Description
Dolores Mission Parish is a Roman Catholic Parish of the Los Angeles Archdiocese staffed by Jesuit priests for over 30 years. It has become known for its prophetic work among former gang members and for its work for social justice on local, national and global issues. The parish cares for the spiritual, social and material needs of its parishioners who come primarily from the immediate neighborhood, the poorest area of Boyle Heights.
In 1950, Dolores Mission School opened in one of the toughest and poorest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Boyle Heights. The school continues to serve the families who live in the local housing projects and the surrounding areas. Dolores Mission Church and School stand as strong pillars in the community and walk alongside the most vulnerable members of our community. In the last ten years, Dolores Mission School has become an example of a stellar inner city school. The academic programs of the school continue to expand and improve to serve the neediest children in our community. As a result, more students are attending college after high school. The impact of the school is creating systemic change in a disenfranchised community.
Dolores Mission School consists of grades TK-8th and serves 260 children. Our student population is 95% Latino and 5% African-American. More than 80% of the transitional kindergarten class is challenged with academic English vocabulary and primarily speak Spanish at home. Nearly 94% of our students qualify for a free or reduced breakfast and lunch program and 100% receive financial aid to pay for their tuition. Our reality is that 54% of our families earn less than $25K a year and 73% earn $35K or less.
Reports to: President and Director of Administration and Advancement
The successful candidate must be someone who:
- Embodies the values of Jesuit education and Ignatian spirituality
- Is highly engaging and energetic
- Is prepared to serve as a leader and initiate tasks related to development as needed
- Is capable of inspiring and articulating our mission to others
- Can help frame a compelling vision of Dolores Mission Church and School’s future that will energize the campus community and other stakeholders to lend their support
- Can effectively represent Dolores Mission Church and School in the larger community
- Wants to make a difference in the lives of our students, their families, and our parish community.
Position Summary:
Serves as a mission-driven leader in marketing and advancement. Oversees the development and implementation of grants writing and reporting. Explores new opportunities for new grant funding whose goals are in alignment with mission, vision and impact to ensure continual growth, vitality, strength and sustainability. Ensure maintenance and organization of the donor database, acknowledgments, and the Adopt-A-Student program. Strengthen and maximize existing relationships as well as identify, prioritize and strategize new prospects. Create, prepare and send all external marketing materials related to development, both through social media, newsletters and traditional appeals. Achieve funding goals through strategic personal efforts with the President, Director of Administration and Advancement, Pastor and Dolores Mission Development Team.
Position Specific Responsibilities:
- Grant writing:
- Responsible for preparing, submitting, and managing grant proposals to foundation and corporate sources on behalf of Dolores Mission Church and School.
- Performs prospect research on foundation to evaluate potential funding opportunities
- Works with the president and business manager to gather necessary information to report to foundation funders on current grants
- Complies with all grant reporting as required by foundation donors
- Provides stewardship to current donors and foundations
- Understands the history, goals and vision of Dolores Mission Church and School and various programs
- Maintains current records in database and in paper files, including grant tracking and reporting
- Track statistics relevant to development and provides department with written materials necessary for donor stewardship
- Event Planning:
- Contracts with facilities and organizes details such as décor, catering, entertainment, transportation, location, invite list, special guests, equipment and promotional material.
- Provide feedback and report to stakeholders
- Propose ideas to improve provided services and event quality
- Ensure compliance with insurance, legal, health and safety obligations
- Develop and support an alumni group and coordinates an alumni event
- Help support and coordinate the Donor mass
- Support annual Christmas sponsor visits and event investment opportunities (tamale visits/La Fiesta annual gala)
- Support with annual mailing campaigns (Thanksgiving, Easter, and other campaigns)
- Leads the events committee meetings and agendas (golf tournament and La Fiesta)
- Organize and support in peer to peer fundraising opportunities (Friendsgiving and Give Each Month)
- Donor Database and Platform Management:
- Oversees the daily operation of the development database
- Tracks gifts/financial and biographical information on alumni, friends, and donors through the database using the sales protocol.
- Responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the data, including input, technology management, and training and support for other staff members.
- Responsible for planning and implementing direct mail appeals annually
- Provides support to staff by assisting with creation of reports and mailing lists
- Coordinate and plan for future data conversions/upgrades as needed
- Maintains efficient systems for data cleaning, data entry, gift processing, and relationship management
- Maintains payment processing systems such as GiveSmart, Mobile Cause, Stripe, and Blackbaud
- Marketing
- Lead the development team to conceptualize and write email to donors and greater community and write effectively for an online audience
- Support the development team to create annual appeals such as Thanksgiving, Easter, and Women’s Auxiliary.
- Is able to manage social media accounts as they relate to marketing the school, promoting church and school visibility, and engaging the local and greater church and school community
- Help to organize teams for school enrollment projects
- Sales Process and Documentation:
- Fully incorporate Sales Process as a discipline of excellence
- Use effective written approach and relationship building strategies
- Use effective predisposition strategies to get visits, conduct visits, present opportunities, follow up
- Document visit call memos and next step action plans
- Document gift commitments.
- Tailor and develop engagement tools as needed
- Strategize how team members can assist to maximize visits
- Guiding Principles, Teamwork and Representation:
- Strive for excellence with all work performed while maintaining a realistic perspective
- Develop healthy work relationships with other staff
- Communicate effectively and constructively with leadership regarding priorities, decisions and challenges
- Encourage and support other team members to accomplish objectives and goals
- Demonstrate reliability
- Listen actively
- Exhibit flexibility and work as a problem solver
- Treat others with dignity, charity, respect and in a supportive manner
- Demonstrate a commitment to growth
- Work closely with the president to develop fundraising strategies for the school and with the Director of Administration and Advancement for the church
Requirements
Experience and Qualifications:
- At minimum three years of non-profit fundraising, advancement or development experience, preferably in an Catholic urban school setting.
- Understand the values, traditions, and mission of Dolores Mission Church and School and urban Catholic education.
- Ability to serve as a role model within Archdiocesan and Catholic communities. Knowledge of the work of Archdiocesan administration in education and familiarity with pressures facing both Catholic and under-resourced schools.
- Exemplary communication, organization, team building, and leadership skills.
- Ability to attend frequent evening and weekend events.
- Must have valid CA drivers license and realizable transportation.
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk and drive. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Required Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Education, Administration, Business or related field.
- Suggested education: masters degree in related field.
Work Status
- Full-time exempt
- Salary commensurate with experience
- Competitive benefits package
Wage Range
The rate of pay offered to the selected candidate is based on internal pay policy and budget. New hires are commonly paid at the minimum of the wage range or within the lower part of the range. We consider a number of factors when making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience, training and other department needs.
Information/Application Contact
Dolores Mission (Los Angeles)
170 South Gless Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033
kmoreno@dolores-mission.org