Development Director

Walk SF, an award-winning nonprofit, seeks our first-ever Development Director to lead and implement a revenue growth strategy by identifying connections, cultivating relationships, and creating innovative campaigns to engage donors. 

This is a collaborative position supported by staff and Board members who will work in close partnership with the Development Director to achieve our revenue and membership goals. Our Development Director will be instrumental in powering our work to make San Francisco’s streets safe for everyone who walks.

The right person will be an experienced fundraiser and strong communicator, with a proven ability to reach goals, think creatively, and serve as a team player. Because we are a small nonprofit, our Director-level positions shape strategy and dig in on the work, while also being very empowered in their roles. 

Reports to: Executive Director

Member of: Strategic leadership team and fundraising team

Team: Manages a Membership Manager 

Hours: Full time, exempt. Position requires occasional work on weeknights and weekends. 

Salary range: $90,000 - 105,000 based on experience

Benefits: Three weeks of PTO and 10 national holidays (plus bonus days at year-end); sick time; medical benefits plus a $400 wellness flex fund; 401k match (up to 3% of salary); telecommuting stipend; and commuter reimbursement benefits. We are a very flexible, family-friendly workplace that cultivates fun and connections as a staff.

KEY RESPONSIBILITY AREAS

Fundraising Leadership: The Development Director will create a strategic revenue growth plan to reach an annual $1M budget. This includes:

• Evaluating the current fundraising program and activities.
• Developing and implementing an annual organizational-wide fundraising strategy to secure donations through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual givers, foundations, and corporate supporters. Building strong major donor and foundation giving programs, including cultivating personal relationships with donors.
• Working with the team to design annual fundraising campaigns.  Identifying grant funding opportunities for current programs and future initiatives.
• Drafting grants, RFPs, LOIs, and preparing communications for institutional funding partners, plus tracking all grant-related deadlines including reporting. 
• Guiding the organization’s membership strategy. 
• Overseeing the fundraising strategy around two large annual walking events. Evaluating development strategies to measure progress against budgetary plans and ROI; utilizing data to improve and/or build on key activities; and producing fundraising dashboards and reports.
• Understanding and utilizing the organization’s key systems that support fundraising, including Microsoft CRM.

Team Leadership: The Development Director will lead a collaborative fundraising team (Executive Director, Communications Director, Membership Manager, and Operations & Finance Manager) focused on achieving fundraising goals. This includes:

• Determining the best ways for the Executive Director, Board members, and staff to support successful  fundraising campaigns and activities. 
• Guiding and overseeing the work of the Membership Manager (membership, events, and volunteers). 
• Leading the work of the Board’s Fundraising Committee, bringing practical insight and best-practice strategy to the Board, and serving as a resource to Board Members who engage in prospect/donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Development Director will: 

• Collaborate with the Executive Director and Communications Director on setting and driving organizational vision and strategy. 
• Identify organizational priorities and collaborate in organizational decisions with senior leadership.
• Explore and discuss emerging issues and opportunities with the leadership team. 
• Collaborate with the leadership team to ensure a healthy, inclusive, and empowering organizational culture that lives out our organizational values.

Experience and Qualifications of Our Ideal Candidate

While no one person will embody every quality, our ideal candidate will bring many of the qualifications and attributes listed below:

• Demonstrated commitment to Walk SF’s mission of creating the most pedestrian-friendly city in the United States
• Demonstrated commitment to Walk SF's values rooted in equity, community empowerment, and persistence Five-plus years of fundraising experience including major gifts and grant acquisition 
• Demonstrated success in cultivating and stewarding relationships with individual donors and foundations
• Proven ability to multi-task in a fast-paced work environment with strong organizational skills and attention to detail 
• Proven ability to communicate effectively through written and verbal communications 
• Proficient with social media platforms Demonstrated ability to think creatively
• Strong project, organizational, and time-management skills
• Comfortable working in a small, intimate office environment and willing to pitch in on organization-wide events and other projects as needed
• Working knowledge and comfort with Google Suite; Microsoft Office and CRM experience 

KEY BACKGROUND

In 2019, Walk SF launched our first-ever three-year strategic plan. The long-term goals of Walk SF are to:  1) end pedestrian traffic deaths and severe injuries, and 2) increase the number of trips people take on foot. But how we’ll get there is a hugely important part of the plan. For the first time, we defined how we will prioritize our work – and how we will work. The Development Director plays a key role in raising the resources to realize our commitments as described below.

• Determine our highest priority projects through an equity lens. Walk SF will focus our program activities on communities and/or geographies where issues of equity are most at play. Crash data shows that San Francisco’s residents living in communities of concern suffer the most from traffic violence. These are communities with the most low-income people, immigrants, communities of color, seniors, children, and people with disabilities. 
• Mobilize new voices to speak up for safe streets. Walk SF’s community engagement will be focused on outreach and education in communities and populations that have disproportionately been impacted by traffic violence and are often not engaged in the community process. Walk SF will develop our community engagement to ensure a community’s voice is authentically brought forward to guide advocacy efforts. We will use our training and education activities that focus on children, families, and seniors. 
• Build strong coalitions across diverse communities. As a leader in pedestrian advocacy, we will focus on education, communications, and advocacy to increase our organization’s efficacy in building and developing partnerships in the community around pedestrian safety issues.

MORE ABOUT US & HOW TO APPLY

Our staff is focused on making positive change in the world, celebrates diversity, and is committed to being intentionally inclusive in all our relationships. Walk SF has an active Equity Task Force made up of staff and board members; our work to contribute to ending systemic racism is ongoing. We recognize that transportation policy plays a key role in creating a more equitable city and world. 

Walk San Francisco provides a workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law in employment or service policies and practices. 

Walk SF's office is located close to public transit and is ADA accessible. Walk SF has adopted a hybrid working model – two days in the office and three days flexible (remote or office). Mondays are a required in-office day and you pick an additional in-office day of your choosing. This helps foster team collaboration and still allows for work flexibility. 

Walk SF works in the interest of all pedestrians in San Francisco, but prioritizes our work in order to address the needs of people who are disproportionately affected by pedestrian safety issues. This includes children, communities of color, people with disabilities, and seniors. 

Serious candidates are encouraged to submit their applications ASAP. This opening was posted on May 10 and will remain open until filled. To apply, please send a cover letter that includes where you heard about the position, describes your alignment with our mission and values; explains your reasons for applying and the relevant experiences you would bring to this role; and your resume (merge into one PDF with a file name that includes your last name and “Development Director”) email to careers@walksf.org. Use the subject line: Development Director Application. Resumes submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.