Position: President, ACE Scholarships Texas (Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin)

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 22 years, ACE has provided more than 50,000 scholarships worth over $138 million. This school year, ACE is serving 10,500 children in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, and is actively pursuing other expansion opportunities with support of a national funding partner. For more information visit the ACE website at www.acescholarships.org.

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

Our Guiding Principles and Convictions:

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 (often faith based) 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 as its Texas President to help oversee the operations and fundraising activities in several markets within Texas. With support from the ACE National office and other local Texas staff, this person will develop and implement a strategic fundraising plan to raise significant funding from top business leaders in Texas and to ensure the long-term success and growth of the ACE program.

Primary Job duties and responsibilities

Work with ACE National Office to fulfill the organization’s mission within all ACE Texas markets (Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio).

• Give vision and leadership to the long-term strategic and day-to-day activities of ACE Texas
• Responsible for leading in a manner that supports and guides the organization’s mission as defined by the Board of Directors.
• Responsible for communicating in an effect, timely, and accurate manner all information necessary for the National Office to make informed decisions.

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

• Lead donor engagement activities, including identification of individuals, foundations and corporate prospects, and development of a Texas Advisory Board with top business leaders in the community.
• Implementing key fundraising events and strategies to raise resources.
• 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 Chief Development Officer and National Staff to ensure that the ACE mission is fulfilled through strategic planning and community outreach.

• Responsible for strategic planning 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.
• Support the program team in building long-term partnerships with local schools and relationships with ACE scholars and their families.
• Guide ACE in responding to emerging issues related to public policy and public relations.

Oversee and manage staff and resources to execute on programmatic and fundraising plans.

• Role will be responsible for overseeing two seasoned fundraisers and a development associate.
• Manage and grow ACE Texas’s staff contributions.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Unwavering belief in the mission of ACE Scholarships
• Transparent and high integrity leadership
• Solid, hands-on 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
• Seven 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 one of ACE Texas’s markets (Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, or San Antonio). Individual will have home-based office.
• Reports to Chief Development Officer located in Denver, CO

Compensation:

Targeted base salary of $140,000 - $170,000, plus bonuses, and benefit package, including health, dental and vision insurance; 401(k), with corporate match; plus other benefits.

FLSA Status: Exempt

Division: ACE Texas

Department: Fundraising

ACE Scholarships is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer: We do not discriminate based on race, religion, or creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical, or mental disability, marital status, gender identity, or any other reason prohibited by applicable nondiscrimination law. It is our intention that all applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on related job factors.

Application Process

The application process will include submission of a resume and professional references, a phone interview, and in-person interviews in Houston and/or Colorado (all expenses covered by ACE). To be considered for the position, please send a cover letter and resume. No phone calls please.