placed into programs that best meet their individual needs, and counseling is provided to help them achieve their goals. In addition to English skills, students gain leadership, problem solving, organizational and job skills. As students gain English proficiency, they achieve greater self-confidence, self-sufficiency, and the ability to contribute and participate in the community and workforce.

Program Areas

The ILC’s comprehensive services include the following key program areas:

• ESOL One through Five
• Next Steps Class
• Literacy Classes
• Digital Literacy
• Citizenship Class
• Family Literacy
• Support Services

For more information about The Immigrant Learning Center, please visit https://www.ilctr.org/

About Philanthropy at The Immigrant Learning Center

Philanthropy at The ILC funds the core programs and services of the organization, and growing private philanthropy is a critical part of The ILC’s ability to reduce its waitlist and ensure that immigrants and refugees are able to access educational services.

The ILC raises approximately $3M annually from government and foundation funding, corporate sponsors, individuals, and two signature events. The organization benefits from the generosity of a core group of loyal donors and is seeking to nurture its base while expanding to new audiences. The annual fund program is strong and there is significant potential for increased major gifts, as well as establishing a mid-level giving society and other programming to engage donors.

The ILC has a healthy reserve fund that it seeks to grow in addition to operating funds.

About the Position

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) will lead and elevate The ILC’s overall fundraising efforts, growing the program especially among individual, corporate, and foundation donors. This position is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to build a robust, diversified revenue stream, and it has a leading role in The ILC’s transition to a greater focus on private philanthropic support. In addition to providing overall vision and strategy for the fundraising program, the CAO will personally build and manage a portfolio of individual Major Gift Donors ($10,000+).

The CAO will also work closely with the Executive Director, senior leadership, and members of the Board to identify, cultivate, and solicit donors; introduce prospects to the organization; and build an organizational culture that recognizes the value of philanthropy. This position manages a two-person development team and serves as a supervisor and mentor for this staff.

The ideal candidate will bring an innovative, entrepreneurial approach to building the program, experience and best practices, and a genuine enthusiasm for outreach and engagement with donors and prospects. 

Key Responsibilities

In the first three months, the CAO will be responsible for conducting a comprehensive assessment of the fundraising program at the organization and presenting recommendations for new goal setting and achievement.

Fundraising and Portfolio Management

• Build and manage the individual giving program, including a major gift portfolio focused on establishing a rigorous moves management system to advance results.
• Create strategies for all aspects of annual and major giving: identifying and qualifying prospects, cultivating and soliciting, and providing excellent stewardship to donors.
• Identify new potential in corporate giving, foundation giving, events, and other fundraising tools, and implement new strategies, evaluating results.

Staff Management

• Lead two-person development team, comprised of the Assistant Director of Development and Director of Development; manage the team to successfully meet annual portfolio goals.
• Work closely with the Executive Director and Board to develop and implement donor relationship strategies and solicitation.

Organizational Leadership

• Attend events where The ILC’s donor population is present.
• Work with the Director of Communications in enhancing donor recognition in all communication strategies.
• Help develop annual budgets, revenue goals, and donor engagement activities.
• Help develop new strategies and protocols for giving programs to re-engage current donors and attract new prospects.
• Leverage interactions with event volunteers, donors, sponsors, Board members, public officials, and stakeholders toward fundraising goals.
• Ensure maintenance of accurate and complete donor and gift records; be able to share regular reports on all donor activities.

Key Qualifications

• 

  7-10 years of fundraising or equivalent experience required, with a preference for a seasoned professional with a nonprofit fundraising background.

• 3-5 years of staff leadership experience preferred.
• Proven ability to identify new donor audiences, build a pipeline, and cultivate and solicit individual donors.
• Experience in corporate and foundation giving programs.
• Superior interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to initiate and enjoy direct communication with donors and potential donors; strong customer-service orientation; highly motivated; ability to initiate and work independently.
• Capable of working in a multi-cultural/multi-lingual workplace, with an appreciation for diverse staff, donors, and clientele.
• Travel, evening, and weekend work as required.
• Proficient in Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint; Raiser’s Edge a plus.

Compensation

The annual compensation range for this position begins at $150,000, commensurate with experience.

All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you are interested in being considered for this search, please use the form below to submit your cover letter and resume in confidence.

Theresa Leinker

Vice President, Fundraising

Development Guild