Vice President of Development

Full-time: 100% FTE, Exempt 
Compensation: $140,000-$155,000 annual salary

Benefits Overview: Medical, vision, dental and life insurance, vacation and sick time off, paid federal holidays, and retirement plan (See full job description for more details).

Organization Size: 50+ employees

Report to: Chief Executive Officer

Location: This role is eligible for a hybrid work schedule.

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW: 

Digital NEST is an innovative workforce development center that has welcomed thousands of youth from working-class, farmworker communities to develop the technical and professional skills they need to achieve their dreams. It is an exciting time for the NEST. We are focused on growth and expansion to five communities across the Monterey Bay (MBR) and San Joaquin Valley (SJVR) Regions in Northern California. Digital NEST has Centers in the heart of Watsonville, Salinas, Gilroy, Modesto, and Stockton.

JOB OVERVIEW:

We are scaling rapidly and are looking for a visionary Vice President (VP) of Development to help us raise the resources to power this bold movement. Digital NEST is seeking a VP of Development to lead and strengthen our fundraising efforts as we enter our next phase of growth. 

This role is an opportunity for an experienced fundraising leader who enjoys building systems, creating structure, and driving results. The VP will be responsible for developing and executing fundraising strategies that support the organization’s mission while building the processes, tools, and infrastructure needed for long-term success. This is a hands-on leadership role in a lean development function, requiring active engagement in frontline fundraising activities including donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and development operations alongside strategic planning and leadership responsibilities.

As a member of the Executive Team, the VP of Development will play a critical role in building a sustainable fundraising program that supports Digital NEST's long-term growth and impact. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Fundraising Leadership (35%):

• Design and execute a multi-year, multi-million dollar development strategy aligned with Digital NEST’s growth goals.
• Design, launch, and scale a comprehensive individual giving program to build a sustainable grassroots donor base
• Develop and lead a high-performing development team.
• Mentor and coach development staff to foster a culture of fundraising excellence.
• In close collaboration with the Principal Research Scientist, support proposal development, grant management, pipeline building, reporting, and data systems.
• Develop and implement a process and set of criteria for evaluating the pursuit of funding opportunities.
• Build and strengthen development systems, processes, and workflows that support sustainable fundraising growth.
• Establish fundraising performance metrics, reporting dashboards, and pipeline management practices to improve accountability and forecasting.
• Optimize development operations and donor management systems, including Salesforce, to improve efficiency and decision-making.

Donor & Partner Engagement (35%):

• Manage a portfolio of major donors, prospects, corporate partners, and institutional funders through cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and ongoing relationship management.
• Build  a reliable pipeline that transitions mid-level individual donors into major gift prospects
• Partner with the CEO, Development team, Executive team, and Board of Directors to develop philanthropic networks, co-lead donor strategy, and expand giving at all levels.
• Partner with the CEO in coaching and guiding the Board of Directors; helping to set policies and practices for Board Members involved in fundraising, overseeing the involvement, identification, training, and support of Board Members in outreach and solicitation.
• Launch and grow new revenue channels, including planned giving, government contracts, and corporate investments.

Development Operations & Infrastructure (15%)

• Build and strengthen development systems, processes, and workflows that support sustainable fundraising growth and organizational scalability.
• Oversee the effective use of Salesforce and related fundraising technologies to ensure accurate donor data, pipeline management, reporting, and revenue forecasting.
• Establish fundraising dashboards, key performance indicators, and reporting practices that support data informed decision making and organizational accountability.
• Develop and document development policies, procedures, and best practices to improve efficiency, consistency, and cross functional collaboration.
• Create and maintain systems for donor stewardship, prospect tracking, grant management, gift processing, and fundraising performance measurement.
• Partner with Finance and other internal teams to ensure accurate revenue tracking, reporting, reconciliation, and compliance with donor and funder requirements.
• Evaluate and implement tools, processes, and operational improvements that enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of the development function.
   

Marketing & Communications Partnership (10%):

• Partner closely with the VP of Marketing and Communications to align fundraising, storytelling, and engagement strategies across the organization.
• Collaborate on the development and execution of integrated fundraising campaigns, including annual appeals, donor communications, stewardship efforts, and special initiatives.
• Provide fundraising insights, donor perspectives, and audience engagement data to inform marketing and communications strategies.
• Partner with the Principal Research Scientist to integrate compelling evaluation and research into grant proposals, funder communication, and reports.
• Partner on messaging that effectively communicates Digital NEST's impact, funding priorities, and philanthropic opportunities to donors, funders, and community stakeholders.
• Support the planning and promotion of fundraising events, donor engagement opportunities, and public-facing campaigns that strengthen awareness and philanthropic support for Digital NEST.
• Ensure fundraising priorities and donor stewardship efforts are effectively reflected in external communications and engagement strategies.

Organizational Growth & Collaboration (5%):

• Participate in strategic planning, priority-setting, and organizational decision-making as a core member of the Executive Team.
• Ensure fundraising strategy is aligned with community needs, mission outcomes, and long-term sustainability.
• Serve as a public voice for the NEST at key events, conferences, and funder meetings.
• Ensure Digital NEST's development work is inclusive and responsive to the needs of local communities and populations we seek to impact.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience or at least 15 years of progressive fundraising and development experience with a demonstrated track record of securing significant philanthropic investments.
• At least 7 years of leadership experience overseeing development functions, fundraising teams, or organizational revenue growth strategies.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing fundraising strategies that have resulted in measurable revenue growth.
• Experience cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors, foundations, corporations, and institutional funders.
• Experience managing donor pipelines, fundraising forecasts, and development performance metrics.
• Strong knowledge of fundraising best practices, donor stewardship, moves management, prospect development, and relationship-based fundraising.
• Experience utilizing Salesforce or similar donor management and CRM platforms to support fundraising operations, reporting, and decision making.
• Experience developing and improving fundraising systems, processes, and operational infrastructure.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with donors, board members, staff, and community stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across departments and build strong relationships with internal and external partners.
• Ability to travel regularly throughout Digital NEST's service regions and attend occasional evening and weekend events as needed.

PREFERRED-BUT-NOT-REQUIRED:

• Experience working in youth development, workforce development, education, nonprofit, or community-based organizations.
• Experience leading fundraising efforts during periods of organizational growth, transformation, or expansion.
• Experience building or rebuilding fundraising infrastructure within a growing organization.
• Experience partnering closely with executive leaders and boards of directors on fundraising strategy and donor engagement.
• Experience managing multimillion-dollar fundraising portfolios and annual revenue goals.
• Knowledge of planned giving, government funding opportunities, corporate partnerships, and diversified revenue strategies.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Passion for the mission of Digital NEST and belief in upholding organization’s core values.
• Understanding of and sensitivity to issues of culture/ethnicity/race, gender, sexual identity, class/socioeconomic status and immigration status.
• Ability to be an ally to people of color, women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, questioning and intersex individuals and their allies (LGBTQIA).
• Participate in NEST evening and weekend programs and events on an occasional basis; facilitate youth involvement in these programs and events. 
• Candidates must be able to travel and work evenings or weekends occasionally, or as needed.

NOTE: The job offer will be contingent upon the successful completion and passing of a background check.

ABOUT OUR BENEFITS: We take a holistic approach to wellness, physical, emotional, and financial. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• 100% Agency Paid Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance for the employee
• Paid Parental Leave
• SIMPLE IRA Retirement Benefit with up to 3% employer match
• Accrual of up to 15 Paid Vacation Days for Full-time Employees
• 13 Paid Holidays Annually Plus Business closure/holiday the week between Christmas Day and New Years Day
• Paid Sick Time Off Accrual
• Annual Parking Permit
• Professional Development
• Flexible Work Schedule

We understand that no candidate is perfectly qualified for any job. Experience comes in different forms; many skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. Even more important than your resume is a clear demonstration of dedication, impact, and the ability to thrive in a fluid and collaborative environment. We want you to learn new things in this role and encourage you to apply if your experience is close to what we’re looking for. We also know that diversity of background and thought makes for better problem-solving and more creative thinking, so we're dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team. We look forward to hearing from you.

Digital NEST, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Digital NEST is also committed to an inclusive experience for all applicants and will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations in the interview process, to the known physical or mental limitations of qualified employees with disabilities unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.  

Please refer to our career page for more information on how to apply for reasonable accommodations.