Development Director - Northern California

Playworks is the leading national nonprofit leveraging the power of play to bring out the best in every kid. Learn about the energetic, creative people working to ensure every kid has the chance to play—every day.

ABOUT THE POSITION, The Development Director is part of a team of fundraisers and relationship builders working together to support Playworks’ strategic growth plan. The Director’s main roles are to create and implement the overarching regional fundraising strategy, lead cultivation and stewardship of many high-level external relationships, and lead, develop, and mobilize the region to achieve ambitious fundraising goals. Reporting directly to the Executive Director in Northern California, the Director creatively develops, leads and drives ambitious fundraising strategy, board management in close partnership with the Executive Director, and new fundraising generation. As a trusted advisor and strategic thought partner to the ED, the Director is a senior leader in the region who catalyzes regional growth as a resource mobilizer, elevates the Playworks brand, as a fundraising and external relations expert, and as a savvy people leader and relationship builder.  This role is an in-person role responsible for conducting in-person meetings and site visits across the Bay Area, based primarily in our Oakland offices. 

Specifically, this role will have the following responsibilities:

Create, lead, and drive overarching fundraising strategy, operational plans, and all revenue activities to meet or exceed fundraising goals for the region.

• Maintain high renewal rates
• Maintain donor relationships and build new ones
• Maximize upgrade opportunities for individual and institutional gifts
• Increase revenue in all streams by 10% in FY26
• Identify strategies to generate prospects to support impact  goals through 2027
• Own, develop, and implement innovative strategies to increase individual and institutional funding streams and identify prospective government funding opportunities. 
• Deliver on a comprehensive development plan for FY26 with a private revenue goal of $1 million and support current local government fundraising sources $1.3M
• Personally manages a high-level portfolio of major individual donors, corporate partners, and foundations (existing and prospective), driving cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship to secure six- and seven-figure gifts and achieve personal fundraising targets.

Drive regional external relations and local brand:

• Develop a comprehensive communications and public relations plan to help elevate the Playworks brand
• Building external relationships is essential for donor cultivation, prospect identification, and partnership opportunities in the education and literacy sectors.
• Oversee all external communications, ensuring persuasive and compelling messaging, campaigns, and alignment
• Oversee the strategy and support in cultivating and stewarding individual donors
• Manage relationships with institutional donors, including corporate and entertainment alignments
• Staff and provide strategic support to the board through management of Fundraising and Engagement, and Corporate committees
• Ensure systems and operations of the development department, optimizing efficiencies and skills
• Provide strategic advice and direction to the Executive Director to ensure the region’s success against goals and benchmarks

How you’ll do it:

Strategy Development

• Demonstrate an ability to devise innovative regional strategic fundraising plans, create action steps, and mobilize many stakeholders to achieve fundraising goals (ie event best practices and innovation) . Build sustainable plans to maximize market opportunities, meet goals and significantly grow funding. In addition, leverage systems, people, and resources to drive processes and track progress against goals to report on progress to senior leadership and board. Execute work in a highly organized, analytical, and data-informed manner.
• Work with the Executive Director to provide best in class cultivation and activation strategies to move all prospects through pipeline moves management from research/ prospecting to close. 

External Relations & Communication

• Demonstrate advanced experience in external relations, corporate alignment, board management and communication, and strategic stewardship and cultivation of donors. Deliver convincing messaging and demonstrate a genuine joy in connecting with donors, and all external stakeholders that reflects Playworks’ culture and values.
• Serve as an ambassador of Playworks. Quickly establish credibility when promoting Playworks to external audiences. Demonstrate a high degree of comfort and poise with donors, corporations, and prospects. Develop strategic corporate partnerships.
• Create compelling external materials and collateral. Engage press and secure earned media opportunities. Develop and lead on social media strategies and content generation.

New Revenue Generation

• Demonstrate a strong track record in driving development efforts in rapidly growing organizations, particularly in Northern California. Demonstrate ability to hit fundraising goals, generate new funding sources, and run sophisticated corporate and individual giving campaigns. Demonstrate cultivation success. Show a strong hunger and drive to not only drive strategy internally but also to heavily participate in external relationship building and fundraising.
• Lead the strategy, development, and execution of innovative fundraising events that generate new revenue, deepen community engagement, expand Playworks' network of supporters, and achieve annual fundraising goals.

People Leadership

• Collaborate with the Northern California leadership team, and lead an internal team to meet and exceed aggressive fundraising goals. Consistently coach, grow, and create stretch assignments to grow future fundraising leaders from within.
• In close partnership with the Executive Director, recruit, cultivate, and co-lead our 14-member Regional Advisory Board and 8-10 member Associate Board, ensuring achievement of annual give-get goals averaging $15,000 per member/board annually, while providing strategic support to Fundraising & Engagement and Corporate committees.

About you!

You’ll be successful in this role if you:

• Have 5+ years of increasing responsibility in a development or related role, including 3 years of team management or leadership
• Demonstrate a strong track record in driving development efforts in rapidly growing mission-oriented organizations, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area
• Can demonstrate the ability to maintain strong long-term donor relationships
• Have experience reading, interpreting, and providing financial reports for donors
• Are an exceptional and persuasive communicator in writing and verbally
• Are achievement-oriented and have a demonstrated track record of achieving aggressive fundraising goals; have consistently met or exceeded fundraising goals
• Demonstrate a commitment to fostering a dynamic and collaborative work environment.
• Display a deep belief in our mission and root your work in our core values.
• Ability to prove eligibility to work legally in the U.S. and that you are at least 18 years of age.

Bonus points if you:

• Have experience working in launch or growth phases of organizations
• Have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in business, public administration, or a comparable field
• Have a high degree of comfort with Salesforce or other fundraising database
• Have experience working in education or literacy

The other things you need to know:

• This role is an in-person role responsible for conducting in-person meetings and site visits across the Bay Area, with flexibility for remote work when not engaged in field activities, based primarily in our Oakland or San Francisco offices.
• Travel: This position travels regularly throughout Northern California. This position may also involve occasional travel to Playworks’ National Headquarters in Oakland, CA.

Compensation & Benefits:

Playworks offers the full package - great benefits, a fun place to work, and an opportunity to grow professionally. We offer:

• This is a full-time, exempt position that reports to the Executive Director. 
• At Playworks, our starting salary takes into consideration internal pay equity, geographic pay differential, and robust external market data. We highly value transparency and equity within compensation and, therefore, are committed to adhering to established compensation pay points. The hiring salary for this position is $122,600.
• A comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, disability, 401(k) plans with employer match of up to 3% of salary, life insurance, employee-funded pre-tax health, and child care spending accounts.
• Generous Flexible PTO policy with paid sick and holiday leave.

This is a hands-on, creative, playful, and fun-loving place to work, all while contributing to the success of our nation’s youth. So if you're ready to immerse yourself in the education sector, working on a rewarding set of challenges and if you've got the skills, experience, passion, and a team spirit, apply today!

Please include:

• A cover letter describing your interest in Playworks and how your experience has prepared you for this role.
• Resume.
• References will be requested.

ABOUT PLAYWORKS: At Playworks, we believe in the power of play to bring out the best in every kid. We create a place for every kid on the playground to get active, build valuable skills, connect, and have fun. We partner with schools, districts, and after-school programs to provide a service or mix of services, including on-site coaches, professional training for school staff who support recess, and consultative partnerships.

As an equal opportunity program, Playworks encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, gender identity/expression, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, faith, marital status, physical ability, or any other legally protected basis. Playworks evaluates all candidates for employment, volunteering opportunities, or board service on a merit basis.