Development Director

CAIR San Francisco Bay Area is recruiting an experienced and accomplished candidate for its new Development Director role. This full-time, management-level position is essential for executing the organization's fast-paced, grassroots fundraising efforts. With extensive experience and a diverse background in nonprofit development and staff management, the ideal candidate will continue and enhance our fundraising activities, helping us to achieve and exceed our development goals and strengthen our fundraising processes as we grow strategically.

Title: Development Director

Schedule Type: Full-time (Exempt). Occasional evenings and weekends required.

Location: Based in CAIR's Santa Clara office. CAIR staff are currently working a hybrid schedule, with three days in-person and two days remote.

Requirements: Ability to travel throughout the Bay Area (vehicle and driver's license required); authorization to work in the United States.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to Executive Director.

About the Role: The Development Director will work with CAIR-SFBA's Executive Director and Development Specialist, along with CAIR California's development staff from across the state. The Development Director will manage all activities that raise funds for CAIR-SFBA, with a focus on strengthening existing donor relations and substantially increasing the number of individual supporters. The Development Director will lead our annual fundraising plan that includes fundraising goals and targets for grant proposals, Ramadan campaigns, monthly donors, the Gala, donation appeals, and other campaigns.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Oversee and lead the Development team in implementing a comprehensive donor stewardship program, including systems for building fundraising pipelines, stewardship practices, and donor engagement strategies.
• Recruit, train, supervise, and develop departmental staff and volunteers.
• Design and execute multi-channel fundraising initiatives-including digital campaigns, social media, direct mail, crowdfunding, and in-person events.
• Collaborate with the Communications team to develop compelling fundraising and program materials.
• Manage a donor portfolio in collaboration with the Executive Director.
• Make direct, face-to-face solicitations, and support the board, management, and other staff with their fundraising efforts through strategic counsel, donor communications, and portfolio development.
• Oversee the monthly donor program, ensuring consistent engagement with current donors and expansion to attract new donors.
• Develop and implement donor recognition programs with support from the Development Specialist, Executive Director, and board leadership.
• Maintain strong relationships with funders and proactively update them on the impact of their support throughout the year.
• Draft and submit grant proposals and reports in collaboration with colleagues, ensuring timely submission and cohesion of funder requirements and CAIR's mission and priorities.
• Lead planning and execution of all special events, including the anniversary Gala, fundraising gatherings, and donor appreciation events.
• Oversee sponsorship and advertisement efforts for the Gala and other signature events.
• Maintain a master development calendar that tracks donor communications, events, and campaign timelines.
• Coordinate with the Outreach team to align fundraising with CAIR-SFBA's education programs, advocacy initiatives, and community services.
• Develop and implement a major gifts program to cultivate and steward high-capacity donors.
• Lead the rollout and promotion of a planned giving program to support long-term organizational sustainability.

All CAIR staff are required to assist in general duties such as answering phones, weekly outreach, and other office tasks.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of five years of senior-level management and direct fundraising experience, ideally in a nonprofit with an annual budget of at least $2 million, and within a social justice, advocacy, or public policy organization.
• Demonstrated success leading organization-wide development strategy, including setting annual and long-term revenue goals, identifying growth opportunities, and aligning fundraising with programmatic and advocacy priorities.
• Experience working with the American Muslim community and/or in a community-based, faith-based, social justice, or nonprofit organization.
• Experience managing donor databases (e.g., Salesforce, EveryAction, Bloomerang) and using data to inform strategy and donor engagement.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated initiative and ability to learn independently with minimal supervision.
• Proven track record of delivering measurable results in fundraising or development initiatives.
• Outstanding communication skills, including the ability to craft compelling fundraising materials, lead donor conversations, and collaborate across teams and audiences.
• Strong working knowledge of fundraising, marketing, and financial systems, including CRMs, donor analytics tools, email platforms, and budgeting software such as QuickBooks.
• Deep commitment to CAIR-SFBA's mission to defend civil rights and build community power, with comfort fundraising in movement spaces and around politically sensitive issues.

Compensation

• Compensation in the range of $118,648 - $130,310/annually, commensurate with experience
• Fully paid Kaiser Health Insurance and Blue Cross PPO Dental Plan for employee and dependents
• 3% retirement matching contribution
• 12 paid holidays, 10 sick days, and 12 vacation days

Application Deadline: Priority deadline is June 21, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Early applications are strongly encouraged.

To Apply:  Please submit (1) a cover letter discussing your interest in the position, (2) your resume, (3) a brief example of your writing, and (4) the names and contact information of three references.

CAIR-CA is an equal-opportunity employer and adheres to all federal, state, and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

Salary : $118,648 - $130,310