Senior Development Manager

THE OPPORTUNITY

First Graduate stands ready for our next chapter of growth, and the fundraising program that fuels it needs

someone who can match that ambition. This is a chance to help build something at a pivotal moment: a new

Executive Director arriving with fresh vision, an organization with a 25-year track record of proven impact, and a

development program ready to be shaped by someone who wants to grow alongside it.

Our ideal candidate believes operational excellence and inspired donor engagement aren’t separate jobs, but

two halves of the same mission: turning every dollar raised into another student’s path to a college degree. They

bring hands-on development experience, genuine fluency with donor data and the systems behind great

stewardship, and a real belief that first-generation students deserve a fundraising program built to last. They see

systems and operations work - the database, the gift processing, the reporting - as the foundation that makes

bold fundraising possible. If that’s the kind of foundation you want to help build, we’d love to hear from you.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Development Operations & Systems - 50%

• Manage and strengthen development systems and workflows, including in the donor database

(Salesforce) through gift entry, donor records, reporting, and moves management tracking; prepare

fundraising reports for the Executive Director and Board

• Assess and improve development systems and processes, including evaluating whether current tools are

meeting the team’s needs

• Collaborate with the Executive Director to develop annual forecasts and short- and long-term strategies

for mid-level donors, with a focus on growing annual, multi-year, and campaign commitments to First

Graduate

• Own the fundraising calendar and track progress toward annual revenue and engagement goals
• Collaborate with the finance team to ensure gifts are promptly entered in the CRM, acknowledged, and

reconciled in accordance with best practices

• Direct internal strategy, planning, and implementation of donor cultivation and stewardship events,

including Cap & Gown, managing vendor relationships, timelines, and budgets, and coordinating

post-event follow-up and stewardship

Fundraising & Donor Engagement - 50%

• Provide proactive operational support to the Executive Director in managing their major donor portfolio

tracking and prompting moves management activities; prepare talking points and briefing materials for

donor meetings

• Direct execution of annual giving campaigns and appeals in partnership with the Executive Director and

programs team

• Conduct prospect and pipeline development research to expand the individual giving program; identify

prospective donors with the capacity and inclination to give at higher levels over time

• Collaborate with the Executive Director on corporate partnership outreach and stewardship, and partner

with the team on foundation grants and other institutional fundraising

• Partner with the Board and Development Committee to engage donors, identify prospects, and activate

board members as fundraising ambassadors

• Collaborate with the programs team to draft and publish key donor-facing materials - including appeals,

newsletters, stewardship communications, and the Annual Report - with student and alumni stories

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Required

• Genuine commitment to educational equity and First Graduate’s mission
• 3+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience, with a track record in development operations, individual

giving, and donor relations

• Excellent proficiency in CRM systems, preferably Salesforce
• Strong writer with the ability to adapt voice across different audiences and channels
• Experience planning and running events from start to finish with support from the team
• Organized, detail-oriented, and proven ability to juggle multiple priorities; comfort working

independently and collaboratively in a small team

• Bachelor’s degree

Preferred

• Experience with first-generation student populations or youth-serving organizations
• Familiarity with San Francisco Bay Area philanthropy and funders
• Experience working directly with executive leadership and engaging boards in fundraising

OUR TEAM: CULTURE AND BENEFITS

First Graduate is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We grow and

learn better together with a diverse team of employees. The collective sum of the individual differences, life

experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent that our employees bring is an important part of

our culture. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your

education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages

spoken, veteran status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.

The salary for this role is $90,000-110,000 annually. First Graduate offers a competitive benefits package,

including health coverage, generous paid time off, and a hybrid work schedule.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume to: The Sallin Search Team, Search Consultants to Nonprofits

at apply@sallinsearch.com with “First Graduate Senior Development Manager” in the subject line. We will

respond to all applicants. Thank you

Required

• Genuine commitment to educational equity and First Graduate’s mission
• 3+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience, with a track record in development operations, individual

giving, and donor relations

• Excellent proficiency in CRM systems, preferably Salesforce
• Strong writer with the ability to adapt voice across different audiences and channels
• Experience planning and running events from start to finish with support from the team
• Organized, detail-oriented, and proven ability to juggle multiple priorities; comfort working

independently and collaboratively in a small team

• Bachelor’s degree

Preferred

• Experience with first-generation student populations or youth-serving organizations
• Familiarity with San Francisco Bay Area philanthropy and funders
• Experience working directly with executive leadership and engaging boards in fundraising

learn better together with a diverse team of employees. The collective sum of the individual differences, life

experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent that our employees bring is an important part of

our culture. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your

education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages

spoken, veteran status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.

The salary for this role is $90,000-110,000 annually. First Graduate offers a competitive benefits package,

including health coverage, generous paid time off, and a hybrid work schedule.