Development & Communications Manager

Development & Communications Manager

The Lavender Youth Recreation & Information Center (LYRIC) provides support and services to nearly 2,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning (LGBTQQ+) and allied youth per year. LYRIC's mission is to build community and inspire positive social change through education enhancement, career training, health promotion, and leadership development with LGBTQQ+ youth, their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities.

The Development & Communications Manager leads the day-to-day implementation and growth of LYRIC's fundraising and donor engagement strategies. Working closely with the Executive Director, the Manager advances LYRIC's culture of grassroots fundraising, youth-adult partnership, and social justice-aligned philanthropy. The Manager oversees individual giving, institutional fundraising, donor stewardship, events, communications, and development operations while building systems that support sustainable revenue growth and organizational impact.

Knowledge

• Lead implementation of LYRIC's annual development plan in partnership with the Executive Director, supporting approximately $5 million in annual revenue goals
• Identify, cultivate, and pursue new funding opportunities, with particular focus on expanding non-government revenue sources
• Support institutional fundraising efforts, including foundation, government, and corporate proposals, reports, and relationship management
• Develop and implement grassroots fundraising strategies that align with LYRIC's mission, community engagement practices, and youth leadership model
• Monitor fundraising performance, revenue projections, and progress toward annual goals

• Develop and implement donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies that strengthen long-term relationships with supporters
• Manage and grow a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, including mid-level and major donors
• Partner with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors
• Increase participation in monthly giving and major donor programs through targeted engagement strategies
• Oversee donor acknowledgements, stewardship activities, and relationship management processes
• Represent LYRIC at donor meetings, community events, and external gatherings

• Lead planning and execution of Pride Pour and other donor cultivation events that collectively generate at least $100,000 annually
• Coordinate event logistics, sponsorships, donor engagement opportunities, and volunteer participation
• Support organizational visibility and community engagement efforts through fundraising and outreach events

• Collaborate on fundraising communications that align organizational messaging with development goals
• Support the creation of donor-facing materials, campaigns, annual reports, appeals, newsletters, and stewardship communications
• Ensure LYRIC's fundraising communications authentically center youth voice, leadership, and community impact
• Work collaboratively with staff, youth leaders, and community stakeholders to tell compelling stories that inspire investment in LYRIC's mission
• Participate in organizational planning, retreats, staff meetings, and cross-departmental initiatives
• Contribute to a workplace culture grounded in learning, leadership, allyship, social justice, and sustainable impact

• Oversee donor database management and reporting, ensuring data integrity, accuracy, and compliance
• Develop and maintain development systems, policies, procedures, and workflows that support organizational effectiveness
• Partner with Finance to support budgeting, reconciliation, grant tracking, and audit preparation
• Build fundraising capacity among staff, youth leaders, and Board members through training, coaching, and engagement opportunities
• Supervise and support the Development Coordinator through regular coaching, goal setting, and professional development
• Manage consultants, vendors, and external partners as needed
• Attend agency staff meetings, Board meetings, retreats, and organizational gatherings as requested
• Perform other duties as assigned

Who You Are

• 4–6+ years of verifiable nonprofit fundraising experience, including individual and institutional fundraising
• Demonstrated success managing donor relationships and contributing to organizational revenue growth
• Experience securing and stewarding five- and six-figure gifts through multiple fundraising channels
• Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising best practices, donor engagement strategies, and grassroots fundraising models
• Experience working with donor databases such as Raiser's Edge or comparable CRM platforms
• Experience supervising staff, managing projects, or leading cross-functional initiatives preferred
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including proposal writing, donor correspondence, and public presentations
• Excellent project management and organizational skills with strong attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Relationship-builder with strong interpersonal and collaboration skills
• Strategic thinker who can translate organizational goals into actionable fundraising plans
• Commitment to the mission and philosophy of LYRIC
• Passion and commitment to fostering healthy LGBTQQ+ youth and ability to work within protocols that prioritize youth development principles and organizational capacity
• Knowledge of youth issues, particularly those affecting LGBTQQ+ youth
• Commitment to youth development, social justice, equity, inclusion, and anti-oppression principles and practices
• Experience and competencies working in multiracial, multicultural environments
• Ability to interact with colleagues, youth participants, donors, board members, funders, and community stakeholders in a professional and effective manner
• Some evenings and weekends are required and will be scheduled in advance

Why LYRIC

• A career that truly impacts the lives of LGBTQQ+ youth.
• $800 annual health & wellness cash supplement.
• Professional and Learning Development Trainings including $1,000 optional employee-choice professional development opportunities.
• Comprehensive health insurance including full coverage of medical, dental, vision, and acupuncture/chiropractic insurance for employees.
• Optional Health FSA and Commuter Benefits with employee contributions.
• 403(b) retirement plan, including up to 4% employer matching.
• 19 holidays observed including employee birthday and 5 days for winter break. 19 vacation days, 18 sick days, 1 personal day, 3 days of critical incident leave, 3 days of bereavement leave, and 5 days of paid jury duty.
• This is a union position with OPEIU Local 29.
• The position is in-person full-time.

LYRIC is an equal opportunity employer. Applications are strongly encouraged from women, people of color, immigrants, young people, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender and genderqueer people, people living with HIV/AIDS, people with disabilities, and bilingual and bicultural people. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

No phone calls or email inquiries.