Educate! - Head of West Coast Philanthropy
Requirements
• This role is well-suited for a driven, commercially-minded professional with a track record of owning a portfolio, business line, or major relationship book independently — not just contributing to one. Typically 8–10+ years of relevant experience, though we care more about demonstrated ownership and scope than tenure. • We are less interested in a specific career path than in your ability to build trust with influential people and turn relationships into meaningful partnerships. The ideal candidate brings: • A strong ability to build and sustain relationships with influential people — you move comfortably in founder, investor, or operator circles and can engage credibly with people who build companies, back ideas, and make decisions quickly. • A commercial mindset and pipeline orientation — whether from fundraising, partnerships, business development, venture, sales, or startup experience, you know how to build momentum and move opportunities forward. • Strong communication skills — you can distill complex ideas clearly, tailor messages for different audiences, and inspire action through compelling storytelling and conversation. • Data-driven thinking and intellectual credibility — you can engage substantively with Educate!’s evidence base, interpret impact data, and communicate it convincingly to analytically-minded audiences. • An entrepreneurial approach — you are energized by operating with ownership and building a process where one does not yet exist. • A self-directed working style, with the ability to operate independently across a significant time zone difference from the core team. • Strong existing networks within West Coast technology, founder, or philanthropic communities is a significant advantage. • Backgrounds that could be a strong fit include: • Venture capital, startup ecosystems, or founder communities • Strategic partnerships, business development, or enterprise sales • Investor relations or capital raising • Executive networking and relationship management, or chief-of-staff roles at tech companies • Major gifts fundraising or philanthropy advisory • Building or scaling organizations as a founder or early operator
Responsibilities
• Relationship Management & Portfolio Development (30%) • Serve as Educate!’s primary point of contact for a new portfolio of high-net-worth individual donors, family offices, and tech-sector philanthropists on the US West Coast. • Build trusted, long-term partnerships with founders, operators, AI and technology leaders, and next-generation philanthropists interested in global development and economic opportunity. • Identify and develop new relationships with prospective supporters in founder, investor, effective altruism, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. • Represent Educate! with professionalism, credibility, and warmth in external engagements, tailoring your approach to the audiences and communities you are building within. • Accountable for the West Coast channel's revenue targets and growth trajectory. • Manages the organization's highest-stakes West Coast funder relationships, escalating to the Director only when genuinely necessary. • Maintain a deep understanding of partner priorities and proactively identify opportunities to align Educate!’s work with their interests and giving strategies. • Network Development & Sourcing (25%) • Map and engage relevant communities across the West Coast — including tech company ecosystems, AI labs, startup networks, EA communities, venture firms, and family offices. • Proactively identify and pursue opportunities to introduce Educate! to new networks, communities, and potential champions. • Build and maintain a robust pipeline of prospective partners, with clear strategies for progression and conversion. • Collaborate with Educate!’s executive team and board members to leverage their networks and create warm introductions. • Develop a repeatable sourcing process that can scale as the portfolio and channel grow. • Convenings & Community Building (25%) • Design and host intimate gatherings, dinners, learning sessions, and other experiences that bring exceptional people together around Educate!’s mission and vision. • Create meaningful opportunities for prospective supporters to engage with Educate!’s work, evidence, and impact — connecting vision to action. • Partner with Educate!’s program and communications teams to bring authentic stories and evidence to the communities you are building within. • Build Educate!’s brand and credibility within West Coast philanthropic, tech, and founder communities. • Identify and assess comparable organizations’ networks and pipelines as a source of potential candidates and champions. • Strategic Execution & Communications (20%) • Develop compelling pitches, one-pagers, and communications tailored to tech-sector and high-net-worth audiences, translating Educate!’s evidence and ambition into clear opportunities for partnership. • Maintain organized pipeline tracking and provide regular reporting on relationship development, revenue progress, and network activity. • Work closely with the broader development team to coordinate proposals, reporting, and stewardship for West Coast funders. • Set 1–2 year strategy and goals for the channel in consultation with leadership — meaningful ownership of segment strategy, not just execution against a plan set by others. • Proactively keep the Director/Global Director informed on key developments; bring fully-formed recommendations, not open problems, when escalation is needed.
Benefits
• Educate! is committed to paying market-based compensation for this role. This is our first hire in San Francisco and first hire specializing in High Net Worth giving, so we don't have a set salary band for this role or this location; we will be learning about the market through this hiring process. We will begin conversations about salary expectations early in the process, with the goal of respecting your time. • This is a full-time position. A minimum two-year commitment is requested to best meet potential professional growth at Educate! and team needs. • This role is based on the US West Coast (San Francisco Bay Area strongly preferred). • You will operate with a high degree of independence, working remotely with strong support from Educate!’s global team. The primary team is based in East Africa (~10–11 hour time difference), and we are looking for someone who is self-directed, proactive, and comfortable managing their own workstreams across time zones. • Our Culture & Tenets(Values) 🌱 • Our Culture & Tenets(Values) • We’re ambitious. Are you? Educate! is growing fast, so new opportunities are opening up and expanding all the time. We’re inspired by people with drive, and we love to help them reach their full potential. We expect everyone at Educate! to contribute above and beyond their job description, grow their skills, and advance their careers, and we are committed to supporting our staff members on that journey of their careers, and we are committed to supporting our staff members on that journey. • We’re ambitious. Are you? • We put Youth First, Impact-Obsessed - We are purpose-driven, focused on impact, and prioritize what truly matters. We listen to youth, design our efforts around their needs, and ensure every dollar creates transformative experiences they value. • We put Youth First, Impact-Obsessed • We Exceed Expectations - We take pride in going above and beyond to achieve the best results—proactively identifying problems and seeking solutions without waiting or stopping at what's requested. • We Exceed Expectations - • We Are Always Learning - We are committed to seeking and applying new knowledge and ideas. We stay open-minded and continuously try new things, experiment, grow, and improve. We invest in learning for ourselves and our teams. • We Are Always Learning - • We are One Team, Many Views - We value all individuals, believe diverse ideas and open dialogue drive excellence, foster a supportive and respectful environment where everyone can freely express themselves. We work as one team and prioritize the organization's mission over personal or team interests. • We are One Team, Many Views • We have the Startup Mindset - We innovate relentlessly to grow our impact, we never think “we have arrived” or “we’re done.”We constantly challenge the status quo, embrace change, and move quickly toward our vision. Unafraid of failure, we question anything that hinders progress. • We have the Startup Mindset - • Every person at Educate! — from interns to the executive director — is evaluated by how they live up to these five cultural tenets. They are at the core of how we achieve our mission and why we work as well as we do. Educate is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all who interact in our community. In creating this environment, we encourage people from a variety of cultures, backgrounds and life experiences to join our diverse team. • We’re committed to ensuring all candidates are screened for child and youth safety. As part of the process, candidates must successfully complete our standard background verification and safeguarding review in accordance with local legal standards. Educate! reserves the right to withdraw an offer of employment if any screening results indicate potential risks to youth. • child and youth safety • standard background verification • safeguarding review in accordance with local legal standards
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