Summary
Description
Careers In Construction Colorado (CICC) is an impact-driven nonprofit that brings construction-based career and technical education into high schools across Colorado. During the 2026–2027 school year, CICC is serving more than 6,000 students in 100 schools across 30 Colorado counties. Through CICC, students gain hands-on skills, earn industry-recognized credentials, explore careers through real-world experiences, and connect directly with opportunities in the construction industry. CICC partners with school districts, industry professionals, trade associations, and community partners to create pathwaysthat connect education to employment.
Our Vision:A Colorado where every student has access to meaningful career pathways and every community benefits from a skilled, prepared workforce.
Our Mission: Educate, Empower, and Employ
As CICC’s statewide reach continues to grow, so does the need to build sustainable and diversified philanthropic and industry investment. CICC has built strong support from corporate and industry partners and is seeking to deepen those relationships while expanding individual giving and other sources of philanthropic support.
We believe construction-based education and skilled trades provide meaningful career opportunities for students. With choices come transformative impacts on students, families, communities, and Colorado’s economy. We believe students deserve choices, and the industry deserves a skilled workforce.
At CICC, relationships are paramount to our success. We believe in learning, facilitating, collaborating, and having fun while remaining focused on measurable outcomes. The results we achieve allow us to demonstrate our impact, strengthen relationships with our partners and donors, and tell the CICC story.
We are only as successful as our impact.
The Director of Philanthropic Development is a critical part of that success. This statewide position leads the implementation of CICC’s funding plan and is responsible for building a strong donor pipeline, cultivating lasting relationships, and securing philanthropic gifts and business partnerships that advance the organization’s mission. The Director owns the full fundraising cycle, from identifying and qualifying prospects to making the ask, securing investment, stewarding relationships, renewing support, and communicating the measurable impact of each investment.
As CICC’s primary development professional, the Director will manage both the strategic and day-to-day work of the development function. This is a hands-on role for someone equally comfortable cultivating significant relationships and making asks as they are managing donor records, preparing materials, tracking follow-up, and ensuring the details of a strong fundraising program are executed consistently.
Reporting to the President & CEO and collaborating closely with the Board of Directors, staff, chapter leaders, and CICC’s outside grant consultant, the Director coordinates fundraising across individual giving, corporate partnerships and sponsorships, foundation support, special campaigns, and legacy giving. The Director will work in partnership with CICC’s outside grant consultant on foundation and grant opportunities, helping identify opportunities, build funder relationships, provide organizational information, and support stewardship while the consultant leads grant development and writing.
CICC operates under the EOS® (Entrepreneurial Operating System), a management framework that emphasizes clear goals, defined accountability, measurable results, and consistent organizational processes.
The following job functions represent the most important responsibilities of this role:
Essential Job Functions:
Fundraising Strategy and Revenue Growth:
· Implement CICC’s annual funding plan, translating revenue goals into clear strategies,timelines, responsibilities, and measurable results.
· Develop and execute fundraising strategies that strengthen CICC’s existing corporate and industry support while expanding individual giving, major gifts, sponsorships, foundation support, special projects, and legacy giving.
· Work collaboratively with CICC’s outside grant consultant to identify and pursue foundation and grant opportunities, cultivate funder relationships, provide information and materials needed for proposals and reports, and support ongoing funder stewardship.
· Track fundraising performance, evaluate return on investment, and adjust strategies to meet or exceed revenue goals.
· Assume responsibility for development of the annual fundraising plan, in coordination with the President & CEO and Board of Directors, as the role evolves.
Donor and Partner Development:
· Build and personally manage a qualified portfolio of individual donors, corporate sponsors, foundations, and industry partners.
· Identify,qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward new and existing supporters through direct outreach, meetings, presentations, events, school engagement, and personalized asks.
· Expand CICC’s individual donor base while continuing to deepen relationships with corporate and industry partners.
· Develop multi-year partnerships that align donor interests with student impact,regional priorities, and CICC’s long-term sustainability.
· Personally make asks, secure commitments, and consistently follow up with prospective and existing supporters.
Stewardship and Engagement:
· Manage the full donor stewardship cycle, including timely acknowledgment, impact reporting, renewal outreach, recognition, and opportunities to deepen investment.
· Develop and coordinate compelling cases for support, presentations, impact reports,sponsorship materials, donor communications, and other fundraising collateralin collaboration with CICC staff and external partners as appropriate.
· Create meaningful engagement opportunities through student stories, school visits, career fairs, events, recognition, and annual partnership reviews.
Development Operations, Collaboration, and Accountability:
· Manage the day-to-day operations of CICC’s development function, including donor and prospect research, outreach, meeting preparation, gift acknowledgment, follow-up, recordkeeping, and other activities necessary to maintain an effective fundraising program.
· Maintain accurate and timely donor, prospect, gift, activity, and reporting information in CICC’s CRM.
· Provide the President & CEO and Board with clear fundraising forecasts, dashboards, pipeline updates, and recommended next steps.
· Equip board members, staff, and organizational leaders with the strategy, materials, coaching, and follow-through needed to participate effectively in fundraising.
· Represent CICC professionally at industry, philanthropic, education, workforce, and community events throughout Colorado.
Position Requirements:
· Self-directed and able to work independently while collaborating effectively in a team environment.
· Comfortable managing both strategic priorities and day-to-day execution as CICC’s primary development professional.
· Proven ability to build relationships, make direct asks, close gifts, sponsorships, or other investments, and retain and grow partners.
· Experience across multiple revenue channels, which may include individual giving,corporate partnerships, sponsorships, foundations, major gifts, business development, or sales.
· Strong written and oral communication skills, including donor and partner communications, presentations, fundraising materials, grammatical accuracy, and proofreading proficiency.
· Highly organized, accurate, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities, relationships, follow-up activities, and deadlines.
· Experienceusing a CRM or donor-management system to manage pipelines, track activity,forecast revenue, and guide decisions.
· Ability to work effectively with executives, board members, donors, corporate and industry partners, employers, educators, students, community leaders, and other stakeholders.
· Professionalism in appearance, attitude, interpersonal relations, and work performed.
· Willingness to travel statewide and occasionally work outside standard business hours for meetings and events.
· Must have a valid driver’s license, insurance, and reliable transportation.
Experience / Education:
· Three to five years of experience in fundraising, development, sponsorships, business development, sales, or a related field preferred; demonstrated success securing philanthropic or corporate investment and growing revenue is most important.
· Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant experience preferred.
· CFRE training and existing relationships within Colorado’s philanthropic, business, or construction-industry communities are a plus.
What Success Looks Like:
Successfuloutcomes include:
· CICC meets or exceeds annual fundraising goals through a strong and increasingly diversified mix of individual donors, corporate and industry partners, sponsors, foundations, grants, and special-project investments.
· CICC’s individual donor base grows while existing corporate and industry relationships are retained, strengthened, and expanded.
· The qualified donor and partner pipeline grows consistently, relationships advance through defined stages, and supporters renew or increase their investment.
· Donors and partners understand the impact of their investment and receive timely,meaningful stewardship and reporting.
· Board and staff members understand their fundraising roles and actively contribute to relationship-building, cultivation, and stewardship.
· Fundraising activity, forecasting, reporting,CRM records, and follow-up are accurate, timely, and consistently managed.
Work Environment:
This position requires a flexible work schedule and includes a combination of office-based and remote work, donor and partner meetings, school and program visits, and participation in industry, philanthropic, education, workforce, and community events throughout Colorado. While portions of the position may be performed remotely, this is a highly relationship-driven role that requires regular in-person engagement. Statewide travel is a regular part of the
position, with occasional evening and weekend commitments.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Workplace: Careers In Construction Colorado is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply and are considered for employment on merit alone without regard to race (including characteristics associated with race such as hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles), color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, national origin, disability, pregnancy, age (40 or older), genetic information (including family medical history), marital status, military status, lawful conduct outside of work, membership or non-membership in a labor organization, or status in any other group protected by federal, state, or local law.
Note:
Nothing in this job specification restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Critical features of this job are described under various headings above. They may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as a complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees in this position. This job description does not constitute a contract for employment.
Benefits
Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $70,000–$90,000. Full-time, salaried, exempt position. Base salary commensurate with experience and demonstrated fundraising success. Benefits begin sixty days after hire date. CICC offers a 401(k) with employer match of up to 6%, medical/dental/vision insurance, and life insurance.
Bonus Structure Available
Paid Vacation: 2 weeks first year Personal Days: 2 paid per year Holidays: 10 paid per year Sick Pay: One hour of paid leave per 30 hours worked, maximum 160 hours
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume via email to: Marlo Asher, Director of Operations (marlo@ciccolorado.org) CC: Renee Zentz, President & CEO (renee@ciccolorado.org) Please include your full name and the position title in the email subject line. Subject Line Example: Name–Director of Philanthropic Development We look forward to reviewing your application and learning more about your interest in joining the CICC team!
