Company description

Food For Thought (FFT) is a nonprofit that provides comprehensive nutrition services to people in Sonoma County affected by serious medical conditions. Our services include medically tailored weekly groceries and prepared meals, vitamins and supplements, and nutrition education. We are located in Forestville in a beautiful building surrounded by organic gardens. FFT operates with a staff of 30 and over 700 volunteers. The values of community, healing, excellence, and kindness are deeply ingrained in the culture of the agency, which seeks to provide both food and love to our clients. We are committed to creating and maintaining a workplace that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. We pride ourselves on an atmosphere with great comradery and collaboration. This position presents an exciting opportunity to contribute to a growing, thriving agency in a time of creative expansion and change.

Job description

Position Summary: The Development Director (DD) reports to the Executive Director and supervises a team of three development staff. The role of the DD is to plan, implement, administer, and evaluate Food For Thought’s (FFT) comprehensive fundraising program. Primary duties include overseeing FFT’s individual giving program, major gifts, planned giving and legacy gifts, and fundraising events. The DD supervises and engages FFT board members, staff, and volunteers in development efforts, and works directly with donors to upgrade their giving and solicit major gifts. This full-time (40 hours per week) position includes excellent benefits and requires occasional work during evenings and weekends. The DD will have a role in FFT’s upcoming capital campaign, providing an opportunity for growth, mentorship, and learning new skills. 

 

Position Responsibilities:

 

Individual Giving and Major Gifts (50%) 

 

·         Oversee direct mail program, monthly giving program, online giving, and additional fundraising campaigns as necessary 

·         In collaboration with the Development Team, enhance and implement agency donor acquisition, cultivation, and stewardship plan 

·         Enhance and formalize agency’s major giving program, with goal of increasing individual gifts of $5,000 and up, and total annual major giving  

·         Create and implement segmentation strategies for donors/donor prospects 

·         Be main point of contact to steward, ask, and recognize a caseload of major gift donors, work with the ED, board, and development volunteers to steward additional major gift donors 

·         Take an active role in FFT’s capital campaign 

 Events and Sponsorships (15%) 

·         Support the Events Manager and Events Coordinator in planning, coordinating, executing FFT fundraising events including signature events: Our Long Table and Dining Out For Life 

·         In collaboration with the Events Manager and Events Coordinator, develop and implement sponsorship opportunities and sponsorship plans/packages, secure annual and event sponsors

·         Help recruit, train, and supervise event volunteers 

Supervise and Support Development Team (15%) 

·         Directly supervise the Events Manager, Development Administrative Assistant, and the Events and Community Engagement Coordinator  

·         Play an active role in directing and supporting FFT’s events, institutional funding, marketing and communications, and development operations 

·         Coordinate and facilitate regular development team meetings 

Planning and Evaluation (10%) 

 

·         Develop FFT’s annual fund development plan and strategy 

·         Create department work plans and budgets, monitor and update as needed 

·         Write regular development reports for board and committees 

·         Analyze development efforts and seek constant improvement 

·         Assist in agency’s strategic planning efforts 

 

Administration (5%) 

·         In collaboration with the Administrative Assistant and other FFT staff, oversee tracking and acknowledgement of all donations, manage donor database, data entry 

·         Attend staff meetings, management team meetings, and advocacy committee meetings 

·         As needed, attend board meetings, various committee meetings, and other internal and external meetings 

 Legacy and Planned Giving (5%) 

·         Enhance and formalize agency’s legacy/planned giving program, with goal of increasing number of members in the legacy society 

·         Identify, cultivate, and ask legacy donor prospects, as well as improve recognition of current and past legacy donors  

 

General Responsibilities: 

·         Promote organization-wide culture of philanthropy and resource development 

·         Provide development training and support to board members, staff, and volunteers 

·         Work with volunteer manager to identify, train, engage, and support development volunteers 

·         Help board and staff members develop individualized fundraising plans and support their efforts to implement them 

·         Maintain agency’s reputation for integrity, caring, and respect 

·         Seek continuous improvement in department processes and systems 

·         Maintain confidentiality for donors, volunteers, and clients 

·         Pursue continuing education and training on topics relevant to position 

·         Assist other staff with food bank and administrative operations as needed 

·         Other related assignments as necessary.

 

Qualifications 

·         Passion for Food For Thought’s mission to provide nutrition services to people living with serious medical conditions 

·         Five or more years of proven nonprofit development experience, preferably at a leadership level 

·         Experience and success with soliciting gifts from mid-level and major donors 

·         Strong knowledge of current and mission specific philanthropic trends and opportunities 

·         Three or more years of supervisory experience with team leadership skills and performance management

·         Strong critical thinking, project management, and organizational skills 

·         Overall computer literacy, proficiency with Salesforce, Microsoft 365 Office, Google products, and other development and project management related software 

·         Strong communication and presentation skills, ability to speak and write persuasively 

·         Attention to detail and adherence to deadlines 

·         Access to transportation for local travel 

Benefits: 

Paid vacation and sick time, 13 paid holidays, employer-paid medical and dental coverage, employer-paid 403b retirement, and more.

 

Food For Thought is an equal opportunity employer.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, 75k-100k

Application instructions

Deadline

October 15, 2024