Development Director

Join Our Team! See sfpublicpress.org/join-our-team-development-director/ The San Francisco Public Press, a 17-year-old independent nonprofit news organization producing web and audio journalism, seeks a full-time Development Director to work with the Executive Director and a Major Donor and Sponsorships Manager on the design and execution of a growing, diversified fundraising strategy. This is an opportunity to work with an organization dedicated to publishing and broadcasting reliable, relevant and professionally produced investigative reporting and community journalism for diverse and historically under-served communities in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. We are looking for a high-energy fundraising professional who believes in our public-service journalism mission and shares our desire to improve the lives of people in our region. The San Francisco Public Press is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging within our organization, and through our journalism and community engagement. These tenets are fundamental to supporting a culture of trust between our organization and the communities we serve. We hire colleagues who are committed to these values. We will help the new Development Director get up to speed on the world of nonprofit and mission-driven media via direct training, conferences and industry-specific professional development opportunities. This person will also receive direct support from our part‑time Major Donor and Sponsorships Manager, who has decades of experience and previously held the Development Director position. Since our founding in 2009, the Public Press has been fortunate to receive funding from such California-based funders as the San Francisco Foundation, the California Endowment and the James Irvine Foundation, as well as national funders, including the Reva & David Logan Foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the Pulitzer Center, the USC Center for Health Journalism, and the Fund for Investigative Journalism. We participate in the annual NewsMatch campaign supported by many national funders and run by The Miami Foundation. We have identified several new potential institutional funders and need a Development Director to pursue these opportunities. Our independent model for journalism has relied on building a broad base of public support through a membership program, with individual donors making up about half of our total revenue. We are eager to expand our funding base to include more support from individual donors, major donors, local family foundations and donor‑advised funds. Our public events, partnerships, newsletters and a nascent sponsorship program contribute to that effort. We are looking forward to meeting candidates with diverse lived experiences and training. We are dedicated to working with people with backgrounds that reflect the population of the Bay Area. We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all identities and ages. We encourage members of historically underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. About the organization The San Francisco Public Press is a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization that publishes independent public-interest journalism about under‑covered issues, with a focus on underserved communities. Our in‑depth, data‑driven approach is widely recognized as a model for local investigative and solutions reporting. Coverage areas include housing affordability, public health, transportation safety, homelessness, AI and digital privacy, environmental equity, immigration and local elections. Our website features original, nonpartisan reporting based on public records and deep sourcing. We operate KSFP 102.5 FM, a community radio station featuring “Civic,” our flagship public affairs show and podcast, alongside programming from local producers and PRX, the public radio exchange. The Public Press is a founding member of the Institute for Nonprofit News and the Local Independent Online News Publishers. We have won dozens of national and local awards from organizations including the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Education Writers Association and the San Francisco Press Club. Experience and qualifications Our ideal candidate will have: a background in nonprofit development and a keen understanding of the civic, economic and environmental issues facing the San Francisco Bay Area. a high level of technological and organizational skill, with experience using cloud‑based collaboration tools, spreadsheets, presentation software, customer relationship management software, donor databases and other fundraising technology. clear written and spoken communication skills. demonstrated professional growth in revenue development or a related field. 3+ years of hands-on, face‑to‑face revenue development experience ideally in mission‑driven organizations. Experience working with journalists or in public media is a plus. passion for the work we do. Specific responsibilities The new Development Director will be expected to create, execute and measure the effectiveness of a diversified revenue development plan that builds upon previous efforts and relationships. It is our objective to grow foundation, membership, major gift and sponsorship revenues year‑over‑year for the next decade. To that end, management will hold the Development Director accountable for meeting or beating quarterly and annual revenue targets. Foundations The Development Director’s focus in this area will be on securing funds from national journalism funders, local and regional donors, private family foundations and donor‑advised funds. They will: research and maintain a portfolio of foundation prospects and collaborate with leadership on relationship cultivation and solicitation. work with reporters and editors to understand their upcoming projects and identify which ones fit with funding opportunities. draft solicitation letters, letters of inquiry and proposals in conjunction with management. follow sources of journalism funding news and trends in our sector. keep track of all reporting requirements on all secured grants, including maintaining a shared calendar to track due dates for all grant reports. Membership The Development Director will be expected to: design and execute campaigns and test membership conversion programs focused on identifying, targeting and converting standard members into major donors. make recommendations to management on longer‑term membership growth strategies focused on increasing the value of membership for members and the organization. guide members through the donation process, thank donors, respond to queries, record interactions and report membership growth to management. Major gifts The Development Director will oversee the work of the Major Donor and Sponsorships Manager, whose responsibilities will be to: develop and manage relationships with a portfolio of potential major donors, as well as track potentially revenue‑generating relationships with leadership. research, identify and actively engage donor prospects. develop cultivation strategies and stewardship plans for each donor, ensuring personalized service. carry out face‑to‑face solicitations, alone and with the Executive Director or Development Director, and manage ongoing relationships with existing donors with a focus on securing additional commitments. draft donor messaging strategies and solicitation materials. initiate correspondence with donors and prospective donors and track all interactions. Sponsorship The Development Director will oversee the work of the Major Donor and Sponsorships Manager, who will be responsible for developing and implementing a sponsorship strategy consistent with the organization’s mission and values by: researching and reaching out to mission‑driven nonprofit or trade organizations that have facilitated successful underwriting for radio, events, web and print programs to identify best practices. designing and testing a corporate sponsorship program that appeals primarily to local and regional organizations that are consistent with the Public Press’ mission. Management The Development Director will be expected to: participate in staff meetings to gain a detailed understanding of program goals to better target project‑specific grant applications. conduct gift processing and gift acknowledgment. ensure departmental activities conform to all company policies and financial accounting practices. maintain accurate records of progress for use by leadership and the Board of Directors. attend board meetings if and when requested by leadership. participate in the budgeting process. maintain working knowledge of local and regional issues and important news stories that are of interest to our members, funders and the general public. generate and analyze fundraising data across platforms to provide leadership with accurate revenue projections on an ongoing basis. Compensation and Benefits Salary for this position is commensurate with experience and background, and based on comparable roles at nonprofit organizations of our size in the region.Our current budget has this position at $80,000 to $82,000. The San Francisco Public Press offers its full‑time employees access to subsidized health, dental and vision insurance and other benefits, and four weeks of paid time off (accrued time plus 14 holidays). We highly value lived experiences in the issues we cover as a news organization. We are open to accommodating people with flexible work requirements. This is a hybrid position, and we expect that you will work from our office in San Francisco’s mid‑Market St. area at least two days per week and meet with development contacts in the field as needed. #J-18808-Ljbffr