We’re looking for a stellar fundraising leader at Cityside Journalism Initiative, an exciting nonprofit organization devoted to building community and strengthening democracy through local news.
Launched in 2020, Cityside is home to two widely read, award-winning local news sites in the San Francisco Bay Area, Berkeleyside and Oaklandside, with plans to report in more communities in the near future.
We think the best way to keep high-quality local news alive is by empowering people, businesses, and institutions in local communities to fund it directly. Major donors and foundations are a big part of that model—and that’s where you come in. You’ll partner with our three powerhouse co-founders to unlock the philanthropic potential of the Bay Area and beyond to power local journalism for the public good.
We’re good at talking about what our journalism means to the cities where we currently work, Berkeley and Oakland, and the impact we’re having. We detail Cityside’s commitment to reviving the best of endangered local news and also to doing better, especially for communities that have never been well served by traditional media outlets.
Our story resonates every time we tell it. We’ve grown to a $4 million organization in under three years, with support from American Journalism Project and Google News Initiative, several leading national and Northern California foundations, a passionate group of local major donors, and more than 7,300 members (funders who donate under $1,000/year). But we need to greatly broaden the number of people who hear that story, especially those with significant resources to sustain and grow this work.
We’re looking for a Director of Development who can speak passionately and persuasively about why local journalism matters and has previously driven major philanthropic funding for a mission-driven organization.
You will lead the effort to build a sustainable, diversified development operation. You’ll drive the vision and strategy development, be part of the senior leadership team, and report to the CEO.
Ideally, you’re based in the Bay Area and have a wide-reaching network in the communities where we currently operate or might in the future. You love building relationships with current and potential supporters. You’re equally masterful at tried-and-true donor cultivation and stewardship methods as at launching innovative new approaches. You’re also skilled at designing and leading major donor outreach strategies with aplomb, tracking and leveraging data in our Salesforce donor database, and providing effective project management for annual appeals and other donor communications. You’re an imaginative self-starter with an entrepreneurial streak, and you’re attracted to Cityside’s scrappy, nimble, punching-above-its-weight ethos.
The salary range for this position is $140,000-$180,000. You’ll have access to Cityside’s healthcare plan, four weeks of paid leave, and a 401(k) match. You’ll also have a $1,000 annual stipend to be put towards professional development.
Some great candidates may not check all the boxes above, and may have valuable skills not included here. If that’s you, please don’t hesitate to apply and tell us why you would thrive in this role. If you have questions in advance of applying for this position, we encourage you to reach out to Lance Knobel, CEO, to address your questions via email or a brief call.
We’re committed to building an inclusive organization that represents the people and communities we serve. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply for this position, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities.