Associate Director Of Development-individual Giving

Join RAFT as the Associate Director of Development for Individual Giving! In this dynamic role, you'll lead our major gifts program, managing a portfolio of 75-100 donors. Help us celebrate 30 years of community service by cultivating new supporters and strengthening ties with our existing donors. With the launch of our endowment fund, you’ll have the chance to attract those eager to make a lasting impact on RAFT’s future. This is a thrilling opportunity for an experienced fundraiser to drive our success and represent RAFT in the community alongside our leadership team, board, and dedicated volunteers.

This position is available on a full-time basis and offers a hybrid work environment. Full-time employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package that includes a 403(b) retirement contribution match, paid time off, paid holidays, an end-of-year shutdown, and a fun, creative work atmosphere.

Sample of duties include but are not limited to:

• Lead and manage the major gifts program, focusing on securing significant contributions ($25,000 and above) from high-net-worth individuals and major donors.

• Identify and pursue new relationships with prospective major donors in the Bay Area to support RAFT’s mission.

• Utilize data analytics and industry trends to identify potential high-value donors and devise strategies to approach them effectively.

• Create a personalized donor experience with tailored approaches for cultivation and solicitation.

• Help assign and manage donor portfolios for the CEO, Development Director, and fundraising volunteers and provide strategies, plans, and materials to support their efforts to cultivate and solicit prospects/donors.

• Collaborate with the leadership team and Board of Directors to identify and build compelling funding opportunities and the appropriate donors to support these programs.

• Work with the Development Director to optimize the current Annual Fundraiser and plan additional donor events.

• Work with the Development Director to build a planned giving program and optimize other individual giving opportunities, i.e. annual fund and monthly donor program.

• Monitor and ensure tracking of all donor information and communication through Salesforce, and other applications; present quantitative and qualitative analysis to board and other leaders.

• Monitor and report monthly on the progress of the major gifts program to board members and the Development committee.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred

• CFRE or other advanced fundraising certifications highly valued

• Seven or more years of demonstrated progressively challenging experience in fundraising, with three to five years focused on institutional giving.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Commitment to and passion for the social justice mission, values, and philosophy of RAFT.

• Demonstrated success in full Major Gift cycle including identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.

• Demonstrates ability to identify prospective Major Donors and build relationships that result in significant gifts to an organization.

• Demonstrated understanding and practice of fundraising best practices.

• Excellent writer, presenter, and communicator.

• Exemplary attention to detail.

• Experience working in organization that has varied funding sources, including retail.

• Experience working with C-Suite executives and board members.

• Ability to operate with purpose, urgency and accuracy, diplomacy and discretion.

RAFT’s mission is to help parents and educators transform a child’s learning experience through hands-on education. We help bridge the education gap for students and communities by offering engaging STEAM resources to encourage the next generation of innovators, problem solvers, and creators. RAFT does this by providing STEAM Project Kits, Maker Mobile van visits and makerspace builds, STEAM summer camps, tailored educator workshops, and free online learning activity sheets. RAFT’s unique Found Engineering process repurposes donated materials that would have otherwise been sent to the landfill into accessible, low-cost, STEAM Project Kits and assembled by volunteers. Educators, and now parents, can become RAFT members and shop at the warehouse store facility for affordable items devoted to hands-on learning.

Prior to applying, all applicants are encouraged to review the RAFT website (www.raft.net) to become familiar with our organization.

RAFT is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.