Job Details
Job Location: San Francisco - SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Position Type: Full Time
Salary Range: $140,000.00 - $180,000.00 Salary/year
Description
Common Sense is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users worldwide and 1.3 million educators every year. Learn more at commonsense.org.
JOB OVERVIEW:
The Senior Development Director, Bay Area Region, serves as the lead strategist, manager, and major gifts officer for Common Sense's individual fundraising efforts (gifts of $25,000–$100,000+) in the Bay Area, with a focus on new six- and seven-figure commitments. The Senior Development Director manages and builds the Bay Area/Silicon Valley Regional Advisory Councils and oversees both cultivation and fundraising events across the region. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer and working closely with the Regional Advisory Councils and the CEO's office, this position is responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding existing and new donor relationships, with a focus on raising five, six, and seven-figure gifts.
LOCATION: San Francisco, California (Hybrid)
REPORTS TO: Chief Development Officer
SALARY: $140,000 - $180,000
TYPE: Full-time, exempt.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Strategic Planning and Operations
- In partnership with the Chief Development Officer, design and drive a comprehensive major gifts fundraising program in the Bay Area to raise funds from major donors. This includes identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and securing major level gifts and developing and implementing creative new approaches to engage prospective donors, increase donor retention, and upgrade and renew existing donors.
- Support the Chief Development Officer in building out annual fundraising goals and setting an actionable plan for achieving them.
- Work with development operations colleagues to provide accurate and timely meeting reports, pipeline development reports, and revenue projections for Bay Area individual and event fundraising.
- In collaboration with colleagues across the organization, outline a plan of engagement that takes advantage of organization-wide celebrations, releases, milestones, etc., and serves the priority needs of the organization.
Advisory Councils
- Build, guide, and maximize the efforts of the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley Advisory Councils to expand Common Sense's organizational presence, funding base, and regional visibility.
- Recruit new Council members with a vetting process that includes research, qualifying meetings, and onboarding.
- Organize three to four Council meetings a year, in collaboration with the council co-chairs. Guide the co-chairs and members in establishing annual goals and activities for the Council, based on priority needs at Common Sense, and support them in fulfilling their goals.
- Provide streamlined, tailored updates to the Councils as needed and manage a Common Sense resource suite for members, ensuring that timely, up-to-date, relevant content is available for members.
- Activate Council members when Common Sense needs assistance on advocacy and other programs.
- Ensure that Council members meet the minimum required gift commitment, and work with members individually to cultivate larger gifts, depending on individual capacity.
Major Gift Portfolio Management
- Serve as the primary relationship manager for a portfolio of ~100 major donors and prospects in the Bay Area with the potential to contribute gifts of $25,000–$100,000+ per year.
- Maintain a focus on current and new prospects capable of giving new six- and seven-figure commitments.
- Plan, develop, and oversee the implementation of individual cultivation, solicitation, stewardship strategies for the entire Bay Area portfolio, as well as some national prospects.
- Execute high-touch, strategic engagement opportunities for high-capacity donors and prospects, leveraging the Common Sense team of program directors, board members and affiliated spokespeople.
- With the development operations team, continually research and identify new leads to convert to active donors.
- Strategically leverage the Advisory Council, executive team, and current donors in prospect identification, visits, and solicitations, as appropriate.
- Successfully align donor interests with Common Sense's strategy and program initiatives to educate donors on Common Sense's impact.
- Deliver exceptional stewardship to the portfolio of current donors.
Events
- In partnership with the Chief Development Officer and events team, plan and execute on relevant Bay Area friendraiser and fundraiser events. Develop program ideas, secure hosts and venues, brainstorm program ideas, and help secure talent when appropriate.
- Lead event fundraising by developing targeted invitation lists, soliciting sponsors, and galvanizing and coordinating volunteer Advisory Council efforts to meet event fundraising attendance and fundraising goals.
- Steward and meet with sponsors to identify which of their guests are potential new donors. Work with development colleagues to research and qualify event attendees to move through the development cycle.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree and 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in institutional development with an emphasis on major gifts from individuals and family foundations, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Ability to function with a high level of competency and comfort with donors at all levels and of varying backgrounds.
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
- Entrepreneurial inclination and capacity for hard work within a goal-oriented and collaborative environment.
- Experience working in a fast-paced environment, requiring great time-management skills and the ability to prioritize assignments.
- Travel: some evening/weekend work and a valid driver's license required.
- Strong computer skills; experience with Google apps (Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Forms).
OUR BENEFITS:
- The chance to work with talented, passionate professionals.
- A great health and welfare benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and a matching 401(k).
- An organization that offers work/life balance.
- The opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of kids and families!
Common Sense values the diversity of its employees and is an equal opportunity employer. For more information on our values, please visit our statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Common Sense will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. However, job offers are made on the condition that the applicant subsequently passes a criminal background check. If the background check indicates a prior criminal conviction, we will conduct an individualized assessment to determine whether the conviction should result in denial of employment. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider employment for qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Qualifications
