Description
About Alexandria House
Founded in 1996, Alexandria House is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe and supportive housing for women and children facing homelessness and trauma. The organization offers a continuum of support to help individuals transition from crisis to financial and emotional stability, ultimately leading to permanent housing. Beyond direct housing, Alexandria House serves its broader community by offering wellness programs, educational opportunities, and resources to meet basic needs. Rooted in a commitment to being intentionally multicultural and anti-racist, Alexandria House also works to address systemic injustices that contribute to poverty and disenfranchisement.
At Alexandria House, we often say our community moves like a herd of elephants — circling around one another in times of need and never leaving anyone behind. That spirit of solidarity defines who we are. Every woman who comes to Alexandria House is surrounded by a circle of care — staff, alumni, volunteers, and supporters — who walk with her as she does the heroic work of rebuilding her life. Through housing stability, economic stability, food security, social-emotional healing, childcare, and lifelong alumni support, we remain rooted in community and ready to respond — wherever and whenever we are needed most.
Position Summary
The Director of Philanthropy will serve as the strategic leader responsible for cultivating and expanding the community of generosity that sustains Alexandria House. This role offers the opportunity to strengthen and elevate a philanthropic program grounded in dignity, relationship, and transformational impact.
Alexandria House is seeking a relational fundraiser who also finds deep satisfaction in building systems and creating structure. There are many donors, volunteers, and corporate partners who already believe in our mission — this role is about designing thoughtful pathways that engage them more meaningfully and sustainably.
The ideal candidate will enjoy rolling up their sleeves to:
- Implement a move management system for major and mid-level donors
- Strengthen donor segmentation and engagement strategies
- Support the agency toward full utilization of a new CRM
- Create reporting dashboards and performance metrics
- Establish scalable systems that support long-term growth
This Director will be:
- A strong strategic partner to the Executive Director
- A visible and compelling ambassador for Alexandria House in the community
- A confident public speaker who can represent the organization at events, donor gatherings, and community forums — independently or in partnership with the Executive Director
- A supportive, hands-on supervisor and coach to the development team
Grant-based philanthropy and government funding are managed by the Executive Director and a contract Grant Writer.
The Director of Philanthropy will supervise:
- 1 Full-Time Volunteer Coordinator
- 1 Part-Time Database Coordinator
- 1 Part-Time Communications Coordinator
The Operations Manager supports the logistics for special events.
This is both a builder and a steward role — someone who honors the circle of care that already exists while constructing the infrastructure that ensures it thrives for decades to come.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Strategy
- Implement an annual development strategy focused primarily on strengthening individual philanthropy as the organization’s most flexible and sustainable revenue stream.
- Build and formalize donor move management systems to ensure consistent cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship practices.
- Lead the organization toward full utilization and optimization of a new CRM platform, strengthening donor tracking, segmentation, and reporting capacity.
- Partner closely with the Executive Director to engage and support the Board of Directors in fundraising and relationship-building.
- Serve as a strong supervisor and coach to the development team — providing clarity, mentorship, and professional development support.
- Serve as a public-facing representative of Alexandria House, confidently articulating the mission, impact, and vision to donors, partners, and community audiences.
- Champion Alexandria House’s values of hospitality, dignity, accompaniment, and justice in all donor communications and relationships.
- Fundraising, Messaging, & Relationship Building
- Cultivate and steward relationships with individual donors, with an emphasis on deepening engagement and expanding major gift capacity.
- Develop a corporate philanthropy strategy that builds lasting partnerships aligned with our mission.
- Oversee fundraising-related special events that communicate impact and inspire generosity.
- Represent Alexandria House at community events, donor briefings, and corporate meetings, either independently or alongside the Executive Director.
- Supervise volunteer engagement strategy, recognizing volunteers as essential members of our circle of care and future philanthropic partners.
- Ensure accurate donor tracking, acknowledgement, and reporting through effective CRM management and cross-department collaboration.
- Craft and steward messaging that reflects the transformational power of generosity — telling stories of safety, healing, resilience, and hope.
- Partner with the Communications Coordinator to ensure that appeals, annual reports, newsletters, social media, and event materials reflect consistent, mission-centered storytelling and authentic gratitude.
- Collaborate closely with the Executive Director and leadership team to align philanthropic messaging with organizational priorities and community impact.
Team Development & Culture
- Provide mentorship and coaching that supports professional growth and collaboration.
- Model Alexandria House’s values of dignity, empathy, and relational leadership.
- Foster a culture of joy, accountability, and shared purpose within the development team.
- Encourage cross-department partnership so fundraising reflects real-time program impact.
Current Funding Overview
Alexandria House operates with an annual budget of approximately $3,242,000, reflecting a strong and diversified philanthropic base.
- Private Foundations: $1,515,000 (≈47%)
- Individual Giving: $1,020,000 (≈31%)
- Corporate Giving: $186,000 (≈6%)
- Special Events: $186,000 (≈6%)
- Community Giving (Churches, Service Groups … etc.): $93,000 (≈3%)
- Other Income (Rental & Investment): $242,000 (≈7%)
Individual giving represents our greatest opportunity for greater sustainability and flexibility — ensuring we can continue to rise to meet the changing needs of our community. Much of our housing and core programming is 100% subsidized by private generosity — not government funding — reflecting the extraordinary commitment of our community of supporters.
The Opportunity Ahead
In a city where challenges can shift overnight, Alexandria House remains rooted in community and ready to respond — wherever and whenever we are needed most. Because of our supporters, we step forward with compassion, creativity, and courage. We turn crisis into community care.
This next chapter calls for thoughtful stewardship — caring deeply for our existing supporters while building the systems and structure that allow our circle of care to expand. The Director of Philanthropy will play a central role in strengthening this infrastructure — and in serving as a visible, confident voice who invites others into our shared work.
When communities of support invest in women, we all rise.
Full-Time (FLSA: Exempt) | Los Angeles, CA | Hybrid | Reporting Relationship – Executive Director
Additional Application Instructions
Please email your resume and cover letter to apply@alexandriahouse.org; no calls or direct emails to the Executive Director—thank you for honoring our process. We look forward to reviewing your submission!
Requirements
Qualifications
- 7+ years of progressive experience in fundraising and development, particularly in individual giving and major gift cultivation.
- Demonstrated success in building or elevating a philanthropy program.
- Experience serving as a public-facing representative or speaker in fundraising or community settings.
- Proven desire and ability to lead, mentor, and inspire a team toward shared goals and collective impact.
- Strong strategic and entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to build systems, processes, and culture from the ground up.
- Excellent and ethical communication and storytelling skills.
- Experience managing and leveraging donor management systems (Blackbaud or similar).
- Deep commitment to equity, dignity, and trauma-informed, community-centered approaches.
- Bachelor’s degree or commensurate experience required.
- CFRE certification preferred but not required
