Job Description

Organization:    Food Forward, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Position:              Major Gifts Manager

Hours:                  Full-Time

Compensation: $70,000 – $77,500

Location:              North Hollywood, CA (this position is temporarily remote due to COVID-19)

Organizational Overview:

Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people in need and inspiring others to do the same. Fruits and vegetables are collected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from backyard fruit trees, public orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Terminal. This recovered produce is provided free of charge to low-income populations across virtually all social service sectors, including homeless outreach, food banks, domestic violence shelters, transitional youth homes, veteran services, after-school programs, LGBTQ+ teen/adult/senior services, programs serving people with disabilities, college student assistance programs, and many more. Since Food Forward’s inception, thousands of dedicated volunteers in collaboration with our staff have rescued over 100 million pounds of fruits and vegetables, helping to feed over 2 million people across eight Southern California counties last year. See our core values posted below.*

Position Overview:

Food Forward, Southern California’s largest nonprofit organization devoted to the recovery and donation of fresh produce to the region’s 2.5M+ food insecure, has undergone unprecedented growth in 2019 and 2020. Food Forward is seeking candidates for a new position, Major Gifts Manager, to steward its growing universe of supporters and expand the individual giving program.

The Manager will work closely with the Chief Development Officer (CDO) to develop strategy and implement research, relationship-building, solicitation, and stewardship for a growing individual donor program. Current strategies include: three major campaigns (online, mail, and event); cultivation events in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties; personal solicitation by the Founder/CEO, board, and volunteer fundraisers; planned giving; and ongoing email and social media. The Manager will work directly with the CDO and collaborate with an effective team of colleagues managing multiple revenue streams. The team also works with the Communications department to implement marketing strategies.

The ideal candidate will have a positive, “can-do” attitude and the ability to work collaboratively with all staff and volunteers in a diverse and fast-paced environment; is self-motivated and highly organized, with exceptional attention to accuracy; is flexible and has the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously; exercises good judgment in handling confidential donor information; and has a keen passion for food justice and strong alignment with Food Forward’s core values. The candidate will demonstrate their ability to write persuasively and have excellent interpersonal communication skills to engage a wide range of donors.

Success in Year One

In the first year of this new position, the Manager will be expected to:

• Create an annual calendar and moves management system for active solicitation and stewardship of individual donors, including retaining the majority of new supporters from 2020.
• Develop a sustainable strategy for increasing revenue in 2022, aligned with organization goals.
• Work with CDO and CEO to implement specialized plans for key donors, particularly leadership gifts.
• Work with development and communications staff to create a plan for cultivation and solicitation of mid-range and grassroots donors, including the monthly giving program.

Core Responsibilities

Program planning and management

• Manage solicitation and stewardship by the CEO, CDO, board members, and other volunteers, including research, briefing materials, and scheduling.
• Develop data-driven understanding of donors to identify opportunities for growth, enhancement of the program, and reporting for board and leadership.
• Work with CDO to develop annual fundraising goals and operational plans; participate in budgeting and cashflow reporting.

Donor cultivation and stewardship

• Work with CEO and CDO to build relationships with donors, ensuring personal attention and service.
• Spearhead portfolio growth, including working with leadership, board, and advisors to funnel prospects into the solicitation pipeline and developing an enhanced bequest and trusts strategy.
• Produce appeals, updates, and other correspondence in alignment with organization messaging and brand guidelines; work with the communications team on marketing collateral; execute virtual and in-person donor events in coordination with development staff.
• Oversee recordkeeping and acknowledgement process with development staff, achieving compliance and stewardship.

Other support

• Keep informed of Food Forward public messaging to ensure accurate and effective donor interactions.
• Occasionally work evenings or weekends for special events which may require Southern California travel.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements:

• Three years’ experience in developing donor outreach programs including mail and digital campaigns, personal solicitation, events, working with giving circles and advisors, and donor management systems.
• Experience with portfolios of donors in the 5-to-7-figure giving level is highly desired.
• Demonstrated success in project management.
• Experience working with donor databases or CRM; Salesforce background is preferred.

Application Deadline: March 5, 2021

Desired Start Date: April 5, 2021

 Salary: $70,000 – $77,500

Benefits:

• Medical, Vision, and Life Insurance coverage
• Simple IRA with 3% employer matching (after one year of employment)
• Generous Sick Days, Paid-Time-Off, and Holiday allocation
• Cell phone allowance
• Telecommuting and Work flexibility

*Food Forward Core Values:

• Creativity – We seek to innovate in all facets of our work.
• Joyfulness – We cultivate a meaningful, fun, positive and spirited work environment.
• Committed to Food Justice – We believe that access to wholesome food, and fresh nutritious produce, is not a privilege, but a right. We work hard to end food inequality and reduce food insecurity.
• Authenticity – We are transparent and honest in our words, deeds, and actions. We act at the highest level of integrity.
• Disciplined – We are reliable, professional, accountable, rigorous and committed to excellence in all areas of our work, both internally and externally.
• Community-minded – We aim to include and connect people in the community, and to remain open, diverse, respectful, and accessible. We take pride in offering people meaningful volunteer and work experiences.

How to Apply

Send a cover letter and resume in PDF to career@foodforward.org. In the body of the cover letter include 1) Where did you discover this listing, and 2) If you were a variety of produce what would you be and why? The subject line should read: Major Gifts Manager – (Your Name). No phone calls. Please follow these instructions to ensure that we process your application Food Forward is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strongly encourages people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with protected class backgrounds to apply. We value the individuals that we hire and look forward to creating a positive work environment for all identities.

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: development, Environmental, Fundraising, and hunger. Salaries: 60,000 - 80,000.

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