Summary

Reporting to the President and CEO, this is a senior leadership role for a builder and operator. At this stage of growth, advancement is not just fundraising – it is organizational strategy. The Director of Advancement will shape how the organization sustains and scales its impact across both charitable and advocacy efforts. This is a high-ownership, high-impact role for a senior leader ready to build the next chapter of growth.

Description

About Leverage: Leverage Colorado is a start-up 501(c)(3) dedicated to advancing smart, equitable policies that make aging more affordable in Colorado. With an initial grant of $3 million from Next50 Foundation, Leverage is in a strategic growth phase focused on expanding our donor base, strengthening long-term sustainability, expanding our advocacy influence, and developing strategic messaging. We are seeking a Director of Advancement to build a sophisticated revenue strategy, support community partnerships, and oversee strategic communications across the 501(c)(3) as well as an affiliated 501(c)(4) organization.

The Director of Advancement will:

Drive multi-year revenue growth from diverse sources
Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy across individual, philanthropic, and corporate donors, and other sources as needed
Lead strategic communications and narrative positioning to support donor engagement and organizational visibility.
Strengthen advancement systems and revenue forecasting.
Lead donor stewardship and engagement strategies that strengthen long-term, sustainable, philanthropic partnerships.
Manage advancement infrastructure, including CRM systems, donor pipelines, and performance tracking.
Partner closely with the President and CEO and Board on revenue strategy.
Lead and support other tasks and projects as needed.
Keep updated on key philanthropic finance trends and changes within the sector.

The ideal candidate:

Thinks like a strategist and executes like an operator.
Has experience making direct asks of high-profile individuals and funders, and managing major donor relationships.
Has experience working in Colorado.
Understands how narrative drives philanthropy.
Brings strong judgment and compliance awareness.
Passionate and flexible about building systems in a growth-stage organization.
Can operate independently while aligning closely with and supporting executive leadership.
Combine strong relationship-based fundraising experience with the ability to architect systems that support growth beyond our current $3M budget.
Familiarity and understanding of aging-related issues across sectors.

Core Responsibilities:

Development Strategy & Major Gifts

Develop and execute a multi-year advancement growth strategy that includes individual, philanthropic, and corporate donors.
Lead identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
Expand and deepen philanthropic foundation and institutional relationships.
Build compliant and strategic c4-aligned fundraising capacity.
Set clear annual and quarterly revenue targets.
Activate board members as fundraising ambassadors.
Support the President and CEO in all aspects of building revenue strategy and major gifts.

Strategic Communications & Partnerships

Develop and lead an integrated communications strategy aligned with revenue and advocacy goals.
Clarify and elevate organizational narrative and positioning within the community.
Oversee case statements, impact reporting, donor materials, and campaign messaging.
Guide digital engagement strategy (website, email, thought leadership, media).
Ensure message alignment across c3 and c4 entities.
Support the President and CEO in public speaking opportunities as needed.

Advancement Operations & Infrastructure

Optimize CRM and reporting systems for scale.
Develop work products for leadership and board oversight.
Support compliance and clear separation between c3 and c4 funding streams.
Strengthen gift processing and stewardship workflows.
Partner with finance on revenue forecasting and budgeting.
Support the President and CEO in reporting to the Board of Directors.

Qualifications:

6+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience.
Experience in the Colorado non-profit and advocacy ecosystem.
Demonstrated success in securing and closing major gifts.
Experience building or scaling donor portfolios.
Strong strategic communications and messaging capabilities.
Experience partnering with executive leadership and boards.
Experience with 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations.
Policy, advocacy, or systems-level change experience.
CRM optimization or advancement infrastructure development.

At-Will Employment Statement: Employment with Leverage is at-will. Nothing in this job description constitutes a contract or guarantee of continued employment.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Leverage is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and arecommitted to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.