Senior Development & Operations Specialist

The Opportunity

Founders First Community Development Corporation (FFCDC) seeks an experienced, hands-on fundraising professional who can personally cultivate and secure gifts, grants and event sponsorships to expand small-business grants, training and regional programs. This is a fundraising production role with meaningful development operations and administrative responsibilities—not a coordinator role or a people-management position.

About FFCDC

Founders First Community Development Corporation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on closing economic opportunity gaps for established, employer-based small businesses. Through funding-readiness programs, training, grants and partnerships, FFCDC helps business owners grow, create quality jobs and advance economic mobility.

Key Responsibilities Donor Acquisition & Revenue Development — 30%

• Build and manage a qualified pipeline of individual donors, community and corporate foundations, family foundations, community banks and local business sponsors.
• Lead prospect research, outreach, discovery meetings, tailored asks, gift closure, renewals and upgrades; personally secure gifts, grants and sponsorship commitments.
• Develop annual prospecting and moves-management plans, with weekly outreach and meeting targets and monthly fundraising forecasts.
• Own Tier I relationships and funding opportunities under $25,000; identify and coordinate warm handoffs for $25,000+ opportunities with the CEO and senior development leadership.
• Develop donor-specific cases for support tied to small-business grants, economic mobility, quality job growth and regionally relevant outcomes.

Grants, Sponsorships & Events — 25%

• Identify, pitch and close sponsorships for FFCDC fundraising and engagement events, including regional convenings, grant awards and related programming.
• Prepare compelling proposals, letters of inquiry, sponsorship packages and funding requests; maintain a submission and decision calendar.
• Coordinate with program and events teams to deliver sponsor benefits, recognition and post-event reporting.
• Support individual giving campaigns and regional partner referrals, including multi-year giving opportunities where appropriate.

Stewardship & Development Operations — 25%

• Maintain accurate donor records, commitments, interactions and next steps in Bloomerang; produce monthly pipeline, conversion, renewal and revenue reports.
• Deliver prompt acknowledgments (target: within 48 hours), personalized stewardship and clear impact updates. Track grant and sponsorship deliverables, reporting dates, pledges and payment status in coordination with finance and program colleagues.Maintain compliant gift documentation, consistent messaging and efficient fundraising processes.

Administrative & Leadership Coordination — 20%

• Coordinate donor briefings, development calendars, meeting materials, board fundraising updates and timely follow-up with donors and partners. Provide administrative support connected to fundraising, including event preparation, scheduling, document organization and coordination with finance and programs; complete routine tasks accurately while keeping fundraising commitments on track.

Qualifications

• At least 4 years of nonprofit development, advancement, fundraising or related philanthropic business development experience, including direct solicitation and documented fundraising results.
• Demonstrated success personally securing gifts, grants or sponsorships, preferably in the $5,000–$25,000 range, and managing donor relationships through renewal.
• Strong record of converting prospect conversations into qualified donor appointments, proposals and funded commitments.
• Excellent persuasive writing, donor communications, relationship building, negotiation and follow-through.
• Experience using a donor CRM (Bloomerang preferred), pipeline reports, Excel and common collaboration tools.
• Comfortable independently owning a donor portfolio while balancing operational details, reporting deadlines and administrative coordination in a small, mission-driven team.
• San Diego-area presence and ability to work in office Tuesday through Thursday required; bachelor’s degree preferred.

Performance Measures (First Year)

• Fundraising revenue against an approved annual target, separated by gifts, grants and event sponsorships.
• Qualified donor meetings, new funders acquired, proposals submitted, solicitation-to-close conversion and average gift size.
• Sponsor commitments and renewals; donor retention and qualified $25,000+ opportunities referred to leadership.
• Timely grant reports and sponsor deliverables, 48-hour acknowledgments and accurate CRM records.

Targets and portfolio size will be established with the CEO based on existing pipeline and program funding priorities.

Work Arrangement & Compensation

Full-time hybrid position based in San Diego, with in-office work Tuesday–Thursday and flexibility for donor meetings and occasional evening events. Base salary: $70,000–$80,000. Eligible for a performance-based bonus tied to achievement of agreed fundraising outcomes, including secured donations, grants, sponsorship commitments, and donor renewals. Bonus targets, eligibility, and payout terms will be established by FFCDC and communicated separately. Benefits will be shared during recruitment.

How to Apply

Submit a résumé and brief cover note describing three fundraising results you personally helped secure, including the approximate amounts, your role and the types of donors or sponsors. FFCDC will add an application link and deadline before publication.