Director of Development and Donor Engagement

ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO

​ Outdoor Afro celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. Our network also connects Black people with our lands, water, and wildlife through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Some examples of Outdoor Afro’s year-round activities range from fishing, hiking, biking, kayaking, gardening, skiing and more! Visit : or @outdoorafro across all social media platforms to learn more.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Outdoor Afro is entering an exciting new chapter of growth. We are seeking a mission-driven, strategic, and relationship-centered Director of Development and Donor Engagement to lead our fundraising strategy and elevate donor stewardship.

Currently operating as a $2–3M organization, Outdoor Afro is preparing to scale to $3–4M+ through strategic revenue diversification, donor expansion, and strengthened philanthropic partnerships.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Development and Donor Engagement will lead the vision, priorities, and execution of the organization’s multi-year development strategy.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Areas of Focus

• Individual Giving (Priority) : Lead strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward mid- and major-level donors, increasing donor lifetime value and growing unrestricted giving.
• Foundation & Grants (Priority) : Direct the management of existing grants and proactively build a multi-year pipeline of institutional funders through high-quality proposals, reporting, and long-term relationship stewardship.
• Events : Lead the strategy and design of donor cultivation and stewardship events.
• Corporate Partnerships : Lead mission-aligned corporate sponsorship and partnership strategies, in partnership with the Executive Leadership Team.
• Donor-Advised Funds (DAF) : Strengthen systems to increase DAF-origin gifts and donor advisor engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Fundraising Leadership

• Lead the design and implementation of Outdoor Afro’s multi-year fundraising strategy to grow annual revenue from $2–3M to $3–4M+.
• Establish annual and multi-year revenue goals, forecasts, and diversified pipelines that reduce reliance on CEO-led fundraising.
• Serve as staff lead to the Development Committee, including planning agendas, preparing materials, guiding prospect engagement, and driving accountability.
• Lead the organization’s board giving strategy, ensuring 100% participation and developing tools and training that strengthen board engagement in philanthropy.
• Shape the long-term development infrastructure, including staffing recommendations and resource planning for future growth.

Individual, Foundation, and Grant Fundraising

• Manage a growing portfolio of mid- and major-level donors; develop individualized cultivation and stewardship plans and conduct regular meetings.
• Oversee all aspects of grant strategy and grant management, including pipeline development, proposal writing, reporting, compliance, and funder engagement.
• Partner with Program, Operations, and Finance teams to align proposals and reporting with program impact and organizational priorities.
• Maintain disciplined moves management, accurate forecasting, and a multi-year institutional funding pipeline.

Campaigns, Events & Development-Related Communications

• Lead organization-wide fundraising campaigns (e.g., End-of-Year Giving), working closely with the Program Team to deliver compelling impact stories.
• Oversee donor events in partnership with the CEO and Executive Manager; develop agendas, donor briefings, cultivation strategies, and post-event follow-up.
• Partner with the Program Team and Marketing on development-related communications, ensuring donor materials reflect Outdoor Afro’s mission, values, and impact.

Systems, Data, and Operations

• Lead the development operations strategy for segmentation, portfolio prioritization, and analytics in partnership with the Operations Director (CRM owner).
• Maintain high-quality donor and grant data, revenue projections, KPIs, and performance dashboards.
• Ensure timely and accurate gift reconciliation, compliance, acknowledgments, and stewardship workflows.

Team Leadership

• Provide thought leadership and mentorship across the development and operations functions.
• Potential to supervise Development staff as organizational structure and staffing needs align.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and equity-centered development culture across the organization.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 7–10 years of progressive nonprofit development experience, including leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated success in individual giving and institutional fundraising, including major gifts and multi-year grant strategies.
• Proven ability to secure 5–6 figure gifts from individuals and foundations.
• Experience designing and leading high-impact campaigns and donor communications.
• Proficiency with CRM systems (Salesforce strongly preferred); comfort with data analysis, forecasting, and KPI design.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to lead through influence, align cross-functional teams, and manage up and across.
• Commitment to Outdoor Afro’s mission and values of joy, belonging, and connection in nature.

Performance Expectations

• Meaningful progress toward annual revenue growth targets and advancement toward $3–4M+ annual budget.
• Growth across individual donor upgrades, grants secured, retention rates, and donor lifetime value.
• Measurable reduction in CEO-led fundraising dependence.
• Strong engagement of the Development Committee and Board in philanthropy.
• Strengthened development systems, workflows, and cross-team alignment.

Work Environment & Travel

• Remote, with a strong preference for candidates in the Oakland / San Francisco Bay Area.
• Regular visits to Outdoor Afro’s Oakland headquarters and periodic evening / weekend activities.
• Travel : 4–6 trips per year, typically 3–4 nights each, aligned with donor meetings and philanthropic partnerships.

Benefits

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range : $100,000–$115,000, commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive benefits including health, dental, vision, 401(k), paid vacation, and professional development.

TO APPLY

Submit a cover letter explaining why you’d be a great fit for Outdoor Afro, a resume , and a writing sample via the application link .

Outdoor Afro is an equal opportunity employer. The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor.