Director of Development

Remote/ Bay Area Hybrid, Full-Time, Exempt (40 hours/week) · Salary: $140,000–$150,000/year · Application deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026About: Fostering Promise advances youth-driven policies that ensure every young person who ages out of foster care has a safe place to call home, the support of a caring mentor, and the hope for a promising future. Founded in 2023 and led by President & CEO André Chapman, Fostering Promise partners with young people, public agencies, philanthropy, and the technology sector across the Bay Area to build housing and mentorship solutions designed by the people who need them most.Role summary: The Director of Development is Fostering Promise's first dedicated fundraising leader and a key partner to the President & CEO in launching and sustaining the Promise Campaign, a multi-year campaign supporting a pilot launch in July 2027. The Director will carry a portfolio of major donors and institutional funders, make direct asks, write and edit the proposals that fund our work, and own an annual contributed revenue goal of approximately $2 million. This is a builder's role at a fast-moving organization: the right candidate will be as comfortable sitting across the table from a philanthropist as designing the pipeline and systems that make the next ask easier. Reports to the President & CEO.

Responsibilities

Frontline Fundraising and Grant WritingCarry and grow a portfolio of approximately 100 donors and prospects through identification, cultivation, direct solicitation, and stewardshipMake face-to-face and virtual asks, secure meetings, and move donors through the pipeline with clear next stepsStaff and support the President & CEO's donor portfolio with briefings, proposals, and disciplined follow-upWrite, edit, and submit letters of inquiry, proposals, budgets, and reports across foundation, corporate, and government fundersManage the full grants calendar, including deadlines, renewals, and reporting requirementsResearch and qualify new institutional prospects, and cultivate technology, venture capital, and family office prospects alongside traditional philanthropic fundersDevelopment Strategy and OperationsDevelop and implement a comprehensive, multi-year fundraising plan spanning major gifts, institutional giving, corporate partnerships, and annual appealsServe as day-to-day lead for the Promise Campaign, including the gift chart, weighted pipeline, solicitation timeline, and campaign work planSet annual and campaign-year revenue goals in partnership with the President & CEO and fractional CFO, and report progress against themOwn Monday.com as the organization's CRM, including data integrity, moves management, pipeline reporting, and automationPartner with the CFO on the development budget, revenue forecasting, gift reconciliation, and campaign financial modelingEvent PlanningPlan and execute donor cultivation and stewardship events, from intimate donor lunches to larger convenings hosted with corporate and philanthropic co-sponsorsOwn event fundraising strategy: invitation lists, co-sponsor recruitment, speaker cultivation, run-of-show, and post-event follow-up and solicitationManage event vendors, venues, budgets, and timelinesLead the recurring donor engagement Zoom series, including format, guest speakers, and the askBoard, Cabinet, and Team LeadershipServe as a member of the senior leadership team and participate in Board meetingsServe as primary staff to the Promise Campaign Advisory Cabinet, supporting recruitment, onboarding, meeting content, and member follow-throughPartner with the President & CEO and Board to build Board capacity in donor identification, solicitation, and stewardship, and prepare Board members for donor conversations and solicitation meetingsSupervise contractors, event partners, and volunteers; recruit and manage development staff as the team growsThe role requires regular travel throughout the Bay Area for donor meetings, site visits, and events, and availability on occasional evenings and weekends.Ideal Candidate7+ years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, including direct solicitation and closing of five- and six-figure giftsDemonstrated success in campaign fundraising, major gifts, and institutional giving, ideally in a growth-stage or startup nonprofit environmentProven grant writing and editing skills, with a portfolio of funded proposalsExperience building fundraising infrastructure rather than inheriting it: CRM setup, pipeline design, reporting, and process documentationDemonstrated event fundraising experience, including cultivation events and co-sponsored conveningsExcellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to translate complex program work into a compelling case for supportInitiative-taker who can operate independently on a small team and partner closely with an entrepreneurial CEOCommitment to youth-driven, strengths-based approaches and to centering the leadership of young people with lived experience in foster careBachelor's degree or equivalent professional experienceTo apply: Please submit a resume and cover letter to marchell@fosteringpromise.orgby Friday, October 30, 2026.Fostering Promise is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experience in the foster care system.If you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification listed, we encourage you to apply anyway. Women and people of color are less likely to apply for roles unless they meet every listed requirement, and we do not want that to keep us from meeting you. You may be exactly the person we are looking for.