Food Runners
Director of Development
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THE ORGANIZATION
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Food Runners (FR) is a San Francisco nonprofit whose goal is to end hunger and food insecurity in San Francisco. Food Runners (FR) was founded in 1987 when Mary Risley, founder of San Francisco’s Tante Marie Cooking School, realized that large quantities of food were being discarded daily by local businesses. Mary established a volunteer-driven organization that picked up excess perishable and prepared food from local businesses such as restaurants, caterers, bakeries, hospitals, event planners, and hotels and delivered it directly to neighborhood food programs. Since 2013, FR has also partnered with local tech companies who donate perishable food from their employee cafeterias.
Food Runners feeds disadvantaged people of all ages: infants, children, and adults; those who have housing, and those who live in the streets; those who have jobs as well as the chronically unemployed; and those who have physical or psychological problems. The reason people need food doesn’t matter; if they are hungry, Food Runners will feed them.
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Despite the best efforts of the nonprofit and public sectors, food insecurity in the Bay Area has remained a chronic problem, particularly since the COVID pandemic began in 2020. Because of the growing demand for its services, Food Runners recently established an emergency kitchen, hiring a full-time chef and kitchen staff and developing a program that prepares and delivers over 12,000 individual meals each week. Among its recipient organizations are many that focus specifically on children, adolescents, families or elders, including Larkin Street Youth Services, Hamilton Families, Bridge Housing and Leland-Polk Senior Community. Others include neighborhood centers, food pantries, and soup kitchens throughout the city.
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Food Runners is proud of its work over the past 34 years. Yet, the need for its services has never been greater. To help as many individuals as it can by strengthening its infrastructure and broadening its outreach, Food Runners is seeking its first Director of Development to build a modern and more robust fundraising program for the organization.
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THE POSITION
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Food Runners is seeking its first full-time fundraiser. The Director of Development position is a wonderful opportunity for a creative fundraiser who thrives in an entrepreneurial environment and can build a development program for an organization with a growing demand for its services. The DOD will work closely with the Founder/Director, board, and volunteers to shape fundraising strategies and design and implement a development program to increase revenues from private sources as well as the number of donors.
The DOD will create the systems and processes critical to raising funds from members of the community, companies and foundations, and major donors. Food Runners is seeking an energetic, individual with excellent fundraising generalist skills and experience in both institutional and individual giving. The DOD will be responsible for building the donor pipeline, taking the existing portfolio of donors to the next level of philanthropy and establishing strong and mutually beneficial philanthropic partnerships with corporate and foundation funders.
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RESPONSIBILITIES
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Design, build and manage a diverse fundraising program, encompassing development systems/operations, community and major giving, and foundation and corporate giving
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Identify, strengthen and build relationships with institutional funders, diversifying and increasing support from foundations and corporations
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Grow and develop Food Runners’ individual giving prospect pool. Identify, engage and solicit individuals and families capable of making gifts of $1K+
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Create and manage direct mail/email appeal campaigns to increase operational support and the number of donors to the organization
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Serve as liaison to the FR board and other volunteers, providing counsel and direction regarding fundraising activities and assisting with special board projects/events
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Assess the need for and oversee production of any fundraising materials, including proposals, annual reports, written or electronic appeals and other, collateral, etc.
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As appropriate and in collaboration with the Director, plan and execute donor engagement or stewardship events, including dinners and receptions, and other activities to engage FR’s constituencies. Assess the need for and manage additional events or other activities to attract and engage support
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Oversee donor stewardship efforts for prospects/donors, helping to promote a culture of gratitude among internal and external constituents
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Determine the optimal technology needs for successful fundraising. Manage and ensure accurate systems for processing gifts and donor acknowledgements
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Begin to build a culture of philanthropy internally and externally. Provide counsel, training regarding fundraising to colleagues, board and other volunteers
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Manage development communications that may involve FR’s website, e-mail communications and campaigns, social media, print collateral, and appeals. Develop a compelling case statement that articulates the need for support and the importance of Food Runners’ programs to the community
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Manage the development budget. Ensure best practice use of data, and metrics to track progress and success of fundraising strategies and tactics
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Support efforts to identify and recruit additional board members for the organization, providing training on fundraising and donor engagement
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CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
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Experience:
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Five+ years of fundraising experience, with proven success in the areas of individual and institutional giving
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Experience building relationships with and securing support from companies and foundations
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Experience building a development program or implementing new systems
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Demonstrated ability to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward donors and effectively move them through the development cycle
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Experience managing and motivating board members and engaging and supporting volunteers with their efforts in fundraising and donor stewardship and engagement
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Experience with fundraising databases and prospect management
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Familiarity with development marketing and communications. Experience with social media in the development process a plus
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Experience in events management
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Demonstrated success in fundraising best practices and achieving monetary goals
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Education:
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A Bachelor’s degree is required.
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COMPETENCIES/ATTRIBUTES
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The successful professional will have or be:
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An entrepreneurial spirit with a high level of initiative
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Outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with a track record of engaging and influencing a wide range of donors
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Attention to detail and strong time-management and organizational skills
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Strong self-motivation and ability to work as part of a collaborative team
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Strong financial skills, including the ability to develop and review budgets and to develop reports that present a clear financial picture of fundraising activities
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Experience interacting with individuals from diverse backgrounds
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Unquestionable integrity and the ability to responsibly handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion
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A creative, enthusiastic team member with a clear commitment to the mission of the organization
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Exceptional interpersonal skills with a “pitch in/all hands on deck” attitude when needed
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A positive outlook with a high degree of emotional intelligence
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Deep understanding of development principles and regulations pertaining to charitable contributions
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Strong financial skills, including the ability to develop budgets and management reports that present a clear financial picture of fundraising activities
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
This is a full-time, exempt position. A competitive salary and employee benefits package will be offered. To be considered for this position or for additional information on the opportunity, please contact:
David N. Randall
Principal
Randall Search Associates
415 769 4210
david@randallsearchassociates.com
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