Job Description

Job Description

Position: Major Gifts Officer, Colorado

About ACE Scholarships

ACE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, founded in 2000 in Denver, Colorado, to provide low-income children with equal access to quality K-12 private schools through partial scholarship support. Over the past 25 years, ACE has delivered more than 100,000 scholarships worth over $330million. This school year, ACE is serving approximately 14,000+ children in

Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, and is actively pursuing other expansion opportunities with the support of a national funding partner. In 2023, ACE Scholarships expanded its program offerings by administrating Educational Savings Account programs for state governments. For more information visit the ACE website at

Our Mission is to provide children of lower-income families with scholarships to private schools in grades K-12, and to advocate for expanded school choice.

Our Values:

ACE Founding Principles: Our founding principles are the foundation of ACE and our North Star. We honor ACE’s founders by remaining committed to these principles, and we passionately advocate for the Mission and Vision these principles support. 

Accountability: We embrace personal responsibility by taking ownership of our work and focusing on results. We expect both to give and to receive honest feedback. 

Innovation: We know ideas matter. We prefer the risks and rewards the come with creativity, to the certainty that attends stagnation. 

Adaptability: We position ourselves to take advantage of opportunities, embracing strategic and operational change when it makes our work more impactful.

Optimism: We believe our best days are ahead, and we embrace a forward-thinking mindset. We will make mistakes, but we will remain cheerful in the face of adversity and give people the benefit of the doubt. 

Kindness: We value everyone on our team, respect differences and trust one another. This requires courage and strength, as it involves celebrating and giving our undivided attention to others. 

Our Founding Principles:

1) The American public education system is flawed

2) Free enterprise and democracy work

3) Parents know the best education environment for their kids

4) Private schools offer great value and have open seats

5) All people are created equal and deserve an equal chance to pursue the American Dream

Position Overview
ACE seeks a highly qualified individual to serve as a Major Gifts Officer, helping raise money for scholarships and operations in Colorado. With support from the ACE National office, reporting to the President of Colorado, and working in collaboration with the Colorado Vice President of Development and Development Team, the Colorado Major Gifts Officer will help to raise significant funding from philanthropists, foundations, and corporations in Colorado to help meet personal and team goals, ensuring the long-term success and growth of the ACE program statewide.

Primary Job duties and responsibilities 

Raise resources to advance the financial health of the Colorado operation and to meet its growth objectives year over year.

• Identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors
• Help establish and execute a prospecting and portfolio management strategies to engage donors through mailings, emails, phone calls, event invitations, etc.
• Manage a small portfolio of current annual donors with the intention to further engage, retain, and grow gifts, tracking activity and progress.
• Prioritize introducing new donors to the ACE mission, and securing new and increased gifts.
• Ensure donors feel appreciated and valued, providing regular updates on the impact of their gifts and fostering long-term relationships. 
• Responsible for meeting shared objectives and goals, and exchanging innovative ideas, best practices, successes, and lessons learned.
• Represent the established brand of ACE in the community, to raise necessary funds for the organizations impact.
• Lead donor engagement activities, including identification of individuals, foundations, and corporate prospects.
• Stay current on key leaders and companies in the state, doing research and reading up on current events.
• Collaborating on key fundraising events and strategies to raise resources
• Present to individuals and groups of business leaders and philanthropists to solicit funds for ACE’s mission.
• Responsible for prudent fiscal management that operates within the approved budget, ensures maximum resource utilization, and maintenance of the operation in a positive financial position.

Work with Colorado President and team to ensure that the ACE mission is fulfilled through strategic planning and community outreach.

• Responsible for strategic collaboration to ensure that the ACE can successfully fulfill its mission
• Responsible for the enhancement of ACE’s image by being active and visible in the community, particularly high net-worth event, and by working closely with other professional, civic, and private organizations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Unwavering belief in the mission of ACE Scholarships 
• Transparent and high integrity leadership
• Solid, self-management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making and reporting
• Strong organizational abilities including planning, delegating, and task facilitation
• Ability to convey a vision of ACE’s strategic future to staff, volunteers, and donors
• Knowledge of fundraising strategies and donor relations 
• Skills to collaborate with and motivate donors and other volunteers
• Ability to interface and engage diverse volunteer and donor groups
• Demonstrated ability to oversee and collaborate with staff
• Strong communication skills (written and oral), an excellent professional appearance and presentation, and public speaking experience 
• Self-motivated individual with strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently as a leader in the community 
• Experience and success with engaging high net worth individuals, major foundations, and corporations 
• Ability to set priorities and achieve goals
• Highly organized, detail oriented and able to manage simultaneous priorities under pressure
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills, along with tact and diplomacy 

Desirable Attributes

• Knowledge of K-12 education policy and reform efforts, including the private school sector is a plus
• Personal network of contacts, potential donor pools, and knowledge of the local business community.

Minimum Requirements 

• Bachelor’s Degree 
• Five or more years of significant nonprofit fundraising, sales or business development experience, and experience working towards an annual revenue goal
• Knowledge and passion for school choice, education reform, and for serving the underserved
• Willingness and ability to travel, both in and out of state as needed 

Location and Reporting 

• Position will be based in Denver, CO, when not conducting donor meetings out in the community; primarily working in office (~80%) with some hybrid flexibility (~20%).
• Reports to President of Colorado, based in the Denver, CO office.

FLSA Status: Exempt

Compensation
A competitive annual salary of $110,000.00 - $140,000.00 (based on experience) and eligible for annual performance bonuses, plus benefits package, which includes but is not limited to: 

· Medical Insurance (with generous employer contribution)

· Dental Insurance (with generous employer contribution)

· Vision Insurance

· Voluntary Life Insurance

· HSA, FSA, Limited FSA, and Dependent Care FSA pre-tax spending accounts

· Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

· Free, Employer-paid Short-term, Long-term, and AD&D insurance. 

· 401(k) with 6% employer match with immediate vesting. 

· Monthly cellphone stipend

· Scholarships for employee’s whose children are actively enrolled in a private school ($2,500/child, up to $5,000/year). 

· Employer paid parking 

· Onsite amenities include: gym, café, and building security 

· In office coffee, snack bar, and walking treadmill 

Compensation details: 110000-140000 Yearly Salary

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