Kansas City Kansas Community College · 3 days ago
Executive Director of the KCKCC Foundation
Kansas City, KS
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$97K/yr - $133K/yr
5+ years expKansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) is seeking an Executive Director for its Foundation, who will serve as the chief advancement and philanthropic officer responsible for a comprehensive fundraising strategy. This role includes overseeing major gifts, alumni engagement, and campaign planning to support student success and institutional sustainability.
Higher Education
Responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership for the Foundation, aligning fundraising priorities with the College’s strategic plan, enrollment goals, workforce and economic development initiatives, and capital needs
Design, implement, and continuously refine a comprehensive advancement strategy that integrates annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation partnerships, grants, alumni engagement, and future comprehensive campaigns
Serve as a trusted advisor to the President, Executive Vice President, and senior leadership on philanthropy, donor engagement, advancement strategy, and external funding opportunities
Manage a portfolio of high-capacity individual, corporate, and foundation prospects, with a focus on major and principal gifts
Lead prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies in collaboration with Foundation Board members, alumni leaders, and College leadership
Advance planned and deferred giving strategies that support long-term financial sustainability and endowment growth
Lead the development, growth, and stewardship of student scholarship funds, aligning donor intent with institutional priorities to expand access, affordability, and student success
Lead the development and stewardship of endowed funds and positions, including faculty, staff, and programmatic endowments, ensuring alignment with donor intent and long-term institutional priorities
Provide strategic oversight and coordination for philanthropic and private grant development in partnership with College leadership, academic units, and workforce and community partners
Align grant-seeking efforts with institutional priorities, donor intent, and long-term sustainability, ensuring effective stewardship of grant-funded initiatives
Collaborate with College staff responsible for public and private grants to ensure clear roles, alignment, and integration with broader advancement efforts
Provide leadership for the planning, feasibility assessment, and execution of multi-year capital and comprehensive campaigns aligned with institutional priorities
Develop campaign structures, gift tables, messaging frameworks, and performance metrics
Ensure disciplined campaign management, reporting, and accountability
Design campaign strategies that maximize student awareness, participation, and utilization of scholarship resources, ensuring awarded funds are effectively deployed to support access, retention, and completion
Provide strategic leadership for alumni engagement, fostering lifelong relationships that strengthen affinity, advocacy, volunteerism, and philanthropic support
Oversee the College’s Alumni Association, including governance, programming, communications, and alignment with Foundation and College priorities
Partner with College departments to develop alumni programming that supports student success, workforce pathways, mentorship, and community engagement
Ensure a best-in-class donor experience through timely, accurate acknowledgment, stewardship reporting, and meaningful engagement opportunities
Oversee Foundation communications, including donor communications, digital engagement, social media, impact reporting, and fundraising campaigns
Partner with College marketing and communications teams to ensure consistent messaging, brand alignment, and storytelling that demonstrates philanthropic impact
Direct the day-to-day operations of the Foundation, including staff leadership, budget management, financial controls, and compliance with all applicable regulations and policies
Partner with College finance and external auditors to ensure sound financial management, annual audits, and transparent reporting
Support and engage the Foundation Board of Directors and Alumni Association leadership through strategic agenda-setting, committee support, governance best practices, and leadership development
Oversee the Foundation’s advancement systems and donor database to ensure data integrity, reporting accuracy, and effective use of analytics
Establish and monitor performance metrics and dashboards to drive fundraising, grant performance, alumni engagement, pipeline management, and continuous improvement
Leverage technology and data to modernize advancement, grant tracking, and alumni engagement practices
Proactively cultivate long-term relationships with corporations, foundations, alumni, civic leaders, and community partners
Represent the College and Foundation at community, civic, philanthropic, and alumni events, strengthening the College’s visibility and reputation
Facilitate strategic connections between donors, alumni, and institutional leaders to advance shared goals
Lead, mentor, and develop Foundation staff, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing culture
Build organizational capacity through talent development, role clarity, and process improvement
Promote community-centered philanthropy consistent with the College’s mission and values
Perform other duties as assigned by the President or Executive Vice President in support of institutional priorities
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in business, nonprofit management, fundraising, public administration, or a related field
Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in fundraising or advancement, including major gift development
Demonstrated experience leading or contributing significantly to multi-year fundraising or capital campaigns
Proven experience supervising and developing staff
Demonstrated knowledge of and proven experience with modern fundraising practices, including major gifts, campaigns, corporate and foundation relations, and planned giving
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain high-level relationships with donors, board members, and senior leaders
Strong strategic thinking, project management, and execution skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to articulate complex institutional priorities to multicultural audiences
Financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, and nonprofit financial oversight
Proficiency with advancement databases, CRM systems, and data-informed decision-making
Ability to work effectively in a complex, mission-driven, public higher education environment
Preferred
Master's degree in nonprofit management, business, higher education administration, or a related discipline
Documented record of major and principal gift solicitation and closure
Experience working with and supporting a governing or foundation board
Experience in higher education advancement, preferably within a community college or public institution
Experience with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge fundraising management software
Familiarity with Franklin Covey's The Four Disciplines of Execution methodology
Company
Kansas City Kansas Community College
Kansas City Kansas Community College is a school in Kansas City.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Shelley Kneuvean
Chief Financial Officer
Julius Brownlee
Assistant Director of High School Partnerships, Educational and Innovative Programming
Recent News
Kansas City Business Journal
2025-03-21
Company data provided by crunchbase