Deputy Director of Philanthropy

Description

TITLE: Deputy Director of Philanthropy

REGION: All Regions

LOCATION: Hybrid (on-site + remote)

REPORTS TO: Chief Development Officer

STATUS: Full-time, Exempt

OUR MISSION

10,000 Degrees is unlocking student success at scale by giving more students equitable opportunities for a quality college education and career success. The most efficient and effective college success non-profit in the U.S., 10,000 Degrees’ mission is to achieve educational equity and to support students from low-income backgrounds to and through college to realize their full potential and positively impact their communities and the world. We envision a world where all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background, will have the full range of educational opportunities, support, and resources to realize their potential. Accepting a role at 10,000 Degrees implies a personal commitment to this mission.

OPPORTUNITY

The Deputy Director of Philanthropy is a senior fundraising leadership role designed to serve as the essential bridge between organizational advancement strategy and coordinated regional execution. Reporting directly to the Chief Development Officer, the Deputy Director provides strategic oversight, operational management, and mentorship to the Regional Development Directors, ensuring deep alignment of fundraising priorities, donor engagement strategies, and revenue objectives. By scaling major gift portfolios, strengthening philanthropic pipelines, and optimizing Regional Advisory Boards, the Deputy Director plays a pivotal role in driving performance and fostering a culture of collaboration. This leader will serve as a key thought partner to the Chief Development Officer, helping to shape operational excellence, strengthen accountability systems, and ensure the long-term financial sustainability of 10,000 Degrees.

CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Regional Revenue Attainment: Ensuring that Regional Development Directors collectively hit their annual revenue benchmarks for individual giving, corporate partnerships, and regional grants. 
• Advisory Board Engagement: Effectively transform the Regional Advisory Boards into active, high-performing brand ambassadors and fundraising vehicles. 
• Team Performance: Build a collaborative, equitable, and high-performing fundraising culture, ensuring systematic coaching, impactful mentorship, and uniform adoption of departmental standards.
• Pipeline Health & Rigor: Driving Regional Development Directors to effectively move prospects through the cultivation cycle, resulting in a measurable increase in new major gift acquisitions.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Excellent healthcare benefits including medical, dental, vision and life insurance; check out our full benefit options HERE
• 15 days paid vacation + holidays and paid sick leave
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Professional development including conferences, seminars, webinars, and directed career advice

PHYSICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL

To perform the essential functions of this position, employees may be required to:

• Sit, stand, talk, hear, reach, stoop, kneel and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard.
• Have close-vision ability due to computer work.
• Engage in moderate, occasional lifting.
• Have a reliable means of transportation to attend regular work as well as other off-site business functions.

Note: Due to the nature and conditions of our work, applicants must submit to fingerprinting and must pass a tuberculosis (TB) risk assessment and/or provide a clear tuberculosis (TB) test as part of the background check.

EEO

10,000 Degrees is an equal opportunity employer offering a welcoming and inclusive environment in service to one another as well as the students, families, and communities we support. We recruit, hire, employ, train, promote, and compensate individuals based on job-related qualifications and abilities.

TO APPLY

For immediate consideration, please complete the application on the 10,000 Degrees Careers page.

Requirements

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Performance Management

• Supervise, coach, and mentor all Regional Development Directors, providing clear executive guidance, performance management, and career advancement support. 
• Foster a high-performing, results-oriented, and collaborative fundraising culture across all regional teams that aligns with organizational values and revenue targets. 
• Establish clear fundraising expectations, key performance indicators (KPIs), and rigorous metrics to ensure consistent regional execution and measurable outcomes. 
• Proactively monitor regional fundraising performance, identifying potential risks, and executing strategic course corrections to guarantee revenue goals are met. 

Regional Strategy, Execution & Alignment

• Translate the organization’s high-level comprehensive fundraising strategy into actionable, coordinated regional plans, targets, and donor segments. 
• Serve as the central communication conduit between the Chief Development Officer and the regional teams to ensure institutional priorities, major campaigns, and messaging are seamlessly executed. 
• Design and scale internal systems and processes that optimize cross-regional coordination, resource sharing, and the adoption of fundraising best practices. 
• Directly support, construct, and execute strategies for high-priority donor relationships and complex cross-regional funding opportunities. 
• Provide strategic oversight and standardized guidelines for Regional Advisory Boards, maximizing their efficacy as brand ambassadors, connectors, and resource generators. 
• Partner directly with Regional Development Directors to elevate prospect strategies, optimize donor cultivation, and manage high-capacity portfolios for major gifts. 
• Systematically review donor pipelines and activity to accelerate prospect development, acquisition, and retention.
• Serve as the primary development lead for the Marin Regional Advisory Board and manage an assigned portfolio of key donor relationships.

Executive Operations & General Duties

• Leverage data, fundraising metrics, and CRM analytics to identify philanthropic trends, evaluate campaign effectiveness, and inform executive decision-making. 
• Synthesize complex data into comprehensive updates and performance reports for the Executive team regarding regional challenges, progress, and market opportunities. 
• Serve as a core member of the Development leadership team, actively shaping overall staffing, systems, and operational excellence and acting on behalf of the Chief Development Officer as appropriate to provide seamless leadership continuity.  
• Support and represent 10,000 Degrees at fundraising and appreciation events as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.
• This position requires some in-person presence, occasional weekend/evening events, and travel within the regions served.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 8+ years of progressively responsible fundraising and development experience
• Proven track record of success in major donor cultivation, regional fundraising, and stewardship
• 5+ years experience directly managing, coaching, and scaling high-performing fundraising professionals, preferably in a multifaceted nonprofit or education setting
• Visionary thinker with an entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrated ability to use data and analytics to drive strategy and measurable fundraising effectiveness
• Masterful interpersonal skills with extensive experience partnering with boards, advisory boards, and high-net-worth individuals to advance organizational goals
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to write persuasively, deliver compelling presentations, and build trust across diverse internal and external stakeholders
• High proficiency with Google and Microsoft Suite applications and advanced experience leveraging CRM platforms, preferably Salesforce, to track donor management
• Exceptional organization and project management skills; ability to drive multiple concurrent, cross-functional initiatives to success within a fast-paced environment
• Growth mindset with a willingness to learn, receive feedback, and be self-reflective
• Deep, unwavering commitment to social justice, educational equity, and economic mobility
• Lived experience aligned with the communities served by 10,000 Degrees (e.g., first-generation college graduates or low-income background) is highly valued