Senior Development Manager, First Graduate (San Francisco)

About the role

First Graduate is ready for its next chapter of growth, and the fundraising program needs a Senior Development Manager to match that ambition. This role offers 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. The ideal candidate believes operational excellence and inspired donor engagement are 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, fluency with donor data and systems, and a belief that first‑generation students deserve a fundraising program built to last. They see systems and operations work — the database, gift processing, reporting — as the foundation that makes bold fundraising possible. Location: San Francisco.

Responsibilities

• 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
• 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

Requirements

• 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
• Preferred: Familiarity with San Francisco Bay Area philanthropy and funders
• Preferred: Experience working directly with executive leadership and engaging boards in fundraising

Benefits

• Competitive benefits package
• Health coverage
• Generous paid time off
• Hybrid work schedule

Pay

$90,