Job Details

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
Reports to: Executive Director
Status: Full-Time, Exempt
Location: Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties; flexible remote/hybrid work environment
Schedule: Some evening and weekend work required

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume and cover letter describing your interest in working for an LGBTQ+ center and relevant experience to careers@diversitycenter.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
 

ABOUT THE DIVERSITY CENTER

Founded in 1989, The Diversity Center (TDC) is a nonprofit organization serving LGBTQ+ people throughout Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. TDC provides critical services, spaces, education, and community-building opportunities across the lifespan, including youth and senior programs, mental health services, transgender and nonbinary support, community events, and education and training.

Our Mission: To inspire and advocate for the LGBTQ+ people of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties by providing critical services, spaces, education, and events that enhance community well-being, allowing individuals to build resiliency and thrive.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Diversity Center is seeking an experienced, strategic, and relationship-centered Director of Development & Communications to lead the organization's next phase of philanthropic growth. TDC has experienced significant organizational growth in recent years, expanding its programs, geographic reach, community partnerships, and philanthropic support across Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. The organization has strengthened its development infrastructure, established significant foundation and major donor relationships, created an endowment, and invested in stronger systems for measuring and communicating community impact.

The next Director will build on this foundation while helping TDC further diversify and strengthen its philanthropic revenue. Over time, opportunities for continued growth include expanding major and individual giving, deepening foundation and corporate partnerships, growing the organization's endowment, developing planned and legacy
giving, strengthening donor stewardship, and engaging the Board more deeply in philanthropy. Working in close partnership with the Executive Director, and collaboratively with the Board of Directors, staff, contractors, volunteers, and community partners, the Director will develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy that sustains TDC's current programs while building the relationships and resources needed for its future.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership position for someone who can move comfortably between strategy and execution while effectively leveraging staff, volunteers, and contracted support. The successful candidate will be an accomplished relationship builder and storyteller who enjoys cultivating donors, making the case for
philanthropic investment, developing new funding opportunities, and building the systems that support sustainable fundraising.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Development Strategy & Revenue Growth
● Develop and execute an annual and multi-year development strategy aligned with TDC's strategic priorities, programs, and operating budget.
● Establish fundraising goals, revenue targets, strategies, timelines, and performance measures across contributed revenue streams.

● Manage TDC's overall fundraising pipeline and regularly assess progress, opportunities, risks, and revenue projections.
● Identify opportunities to diversify and strengthen TDC's funding base.
● Stay informed about philanthropic trends and emerging funding opportunities affecting LGBTQ+ organizations and the Central Coast region.

Major Gifts & Individual Giving
● Build and manage a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, while partnering closely with the Executive Director on TDC's major donor relationships and significant gift opportunities.
● Identify, cultivate, solicit, steward, and upgrade individual donors while building a strong pipeline of prospective supporters.

● Develop thoughtful cultivation and stewardship strategies that strengthen donor retention and deepen long- term relationships with TDC.

● Develop clear relationship strategies that leverage the respective roles and strengths of the Director, Executive Director, and Board members in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
● Oversee annual giving campaigns, donor appeals, and other individual giving strategies.
● Over time, develop opportunities for multi-year, planned, legacy, and endowment giving.

Institutional Giving & Grants
● Lead and manage TDC's foundation and government grant strategy, including prospect research, funder cultivation, proposal development, renewals, reporting, and stewardship.
● Write and coordinate grant proposals and reports, working collaboratively with the Executive Director, program leadership, finance staff, and external grant support as appropriate.
● Manage external grant writing and prospect research support as available, establishing priorities and ensuring these resources are effectively deployed to advance TDC's funding strategy.
● Maintain a comprehensive grant calendar and ensure applications, reports, deliverables, and funder requirements are completed accurately and on time.
● Translate program outcomes, community needs, and organizational impact into compelling cases for philanthropic investment.
● Cultivate and strengthen relationships with foundation and institutional funders while partnering with the Executive Director on significant and strategic funding relationships.

Corporate & Community Partnerships
● Develop and steward relationships with corporations, businesses, and community partners throughout Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

● Build opportunities for corporate sponsorships, workplace giving, matching gifts, employee engagement, in-kind support, and multi-year partnerships.

● Represent TDC within the regional philanthropic, nonprofit, and business communities.

Fundraising Events
● Lead the fundraising strategy, planning, and execution of TDC's signature fundraising events, including the annual Gala and other donor cultivation activities.
● Establish event revenue, sponsorship, ticket sales, auction and raffle goals and oversee strategies to achieve them.
● Manage TDC's event contractor, including establishing priorities, assigning responsibilities, coordinating timelines, and overseeing deliverables.
● Work closely with lead volunteer sponsor, staff, vendors, and other volunteers who play significant roles in the planning and execution of the annual Gala.
● Lead and coordinate the Development Committee, composed of Board and community members, to support event fundraising, sponsorship outreach, auction and raffle procurement, donor engagement, and other development activities.
● Partner with the Executive Director, Development Committee, volunteers, and community supporters to identify and cultivate sponsorships, auction and raffle contributions, and other event-related support.

● Remain actively involved throughout event planning and execution, stepping into both leadership and hands-on responsibilities as needed to ensure successful events.

● Evaluate fundraising events based on financial performance, donor engagement, relationship development, and overall return on investment.

Development Operations & Impact
● Oversee the effective use and continued improvement of TDC's donor database (Bloomerang), impact database with grant & deliverables tracking, and other development systems.
● Ensure accurate records of donors, prospects, gifts, grants, sponsorships, pledges, and cultivation activities.
● Monitor key fundraising indicators, including revenue performance, donor retention and acquisition, major gift pipeline, grant success, sponsorships, and revenue projections.
● Use data and analysis to inform fundraising strategy, priorities, and decision-making.
● Partner with program leadership to ensure TDC's outcomes and impact data effectively support fundraising, reporting, and donor engagement.

Communications & Impact Storytelling
● Lead TDC's external communications strategy in partnership with the Executive Director and program leadership, ensuring consistent, compelling, and mission-aligned messaging.
● Translate TDC's programs, outcomes, Theory of Change, and community impact into compelling stories for donors, funders, partners, and the broader community.
● Provide strategic direction and content oversight for TDC's newsletters, website, social media, annual Impact Report, fundraising communications, and organizational collateral.
● Work closely with TDC's communications contract support, which assists with the ongoing production and administration of the website, newsletter, and social media.
● Maintain consistency in organizational voice, branding, and key messages across external communications.
● Partner with the Executive Director and external communications professionals, as needed, on organizational messaging, public communications, presentations, and media opportunities.

Executive & Board Partnership
● Serve as the Executive Director's strategic partner in advancing TDC's philanthropic goals, with shared leadership of significant donor, funder, and community relationships.
● Develop and maintain the systems, strategies, and fundraising pipeline that enable the Executive Director and other organizational leaders to participate effectively in philanthropy.
● Provide regular fundraising reports, forecasts, pipeline updates, and strategic recommendations to the Executive Director and Board.
● Partner with the Board of Directors and Development Committee to strengthen a culture of philanthropy and increase engagement in fundraising.
● Equip Board and Development Committee members with the information, tools, and support needed to participate effectively in donor identification, cultivation, stewardship, events, and other fundraising activities.
● Participate actively as a member of TDC's leadership team, contributing to organizational planning, strategy, and cross-departmental collaboration.

QUALIFICATIONS
The strongest candidates will bring a combination of demonstrated fundraising success, relationship-building ability, strategic thinking, excellent communication skills, and commitment to TDC's mission.

Required qualifications:

● 5+ years of progressively responsible fundraising or development experience, including experience leading a development function or significant fundraising portfolio.
● Demonstrated success generating philanthropic revenue through multiple fundraising channels.
● Experience cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors and major gifts.
● Experience developing successful foundation and/or government grant proposals and managing funder relationship and meeting reporting requirements.
● Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate organizational impact into compelling stories and cases for support.
● Ability to develop strategy while also managing hands-on execution within a small-to-mid-sized nonprofit. 
● Strong project management, organizational, and follow-through skills, including the ability to effectively manage and collaborate with contractors, volunteers, committees, and external partners.
● Experience using donor databases, CRMs, or comparable development systems to manage relationships and inform strategy. Airtable and Bloomerang are a plus.
● Ability to build trusted relationships with donors, Board members, colleagues, community partners, and diverse stakeholders.

● Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, take initiative, and be accountable for results.
● Demonstrated commitment to LGBTQ+ communities and alignment with TDC's mission, values, and commitment to equity.

Preferred qualifications:
● Experience personally soliciting significant gifts and developing major gift programs.
● Experience with planned or legacy giving, endowment development, or fundraising campaigns.
● Experience developing corporate partnerships and sponsorships.
● Experience leading nonprofit communications and impact storytelling.
● Knowledge of or established relationships within the philanthropic communities of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
● Experience working with nonprofit Boards and development committees.
● CFRE or other relevant fundraising training or professional credential.
Equivalent combinations of professional and lived experience are encouraged. A college degree is not required.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
The successful candidate will be strategic and entrepreneurial, with the ability to identify opportunities and translate ideas into action. They will be a skilled and authentic relationship builder who is comfortable asking for support and making a compelling case for philanthropic investment.
They will be an excellent storyteller who can connect community experience, organizational impact, and data in ways that inspire action. They will also be highly organized, self-directed, accountable for results, and comfortable moving between high-level strategy and hands-on execution.
Just as importantly, they will be collaborative—someone who enjoys working across programs and alongside the Executive Director, staff, Board members, volunteers, contractors, consultants, donors, and community partners
to advance a shared mission.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
The Diversity Center is committed to investing in the people who make our mission possible and offers a competitive compensation and benefits package.
Benefits for eligible employees include:
● Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage
● Generous paid time off, starting at 22 days annually and increasing with tenure
● 10 paid holidays plus a paid week-long December break
● Employer-supported 403(b) retirement plan
● Flexible remote/hybrid work
 

Salary Range: $110,000–$125,000

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
The Diversity Center strives to build a workplace reflective of the communities we serve. We are an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourage applications from people with identities and lived experiences
historically underrepresented in nonprofit leadership, including LGBTQ+ and 2S people; transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people; Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; people living with disabilities; and people living with HIV.

We recognize that strong candidates may not meet every qualification listed. If you are excited about this role and believe your experience and perspective would contribute to TDC's mission, we encourage you to apply.

TO APPLY
Please submit a resume and cover letter describing your interest in working for an LGBTQ+ center and relevant experience to careers@diversitycenter.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.