Director of Advancement

Community Partnership School (CPS) stands at a moment of promise. Within the next 6 years, we aim to:

1. Reinvigorate and stabilize our existing donor base

2. Double our enrollment of PreK-5 Students to 200

3. Lay the groundwork to scale our proven model across Philadelphia and beyond

These goals are lofty, but they’re built atop an extremely strong foundation. Indeed, we offer donors an invitation to invest in proven success - not just a compelling vision. For 20 years, CPS has delivered a high-quality, identity-affirming education to children from Philadelphia’s most educationally underserved neighborhoods. Over 90% of our most recent fifth graders read at grade level and 87% met grade-level math standards. Attendance exceeds 95%, and our alumni graduate high school at a rate of 95%. Our students have gone on to play in the NFL, study law at UPenn, and launch thriving businesses. The cost to educate a CPS student is about $28,000, but the average family contribution is only $2,900 - that is made possible through the extraordinary generosity of our donors.

We began in fertile soil - a partnership between Germantown Academy and Project HOME - and have grown into a thriving community rooted in equity and excellence. Now we seek to grow further.

CPS is seeking a Director of Advancement to lead the next chapter - an expert who applies the same rigor to our fundraising as we do to our programming. If you are passionate about educational equity, enjoy spending time with people, and skilled in the craft of fundraising, we’d love to hear from you.

What You’ll Do

• Build Relationships: Engage and convert new prospects and re-engage longstanding supporters

• Orchestrate Fundraising Leaders: Coach the board and Head of School to become the most effective fundraisers they can be. Deploy supportive systems, tools, priorities, and targets to help them translate their passion for CPS into steady, high-impact fundraising actions

• Lead the Fundraising Office: Direct and align the work of your two FTE’s and one PTE grant writer; ensure all activities reinforce a unified strategy and the most important fundraising goals

• Execute Fundraising Strategy: Oversee annual, major, and campaign giving; continuously reorient culture, people, processes, and technology towards fundraising goals

• Refresh Fundraising Strategy: methodically evaluate activities and outcomes to adjust our existing Donor Personas, Gift Cases, Campaigns, etc

• Expand the tax-credit program: Grow participation in the EITC/OSTC program to reach its $2.4M annual cap by developing new corporate and individual tax credit donors

• Activate the Board: Equip our closest advocates with the confidence, clarity, tools, tasks, and targets to be the most influential champions they can be

• Deliver high-impact events: Oversee the annual gala and other donor gatherings that drive both connection and revenue.

• Serve on the CPS Administrative team: As a direct-report to the Head of School, you’ll collaborate with the other senior leaders to lead CPS’s broader strategy and operations

What You Bring

• 7+ years of progressive development leadership experience

• A desire to stick with us until the job is done (6+ years from now)

• Proven success coordinating and coaching senior leaders and board members — including those above you in the hierarchy — to become even more confident & effective fundraisers

• Proven record of six-figure solicitations and donor upgrades

• Strong data acumen, with proven record of using data to improve operations; systems thinker

• Strong financial acumen, with a proven ability to collaborate with the Finance office & committee

• Demonstrated experience with PA Tax Credit Programs (EITC/OSTC)

• Significant experience re-engaging and reinvigorating an established donor base

• Significant experience expanding a donor base

• Clear, confident presentation and storytelling skills

• Proficiency with Bloomerang or similar Donor Management Systems

• Extremely strong leadership and change-management skills

• Experience with endowment campaigns preferred

Logistics

• Schedule: Four days in person (at school or with donors); one remote day

• Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, with flexibility to work evenings/weekends for events & busy season

• Benefits: Medical, retirement, paid time off

• Travel: Reliable transport to the Greater Philadelphia area (Main Line, Bucks, Jersey Shore, etc.)

• Start Date: Early 2026