Location: San Francisco, CA​

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Organization Description 

Founded in 1988, the Lavender Youth Recreation & Information Center (LYRIC) provides supports and services to over 500 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning (LGBTQQ) and allied youth (annually), 24 years old and under. LYRIC’s mission is to build community and inspire positive social change through education enhancement, career trainings, health promotion, and leadership development with LGBTQQ youth, their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities. The organization has a budget of approximately $4.2 million as well as a youth-adult team of approximately 30 staff members and nearly 100 youth in paid intern and fellowship positions engaged annually. In alignment with LYRIC’s Strategic Plan, the organization envisions: (1) schools that are transformed into safe, inclusive environments where LGBTQQ students can thrive and (2) a comprehensive network of community support to ensure successful progression into adulthood for Transitional Age LGBTQQ Youth. The organization works toward this vision by (1) uniting best practice with innovation to realize the organizational excellence needed to advance the field of LGBTQQ youth development and (2) growing community support that reflects a high level of partner investment in our mission, vision, and organizational sustainability. The organization is in an exciting period of growth and innovation, guided by our strategic initiatives and the following operating principles: 

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• Learning: We bring curiosity, creativity, and fun to our work.

• Sustainable Impact: We commit to the long-term transformation of lives and institutions.

• Leadership: We foster leadership to support a progressive movement that spans generations.

• Allyship: We believe that everyone has a role in creating safe and thriving communities.

• Social Justice: We build upon a proud history of community self-determination by challenging institutionalized invisibility & inequity.

 

Position Summary

The Development and Communications Director is responsible for the design and management of LYRIC’s development and communications functions, leading a team of two staff – a Development Coordinator and a Communications Associate - and consultants, under the direction of LYRIC’s Deputy Director. The director will: (1) lead LYRIC’s comprehensive fund development activities including major gifts, government and foundation support, events and grassroots fundraising; (2) lead efforts to broaden the impact of LYRIC’s communications initiatives – aligning LYRIC’s values of social justice, learning, and leadership development to our communications and fund development practices; and (3) manage data and logistics for LYRIC’s fund development and communications strategies. This position works across the organization to achieve these goals, partnering with board, staff and LYRIC’s Development and Communications Youth Working Group.

 

Responsibilities

 

MAJOR DONOR FUNDRAISING, CULTIVATION AND STEWARDSHIP

1. Grow a major gifts program including identification, cultivation and solicitation of major donors; including for planned gifts.

2. Develop donor specific cultivation and stewardship plans with prospective and current donors, maintaining effective ongoing communications with donors to enhance their connection and support for the mission of the organization, to include written communication, phone calls, in-person meetings and small donor gatherings.

 

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE GRANT CULTIVATION AND STEWARDSHIP

1. Manage and grow a public and private grants portfolio. Manage prospecting, proposal development, proposal submission and reporting in partnership with staff and development consultants.

 

GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING

1. Develop and implement a grassroots fundraising plan to: (1) engage potential funders/donors/supporters and strengthen existing relationships with current funders/donors/supporters; and (2) nurture LYRIC’s organization-wide culture of fundraising.

2. Plan and coordinate LYRIC’s annual “Open House” event, in collaboration with youth and staff.

3. Work as external agency representative, as needed, including engaging community at various events and serving as LYRIC’s liaison to beneficiary events and beneficiary event organizers.

 

FUND DEVELOPMENT GOAL SETTING & DATA MANAGEMENT

1. Establish an annual work plan for the team, designating tasks, time-line and team member responsible.

2. Maintain and build fund development best practices, systems, procedures, and policies, including those related to donor database management (Raiser’s Edge) and gifts processing/entry/tracking/acknowledgement

3. Work with Finance & Operations Director to project and track the fund development-related revenue and expenses of the agency’s annual budget, including monthly fiscal reconciliation and annual audit preparation.

 

COMMUNICATIONS/SOLICITATION STRATEGIES

1. Develop and implement a complementary communications plan to: (1) highlight LYRIC’s vision and community impact; (2) strengthen the organization’s external messaging; and (3) cultivate donor relationships.

2. Strategize, plan, facilitate, and support communication and fund development sessions with and for board, staff, youth (including trainings, working groups, call nights, etc.)

3. Compose strong, effective internal and external communications content and correspondence with audience-specific styles, grammar and tones.

4. Craft key organization-wide messages and manage their distribution through various print media (organizational collateral, annual report, direct solicitation mailings, etc.) and digital channels (LYRIC Inside & Out E-News, LYRIC.org, social media, etc.), coordinating consultants and vendors as needed.

5. Manage and build the agency’s media portfolio by maintaining list of media outlet relationships and contacts, cataloging LYRIC news pieces, writing stories, and preparing press kits.

 

ORGANIZATIONAL

1. Participate as member of LYRIC’s Staff Leadership Team, working collaboratively to set and meet LYRIC’s strategic initiatives and annual work plans, following LYRIC’s operating principles.

2. Act as primary staff liaison to the LYRIC Board Fund Development Committee, partnering with the Committee Lead to set the committee’s annual work plan and achieve its goals.

3. Facilitate on-going-leadership development with direct reports, including initiating professional development goal setting process and identifying professional development opportunities for direct reports; complete direct reports’ annual performance reviews sufficiently and on-time, aligning individual performance expectations with organizational goals, providing clarity regarding expectations, providing fair/constructive/timely feedback towards performance expectations and goals and assistance/guidance/coaching support as needed.

4. Attend agency staff and board meetings and retreats, as required.

5. Perform other duties as assigned to fulfill the mission of LYRIC.

 

Qualifications:

1. Five+ years of professional experience, preferably in a non-profit environment.

2. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, or equivalent.

3. 3+ years of staff supervision experience.

4. Creative and innovative approach to fundraising and ability to link organization’s mission, programs, and priorities with donors’ interests in giving; experience raising $900K+ from private sources.

5. Familiarity with LGBTQQ giving culture.

6. Experience in communications planning and implementation of diverse communication strategies.

7. Excellent written communication skills (English); ability to compose, edit, and proofread materials

8. Strong verbal communication, presentation skills.

9. Extensive computer proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.

10. Graphic design experience; proven experience using graphics and web development tools, including Publisher, Wordpress, basic HTML.

11. Experience working with Social Media (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, etc.) on behalf of an organization, desired.

12. Knowledge of Raisers’ Edge or other fundraising database highly desired.

13. Excellent project management and planning skills. Attention to detail and the ability to prioritize and execute multiple projects within deadlines. Self-motivated. Ability to hold yourself accountable for your own work.

14. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment; highly organized.

15. Experience with budgeting and fiscal management.

16. Highly positive and enthusiastic style.

17. Commitment to ongoing self-improvement.

18. Commitment to the mission and philosophy of LYRIC.

19. Passion and commitment to fostering healthy LGBTQQ youth and ability to work in a supportive role within protocols that prioritize youth development principles and organizational capacity.

20. Knowledge of youth issues, particularly those affecting LGBTQQ youth.

21. Commitment to youth development, social justice and racial equity principles and practices.

22. Ability to interact with colleagues, LYRIC constituents, and other external audiences with a pleasant and effective manner.

23. Experience and competencies in working in a multiracial, multicultural environment.

 

Equal Opportunity Employer

LYRIC is an equal opportunity employer. Applications are strongly encouraged from women, people of color, immigrants, young people, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender and genderqueer people, people living with HIV/AIDS, people with disabilities, and bilingual and bicultural people. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. 

 

Compensation

$98,646 - $102,592 [DOE]

 

Benefits include:

• Full coverage of medical, dental, vision, and acupuncture/chiropractic insurance for employee; 

• $800 annual health & wellness cash supplement; 

• Annual, merit-based raises up to 5%; 

• 403b retirement plan; 

• Generous holiday, vacation, sick, and personal leave; 

• Flexible schedule to support work/life balance; and 

• Position may meet qualifications for Perkins Student Loan cancellation.

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HOW TO APPLY: Go to https://lyric.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=14