Development Director

Lift; Los Angeles, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

403(b) retirement plan

Paid time off

Parental leave

Hybrid work environment

Pre-tax benefits

Job summary

Lift in Los Angeles is seeking a Development Director to lead regional fundraising, oversee the development portfolio, and partner with the Executive Director to drive revenue growth. This role blends strategic planning with hands-on fundraising leadership in a hybrid work setting.

You will manage the Development Manager, cultivate foundations, corporations, and individuals, and ensure equity-centered storytelling across donor communications, events, and campaigns.

Qualifications

• Has Salesforce experience (preferred) or other fundraising database
• Has a Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience
• Has strong strategic thinking skills with an ability to use data to make decisions and to translate strategy to action
• Has 6-10 years of nonprofit fundraising experience including identifying, cultivating, and stewarding new prospects while continuing to cultivate and elevate exist donors
• Demonstrates superior verbal and written communication skills with an ability to articulate a clear and compelling vision and lead others to implement it

Responsibilities

• Lead the annual revenue planning process with the ED and National Development Team
• Regularly generate and analyze fundraising data to inform strategy adjustments
• Identify new grant funding opportunities and lead proposal and report strategy
• Manage, renew and upgrade a portfolio of existing and new institutional, corporate, and individual relationships to meet or exceed annual fundraising goals
• Build and steward a prospect portfolio targeting $3,500+ gifts; solicit and close individual gifts
• Lead planning and execution of the annual Family Supporter Network and/or fundraising campaign

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

POSITION: Development Director
LOCATION: Los Angeles
REPORTS TO:Executive Director, LA
SUPERVISES: Development Manager
FLSA STATUS: Exempt
SALARY RANGE: $95,000-$130,000 year

TRAVEL & SCHEDULE:

• Non-local: 0% except once a year for approximately 3-4 days for LIFT’s annual All Staff Retreat in one of its regional cities (no non-local travel if retreat is in home city)
• Local In-Person External Meetings: 15%
• Some evenings and occasional weekend work to attend events

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. Explore our benefits and what it’s like to work at LIFT below – or visitourBenefits & Culture Overview to learn more.

*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.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Reporting to the regional Executive Director, the Development Director is responsible for the management, coordination, and execution of the region’s fundraising efforts to meet the year’s revenue goals. The Development Director will serve as a thought partner to the regional Executive Director, will co-lead on regional revenue strategy and plan for execution. This role will oversee institutional fundraising with the Development team, and manage a development portfolio that includes individual, corporate, and institutional donors, as well as major campaigns like events. Success for the Director looks like our members and program having the support and resources they need to succeed.

• 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 donor
• 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
• Has 6-10 years of nonprofit fundraising experience including identifying, cultivating, and stewarding new prospects while continuing to cultivate and elevate exist donors
• Has a Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience
• Has knowledge of Los Angeles’s fundraising landscape, with the ability to network and collaborate with a wide array of stakeholders
• Has strong strategic thinking skills with an ability to use data to make decisions and to translate strategy to action
• Demonstrates superior verbal and written communication skills with an ability to articulate a clear and compelling vision and lead others to implement it
• Has sound judgment, excellent customer service, solid organization and interpersonal skills the capacity to receive feedback constructively
• Has Salesforce experience (preferred) or other fundraising database
• Is a team player with a proven ability to motivate, engage and work collaboratively at all levels with prospect donors, volunteers, staff, colleagues, and similar constituencies
• Has the 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
• Is committed to LIFT’s mission anddemonstrates 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.

LIFT’S COMPETENCIES

All LIFT employees embrace and demonstrate our organization-wide core competencies:

• Communication: You share information with relevant parties in a clear and timely manner; effectively engage with and present to others; and write and verbally communicate in a manner that conveys understanding of relevant information and issues.
• Accountability: You take responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work and achieve results with appropriate levels of oversight. You receive feedback in a constructive manner.
• Inclusiveness: You help 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.
• Teamwork: You work effectively with others throughout the organization and promote cooperation and commitment within your team to achieve goals and deliverables.
• Results-orientation: You focus on results and desired outcomes, keeping team and organizational goals in mind. You use sound planning to achieve goals and get the job done.
• Problem-solving: You take the initiative to solve problems. You exhibit resourcefulness, innovation, and adaptability to new situations.

All LIFT managers embrace and demonstrate our management core competencies:

• Management and Coaching: You manage staff in ways that improve their ability to thrive in their role. You empower coworkers to grow and succeed through feedback, instruction, coaching, and encouragement.
• Decision-making: You analyze issues and use good judgement to make sound decisions in a timely manner, even when under pressure and/or in times of ambiguity. You listen to and consider others’ perspectives in making decisions.

All LIFT directors embrace and demonstrate our leadership core competencies:

• Strategic vision: You see the big, long-range picture and plan accordingly. You adopt a broad view, consider the organization, and generate ideas for the direction and activities of the organization.
• Business alignment: You align the direction, services, outputs, and performance of their department with the rest of the organization. You align actions with team and organizational goals.
• Inspirational leadership: You inspire others, instill confidence both internally and externally, and galvanize others around a central vision. You maintain relevant professional networks outside of LIFT and are an influencer in these spaces.

LIFT is an equal opportunity employer and believes that diversity in all dimensions of the organization supports and bolsters the innovative thinkingessential to its successandis committed to providing equal employmentopportunityto allqualified applicants.LIFT’sgoal is for our people to reflect the communities in which we live and serve and to ensure representation of people of color,those who identify as women,veterans, and individuals with disabilities in our organization.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Salary Range: $95,000-$130,000 year, LIFT’s compensation philosophy is to pay competitively for our non-profit sector and ensure equity across the organization. The compensation range we offer represents a good faith estimate of what we may pay for the position at the time of posting.
• 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
• Please see here for a more in-depth overview of LIFT’s Benefits and Culture.

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