Director of Development

Contra Costa Senior Legal Services; Concord (CA); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 126,000; Full time

Job summary

Contra Costa Senior Legal Services seeks a Director of Development to build and lead a larger, diversified fundraising program. You will personally cultivate major donors, invite institutions to invest, and partner with the Executive Director and Board to expand engagement and impact.

You will own grants, donor communications, events, and development operations, while ensuring timely proposals and reports, managing staff and contracts as capacity grows, and advancing CCSLS’s mission for older

Qualifications

• Proven nonprofit fundraising success in individual or major giving.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year plan to grow and diversify CCSLS’s revenue.
• Build and manage a portfolio of major and mid-level donors and personally make financial asks.
• Create disciplined systems for prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and follow-up.
• Prepare and partner with the Executive Director and Board for effective donor engagement and solicitation.
• Protect and strengthen grant revenue by monitoring opportunities and deadlines, directing the grants calendar, maintaining funder relationships, and ensuring timely, compelling proposals and reports.
• Personally draft, edit, or lead priority grant applications and reports when needed, while supervising or coordinating other grant-writing capacity.
• Develop corporate, law-firm, foundation, and community partnerships.
• Set fundraising strategy for events and lead sponsorship and donor engagement.
• Supervise development staff and contractors and strengthen donor data, forecasting, communications, and development operations.

Job description

About CCSLS

Contra Costa Senior Legal Services provides free civil legal services to older adults in Contra Costa County. We help seniors protect their safety, housing, independence, financial security, and access to justice. As CCSLS enters its next chapter, we are seeking a fundraiser who can help build the stronger and more diversified development program our mission requires.

The opportunity

CCSLS is looking for a builder and an asker. The Director of Development will imagine and construct a larger, stronger fundraising program while personally cultivating donors and confidently inviting individuals and institutions to invest in our work. The Director will be the Executive Director’s principal fundraising partner and will help the Board become more effective ambassadors and fundraisers.

The Director owns the full development program, including major and individual giving, institutional funding, corporate and law-firm partnerships, events, donor communications, and development operations. Because CCSLS remains grant dependent, protecting and strengthening our institutional funding base is essential. The Director will own the grants calendar and ensure strong, accurate, and timely applications and reports, personally leading priority grant work when needed while coordinating staff or contracted support as capacity grows.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year plan to grow and diversify CCSLS’s revenue.
• Build and manage a portfolio of major and mid-level donors and personally make financial asks.
• Create disciplined systems for prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and follow-up.
• Prepare and partner with the Executive Director and Board for effective donor engagement and solicitation.
• Protect and strengthen grant revenue by monitoring opportunities and deadlines, directing the grants calendar, maintaining funder relationships, and ensuring timely, compelling proposals and reports.
• Personally draft, edit, or lead priority grant applications and reports when needed, while supervising or coordinating other grant-writing capacity.
• Develop corporate, law-firm, foundation, and community partnerships.
• Set fundraising strategy for events and lead sponsorship and donor engagement.
• Supervise development staff and contractors and strengthen donor data, forecasting, communications, and development operations.

What we are looking for

• Demonstrated nonprofit fundraising success, especially in individual or major giving.
• Confidence and effectiveness in personally asking for financial support.
• The imagination and discipline to build a stronger program, systems, and donor pipeline.
• Excellent relationship-building, listening, writing, and communication skills.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership and/or Board members.
• Ability to oversee multiple revenue streams and maintain a complex grants calendar.
• Sound judgment, discretion, follow-through, and commitment to ethical fundraising.
• Commitment to access to justice, older adults, and CCSLS’s mission.

Helpful experience

Experience building or substantially expanding a development program is a strong advantage. Knowledge of legal services, aging, health, housing, social justice, institutional fundraising, corporate or law-firm fundraising, donor databases, or fundraising analytics is welcome but not required in every area.

Compensation and work arrangement

The full-time salary range is $95,375 to $126,000 for a 35-hour workweek. CCSLS may consider an approved schedule between 80% and 100% of full time, with salary prorated accordingly. CCSLS offers health and retirement benefits, a generous holiday schedule, and other benefits consistent with organizational policies and eligibility requirements.

This is a hybrid position requiring regular access to Contra Costa County. One to two onsite days per week are recommended, with additional in-person work for donor, funder, staff, community, and event needs.

Contra Costa Senior Legal Services is committed to an inclusive workplace and encourages applications from candidates whose backgrounds and experiences will strengthen our service to a diverse community.