The posting
EQL Tech is partnering with a philanthropic foundation to hire a Director of Development & Fundraising to build its fundraising function at a defining moment for the organization.
The project is building the largest urban sculpture trail in the world, placing up to 100 ambitious, large-scale works across 34 miles of San Francisco to spark wonder, strengthen communities, and drive civic vitality. Launched last year with Mayor Lurie, the organization already has 25 works installed, with close to 25 more planned this year, free for everyone to enjoy.
Why this role exists
With 25 works installed, another 25 planned this year, and a path to 100, the project is moving from launch into scale. Reporting directly to the CEO, the Director of Development is the operating partner who turns that vision and momentum into sustained contributed revenue.
This is a hands-on, build-from-the-ground-up role. The CEO continues to lead top-of-funnel cultivation with the most significant individual donors and civic partners; the Director of Development owns the engine that supports and extends that work - corporate partnerships, foundation and institutional giving, donor stewardship systems, gift operations, and the steady expansion of the major gifts pipeline.
For the right person, this is an unusual opportunity to architect the development function of a high-visibility civic initiative from day one - working directly with the CEO, alongside major donors, civic leaders, and corporate partners, with the chance to shape what philanthropy looks like for one of the most ambitious public art projects in the country.
What you'll own
Major gifts & pipeline
- Build and run the major gifts pipeline: identify, qualify, and move prospects through cultivation in partnership with the CEO, with clear next steps and disciplined follow-through.
- Prepare the CEO for cultivation moments: briefing memos, prospect research, talking points, and follow-up tracking.
Corporate, foundation & institutional giving
- Own corporate partnerships and sponsorships end to end: prospecting, proposal development, structuring, closing, and renewal.
- Lead foundation and institutional giving: prospect research, LOIs, proposals, reporting, and relationship management.
Stewardship & operations
- Design and run donor stewardship: acknowledgments, recognition, naming opportunities, donor communications, and the rhythm of touchpoints that keeps relationships warm.
- Run development operations: CRM hygiene, gift processing, pledge tracking, reporting, and the systems and documentation the function needs to scale.
Events & board
- Partner on fundraising events: donor walks, dinners, unveilings, and Liaisons gatherings, in coordination with the Chief of Staff and broader team.
- Support the board on giving: help shape giving expectations, prepare board members for cultivation, and bring board networks into the pipeline.
Looking ahead
- Help architect the path to a capital campaign: assess readiness, shape the case for support, and lay the groundwork for scaled fundraising as the project grows toward 100 works.
What success looks like
- Contributed revenue grows reliably year over year, with a healthy mix across individual, corporate, and institutional sources.
- A documented donor pipeline exists and is actively cultivated, with clear next steps for every prospect and no relationships drifting.
- The CEO's cultivation time is leveraged: she walks into every donor meeting fully briefed, and follow-through after meetings is consistent and timely.
- Corporate partnerships and sponsorships are sourced, structured, and renewed without requiring CEO involvement on execution.
- Donors feel known and appreciated - stewardship is consistent, personal, and timely.
- The development function operates with the systems, records, and reporting needed to scale, including readiness to support a future capital campaign.
Requirements
The right person will be a builder with deep development fundamentals and genuine comfort working close to a civic mission:
- Proven closer: 7+ years in development, with demonstrated success closing five- and six-figure gifts and managing relationships at the seven-figure level.
- Builder: a track record building or substantially scaling a development function, ideally in a lean or early-stage environment.
- Cross-trained: experience across at least two of individual major gifts, corporate partnerships, or foundation/institutional giving.
- Sharp communicator: polished written and verbal communication, including direct donor correspondence and proposal writing.
- Trusted operator: high discretion and judgment handling confidential donor and financial information; strong organization and project management, comfortable owning complex work without close supervision.
This role spans several domains, and we're particularly excited about candidates who also bring some combination of:
- Comfort with CRM systems (Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, or similar) and Google Workspace.
- Active use of Claude and other AI tools to accelerate work.
- Experience in arts, cultural, civic, or public-facing nonprofit organizations.
- Capital campaign experience.
- An established donor and corporate network in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Experience supporting an organization through fiscal sponsorship transition or nonprofit formation.
- Genuine interest in the arts, philanthropy, or the civic life of San Francisco.
Benefits
- Compensation: ~$150K, commensurate with experience. Full-time, at-will, W-2.
- Location: San Francisco, with regular in-person presence for donor meetings, events, and unveilings.
EQL Tech is retained to lead this search.
