Development Director - Los Angeles

About the Position

POSITION: Development Director

LOCATION: Los Angeles

REPORTS TO: Executive Director, LA

SUPERVISES: Development Manager

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

SALARY RANGE: $95,000-$125,000 per year

About Our Organization

LIFT is on a mission to break the cycle of poverty by investing in parents. Through direct work with families, engaging technical assistance partnerships, and by advocating for policies that drive systemic change, we’re fighting poverty by lifting two generations at once.

Our team culture is rooted in deep respect for the parents we partner with and for each other. We’re looking for dedicated team members who share our vision that, 25 years from now, LIFT is no longer needed because we have helped build a social service system grounded in Hope, Money, and Love, where all families can thrive. We’re guided by mission- and strategy-aligned leadership grounded in kindness, curiosity, relationships, and a commitment to equity.

LIFT operates sites in Chicago, Los Angeles, DC, and New York. LIFT operates as a hybrid work environment. Accordingly, this role will be expected to work in the LA office approximately two days a week.

Responsibilities

As the Development Director, you will:

Strategy & Leadership

• Serve as thought partner to the Executive Director in shaping the region's overall development strategy
• Lead the annual revenue planning process with the ED and National Development Team
• Regularly generate and analyze fundraising data to inform strategy adjustments
• Develop deep understanding of programmatic offerings and use those insights to drive development strategy
• Ground all fundraising in race, equity, and social justice; work toward a community-centric fundraising model

Grants & Foundation Relations

• Identify new grant funding opportunities and lead proposal and report strategy
• Steward existing foundation relationships
• Support the ED in managing LIFT-LA's current foundation relationships, including reviewing grant proposals and reports from the National Grants Consultant

Cultivate Funding Opportunities and Portfolio

• Manage, renew, and upgrade a portfolio of existing and new institutional, corporate, and individual relationships to meet or exceed annual fundraising goals
• Work collaboratively with Board and partners to expand supporter network
• Support Board in partner engagement and stewardship
• Use wealth screening tools to identify current and new stakeholders to build relationships with potential donors
• Develop, cultivate, and inspire relationships with corporate donors as sponsors and long-term sustainability partners
• Build and steward a prospect portfolio targeting $3,500+ gifts. Solicit and close individual gifts
• Manage Salesforce to integrate data and research into the donor cultivation process
• Lead planning and execution of the annual Family Supporter Network and/or fundraising campaign
• Plan small donor cultivation events with the ED, Development Manager, and program team

Communications & Storytelling

• Support the Development Manager in creating and implementing a communications strategy including newsletters and donor stewardship touchpoints
• Continue to grow and implement ethical storytelling and compensation processes
• Support staff in collecting stories from members, coaches, and donors; ensure families' voices and narratives are centered in communications and donor conversations

Advisory Board & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work with the ED to engage the region's Advisory Board, including recruiting and selecting new members
• Handle Advisory Board communications and preparation for meetings
• Effectively leverage the Executive Director with existing and prospective funders

Team Management & Collaboration with Executive Director

• Directly supervise the region's Development Manager
• Support the ED in engaging the Operations Manager in events, development, and fundraising activities
• Prepare the ED for funder meetings and donor conversations, including briefing materials, talking points, and background on donor history and interests

Requirements

• 6-10 years of nonprofit fundraising experience including identifying, cultivating, and stewarding new prospects while continuing to cultivate and elevate existing donors
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience
• Knowledge of Los Angeles’s fundraising landscape, with the ability to network and collaborate with a wide array of stakeholders
• Strong strategic thinking skills with an ability to use data to make decisions and to translate strategy to action
• Superior verbal and written communication skills with an ability to articulate a clear and compelling vision and lead others to implement it
• Sound judgment, excellent customer service, solid organization, and interpersonal skills with the capacity to receive feedback constructively
• Salesforce experience (preferred) or other fundraising database
• Team player with a proven ability to motivate, engage, and work collaboratively at all levels with prospect donors, volunteers, staff, colleagues, and similar constituencies
• Ability to coach and mentor peers and executives on effective fundraising practice
• Takes responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work and achieve results with appropriate levels of oversight
• Demonstrated project management experience in a development context including strong attention to detail, results orientation, and follow through
• Helps to create a work environment that appreciates diversity and encourages equity by treating others with respect, listening to, and demonstrating appreciation for others’ perspectives, and using culturally sensitive language
• Aligns the direction, services, outputs, and performance of their department with the rest of the organization, aligning actions with team and organizational goals
• Committed to LIFT’s mission and demonstrates LIFT’s values: We let brilliance shine; We root change in learning; We build deep relationships; We strive for social justice; We create thriving environments.

We Offer

• Salary Range: $95,000-$125,000 per year
• Benefits:
  • Employer-paid health care coverage (100% for employees, 75% for dependents)
  • 403(b) retirement savings plan including an employer match contribution of up to 5% after one year
  • Generous paid-time-off policy starting with 4 weeks in the first year (5 weeks in years 2-4, 6 weeks at 5+ years), Federal holidays, the day after Thanksgiving, spring wellness day, and wellness days including a one-week organization-wide paid closure over the winter holidays (the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays), and a one-week organization-wide paid closure over the summer fiscal year transition (the week in which Independence Day is celebrated)
  • 12 weeks paid parental leave
  • Partial cell phone coverage
  • Pre-tax accounts for transit, health, and childcare benefits

To Apply

Please visit www.whywelift.org/careers to apply and submit a resume.