Senior Head of Advancement

About Urban Ventures 

Urban Ventures is a faith-based, nonprofit organization with the mission to educate children, strengthen their families, and build a healthy community. We partner with families in some of the most under-resourced neighborhoods of south Minneapolis with one overarching goal-to send every youth to college or some form of post-secondary education. Urban Ventures is committed to providing a workplace which promotes diversity and inclusion. 

This is an opportunity for a strategic, faith-driven fundraising executive to shape the future of a well-respected Minneapolis nonprofit and help create lasting change for generations of children, families, and a community.

Position summary

Reporting to the CEO, the Senior Head of Advancement is a key executive leader responsible for developing, leading, and executing Urban Ventures' comprehensive fundraising and donor engagement strategy. The role provides strategic oversight for all advancement activities and personnel, including major gifts, annual giving, institutional giving, donor communications, events, campaigns, and stewardship efforts. The ideal candidate is an exceptional listener who can demonstrate their ability to understand donor motivation and translate it into compelling solicitations.

This leader serves on the organization's Executive Leadership Team (ELT).

As a member of the ELT, the Senior Head of Advancement plays a pivotal role in advancing the organization's mission, strengthening community and donor partnerships, and ensuring the financial sustainability of Urban Ventures. The role works closely with the CEO, Board of Directors, and organizational leaders to grow philanthropic support and deepen engagement with individuals, foundations, corporations, churches, and community partners.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP & VISION

• Develop and execute a comprehensive advancement strategy that aligns with Urban Ventures’ mission, vision, and strategic priorities.

• Serve on the Executive Leadership Team, alongside the CEO, COO, and Marketing & Communications Leader, to maintain progress on Urban Ventures' vision, mission, and values, and to ensure that internal procedures and policies contribute to outstanding service to our community.

• Provide supervisory leadership, coaching, and development for advancement staff, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, accountability, and mission alignment.

FUNDRAISING & REVENUE GENERATION

• Lead all fundraising efforts, including major gifts, annual fund, planned giving, corporate partnerships, foundation grants, sponsor ships, campaigns, and special events.

• Manage and grow a portfolio of major donors and prospective supporters, cultivating meaningful relationships that result in increased philanthropic investment.

• Partner with program and finance leadership to develop compelling funding proposals and grant applications.

• Prepare individual and grant-specific impact reports in partnership with program leadership.

DONOR & BOARD RELATIONSHIPS

• Partner closely with the CEO and Board of Directors to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and strategic partners.

• Own donor relationships and stewardship strategy, including personal, one-to-one donor communication, so that supporters are known, appreciated, and connected to the impact of Urban Ventures' work.

• Represent Urban Ventures throughout the community and at donor meetings, church partnerships, fundraising events, and other external engagements.

• Translate the nonprofit's faith-based mission into compelling, culturally responsive messaging that deeply respects and resonates with both the communities served and the broader donor base.

PERFORMANCE & OPERATIONS

• Establish fundraising goals, key performance indicators (KPIs), and metrics to evaluate advancement effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.

• Own donor data integrity and CRM stewardship, ensuring accurate gift tracking, moves management, and reporting infrastructure across the advancement function.

• Develop and oversee advancement department budgets, revenue forecasting, and reporting processes to ensure strong financial performance and accountability.

• Prepare and deliver…