Director of Development

MISISON STATEMENT

The Fiesta® San Antonio Commission Inc. is a nonprofit, volunteer, self-supporting organization that plans, promotes, coordinates, and preserves Fiesta® San Antonio through support of its Participating Member Organizations in presenting a safe, educational, annual celebration of the diverse heritage, culture and spirit of San Antonio for its residents and visitors.

WHAT IS FIESTA® SAN ANTONIO

Fiesta® San Antonio started in 1891 as a one-parade event to honor the memory of the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. That historic commemoration still takes place, but for more than a century, Fiesta® has grown into a celebration of San Antonio’s rich and diverse cultures and today is one of this nation’s premier festivals with an economic impact of more than $340 million.

Each year, more than one hundred San Antonio Area Non-Profit, Fiesta Member Organizations coordinate more than one hundred Official Fiesta® Events to raise funds to provide services to San Antonio citizens throughout the year.

The Fiesta San Antonio Commission’s purpose is to help each of its Member Organizations be as successful as they can be.

The Fiesta San Antonio Commission proudly supports Fiesta Member Organizations that support:

• Higher Education Scholarships and Programs
• Diverse Cultures 
• Historical Significance / The Alamo
• Arts / Nature
• Military Programs
• Children’s Events / Programs 
• Pets / Animal Welfare
• Inclusive Events / LGBTQ
• Sports / Health and Wellness
• Special Needs Community
• Older Adult Community
• Local Community Building

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Development leads a comprehensive fundraising strategy in support of Fiesta San Antonio, one of the nation’s premier cultural celebrations. This role is responsible for generating revenue through emerging philanthropic initiatives, major gifts, grants, and corporate sponsorships, while building long-term sustainability through planned giving and capital campaign development.

Working closely with the Executive Director, Executive Committee, Board of Directors and the Development Committee, the Director of Development will drive strategies that strengthen revenue, deepen partnerships, and position the Commission for future growth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Fundraising & Sponsorship Strategy

• Develop and execute strategies to create endowments and grow major gifts, grants, annual giving, corporate sponsors and event revenue 
• Identify new partnership opportunities and secure multi-year commitments 
• Identify and secure transformational and long-term funding opportunities
• Meet or exceed annual fundraising goals 

• Grants & Institutional Funding

• Identify, pursue, and secure foundation and grant funding aligned with Fiesta’s mission and programs
• Build and manage a grants pipeline, including proposal development, submission, and reporting
• Establish relationships with institutional funders to support both programmatic and strategic initiatives

• Planned Giving & Long-Term Philanthropy

• Develop and launch a planned giving program to support long-term sustainability
• Create opportunities for legacy and estate giving, including donor education and recognition
• Integrate planned giving into overall donor engagement and stewardship strategies

• Capital Campaign Development

• Support the planning and early development of a capital campaign or major fundraising initiative
• Build a pipeline of leadership-level donors and prospects
• Partner with leadership and board members to advance campaign strategy and readiness

• Relationship Management

• Manage a portfolio of donors, prospects and sponsors
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward high-level relationships 
• Create customized engagement opportunities aligned with donor and sponsor interests 

• Membership Integration & Growth

• Evaluate how fundraising efforts can support and enhance Membership growth and engagement
• Develop strategies to better integrate fundraising and membership pathways
• Identify opportunities to convert members into donors and sponsors into long-term partners

• Event & Community Engagement

• Lead fundraising efforts tied to Fiesta events 
• Represent the Commission at events, sponsor activities, and community functions 
• Partner with member organizations to align fundraising and engagement opportunities 

• Board & Leadership Collaboration

• Work with the Development Committee Volunteers to create fundraising goals and strategies
• Engage Board members in fundraising strategy, donor introductions, and campaign development 
• Provide regular updates on pipeline, revenue, grants activity, and strategic initiatives

• Stewardship & Reporting

• Ensure donors and sponsors are recognized and all benefits are fulfilled 
• Track activity, pipeline, and revenue in CRM systems 
• Maintain accurate reporting across philanthropic giving, grants, and sponsorships 

• Success Measures

• Growth in total fundraising revenue, including grants and major gifts 
• Increase in multi-year and larger sponsorship commitments
• Establishment of a planned giving program and pipeline
• Progress toward capital campaign readiness and leadership gifts
• Strong donor, sponsor, and member retention and engagement
• Increased alignment between membership and fundraising strategies

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 7+ years of experience in fundraising, sponsorships, or business development
• Proven success securing major gifts
• Proven success securing corporate sponsorships
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and presentation skills
• Experience in events, nonprofit, or community-based organizations preferred

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Exceptional organization skills
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
• Enthusiastic and positive attitude toward helping others
• Ability to work both independently and in team settings
• Demonstrated commitment to learning and continuous improvement
• Proven ability to exercise good judgement and discretion, analyze and resolve confidential, difficult and sensitive situations with diplomacy and tact
• Self-motivated, flexible, quick learner, and possess a high level of personal integrity
• Detail-oriented with ability to meet deadlines, both prescribed and self-imposed
• Experience in coordinating special events preferred
• Ability to work independently to bring a project to completion
• Skilled in facilitating partnerships and developing collaborative projects
• Must have the ability to demonstrate intermediate to advanced skills in MS Office and Office 365 (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook and PowerPoint) including experience with virtual platforms such as Zoom; Experience in Jotforms, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Canva Design, Adobe Design packages and WordPress (web content management system) are preferred
• Ability to multi-task, establish priorities, meet deadlines, and successfully manage numerous projects simultaneously
• Must have valid driver's license, motor vehicle liability insurance and personal injury insurance; or have a self-reliant source of transportation to conduct business on a daily basis
• Bilingual Preferred (English/Spanish)

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Working conditions are in an office environment setting
• While performing this role, the employee will be regularly required to sit, walk, and stand; talk and hear, both in person and by telephone; and use hands repetitively to operate standard office equipment; and occasionally required to lift up to 30 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus
• Frequently communicates with others using approved technological resources; must be able to exchange accurate information through designated systems within a timely manner
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

• The Fiesta Commission will make reasonable accommodations, as required by law, for the known physical or mental disabilities of an otherwise qualified applicant or employee, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship upon the Commission's business operations. An accommodation is not reasonable if, even with the accommodation, the employee is unable to perform essential job duties in a manner that would not endanger the employee's health or safety of the employee or others.

COMPENSATION

• Competitive salary paid bi-weekly via direct deposit
• Generous health and welfare benefit package available
• Vacation days, sick days and holiday days available

REPORTS TO

• Executive Director and provides support to all staff members

OFFICE ADDRESS

• 110 Broadway, Ste. 350 - San Antonio, TX 78205
• The office is in downtown San Antonio, and the Fiesta® San Antonio Commission will pay for employee’s monthly parking.

OFFICIAL OFFICE HOURS

• May – February:
• March – April:

o Monday – Thursday - 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday – 8:30 a.m. to Noon

o Monday – Friday – 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

NOTE:

• Fast-paced, event-driven environment with significant activity during Fiesta season.
• Extended Hours, Evening Hours and Weekend Hours will be required based on the event / program, especially in March and April.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

• Fiesta® San Antonio Commission is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities and general treatment during employment.