Director of Giving

Department: Philanthropy and Gift Planning
Reports to: VP of Philanthropy
Hours and Location: This is a full-time, exempt position, in a hybrid environment, that requires working onsite (200 Frank H. Ogawa, Oakland) for at least 3 days a week. It may also include occasional local travel to and from partner organizations, businesses, and donors. Occasional evenings and weekends will be required for events and networking. 
Starting Salary: $135,000-140,000
Ideal Start Date: July 1

About the East Bay Community Foundation  

Founded in 1928, EBCF is one of the nation’s first community foundations. Named the country’s “boldest” community foundation in 2019 by Inside Philanthropy, EBCF is committed to advancing an inclusive, fair, and just East Bay through four core program strategies: 

• Arts and Culture for Social and Racial Justice: Storytelling, the arts, and cultural practices have always been important tools for survival, healing, and resistance. These creative expressions build community resilience and power and give voice, agency, and visibility to communities most harmed by oppression. 

• Capacity Building with a Racial Equity Lens: EBCF is helping to strengthen organizations and the people who lead them, working to change systems in communities that have historically received little support. We want to ensure that organizations have the sustained investments and resources they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism. 

• Community Organizing, Power Building, and Movement Building: We believe that social movements led by communities most impacted by injustice are the most effective drivers of change. We resource BIPOC-led and serving power-building organizations through long term trust-based partnerships. 

• Fostering Inclusive Economic Models: We address racial and economic inequities in our region through work in three areas– entrepreneurship & business ownership as pathways to wealth building; workers’ rights and protections; and impact investing. 

With a geographic focus on Alameda and Contra Costa counties, EBCF works so that everyone has the economic freedom to dream, heal, and belong. We advance our work through leadership, grantmaking, impact investing, and building solidarity between donors and community. We commit to deploying all our resources in service of our mission and pushing beyond industry norms to offer uniquely impactful opportunities for our fund advisers to build A Just East Bay for all. EBCF manages more than 500 funds, with total assets in excess of $600M.These funds include donor-advised scholarships, field of interest, supporting organizations, and agency endowments. 

Joining EBCF means a commitment to advancing racial equity and transforming political, social, and economic realities. We will do this by creating spaces that center joy and opportunities for dreaming and reimagining a future for all who call the East Bay home to have the freedom to thrive for generations to come. 

For more information on the East Bay Community Foundation, please visit ebcf.org. 

Position Overview 

The Director of Giving is responsible for creating and executing fundraising strategies for East Bay Community Foundation’s Major Gifts and campaigns. The Director will be in charge of the Professional Advisor Leadership Council (PALC) engagement to secure new revenue streams. The Director will manage a portfolio of High-Net-Worth Major Donors with a primary goal of securing new six-figure support for EBCF’s work, and lead EBCF’s prospecting strategy. The Director will play a key role in driving revenue growth while expanding and diversifying our partner base. 

The ideal candidate will have a unique set of skills and experiences, combining social justice analysis with an entrepreneurial mindset, fundraising prowess, excellent customer service, and strong networking skills. 

The Director of Giving will report to the VP of Philanthropy and work closely with the other members of a joyful Philanthropy and Gift Planning team. 

The Team 

We are a hardworking, dynamic, playful, playful, and fast-paced team of professionals who reflect the diversity of the East Bay, share a sense of humor, a positive attitude, and a low ego high output mindset. We support EBCF’s fundraising efforts for local social justice work and see huge potential for growing our impact in the region and beyond. 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities 

1. Develop, and execute an annual campaign strategy, in close partnership with the VP of Philanthropy, to increase revenue from $2.5 million to $5.5 million annually over the next three years. 

2. Oversee the Professional Advisor Leadership Council (PALC) program. 

3. Collaborate closely with the VPP and Director of Philanthropy to oversee staff support of donor engagement, data management, and prospect research, with a focus on the Campaign for a Just East Bay (CAMP) and East Bay Future Fund (EBFF) in addition to aligning stewardship with individual and annual giving strategies. 

4. In partnership with the Vice President of Philanthropy and Director of Philanthropy, foster a healthy and supportive work environment by setting and monitoring departmental goals, conducting performance reviews, and providing ongoing constructive and positive feedback to staff. 

5. Strengthen and expand EBCF’s network of supporters with an emphasis on our Professional Advisor Leadership Council (PALC). Develop relationships with and support professional advisors, who work with high-net-worth individuals, and position EBCF as a trusted partner for philanthropic investment in the East Bay. 

6. Manage quarterly PALC events, regular messaging (newsletters), and one-on-one meetings. 

7. Manage a portfolio of approximately 150 fund advisors, donors without a DAF, and PALC members with the goal of raising $2M annually, including securing new six-figure gifts, by identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors to deepen their engagement and support for EBCF. 

8. Collaborate with the Vice President of Philanthropy and Director of Philanthropy to support departmental budgeting and funding portfolio management, develop and implement strategic plans, including stewardship and donor engagement plans, professional advisor engagement, opportunities for events and communication materials, prospecting, and new revenue streams, including lead institutional fundraising strategies to increase donor support for EBCF’s equity agenda. 

9. Oversees timely reports to inform campaign strategy decisions- including analyzing fundraising metrics and data to identify growth opportunities. 

10. Partner with teams across EBCF, including Community Investments & Partnerships, Marketing & Communications, Grants Management, and Finance to fulfill donors’ charitable goals.   

11. Partner with the Community Investment & Partnership (CIP) team to gather information about initiatives and program efforts that may be of interest to donors. 

12. Partner with Marketing and Communications to develop and execute marketing strategies to raise visibility and draw donors closer to the foundation’s work, including a case for support, solicitation materials, and ongoing communications. 

13. Help deepen and advance a concrete organization-wide strategy and structure around reimagining EBCF’s relationship with donors, centered around racial justice, community-led decision-making, and courageously addressing power and privilege. 

14. Serve as a visible and engaged representative of EBCF by building external relationships, sharing industry expertise, and enhancing the Foundation’s visibility through community involvement, speaking engagements, and strategic presence across the region. 

Skills, Abilities & Knowledge 

These are skills, abilities, knowledge, and experience qualifications we hope applicants will demonstrate in their application, but we do not expect applicants to possess all of these.    

1. Strong racial justice and social justice background, with the ability to listen, learn, and communicate with integrity and authenticity.  

2. Demonstrated commitment to EBCF’s mission, values, and goal of building an East Bay where everyone has the freedom to dream, heal, and belong.   

3. 10+ years of successful fundraising or business development experience, with a proven track record of growing revenue, securing six-figure commitments, and leading campaigns. Skilled in engaging major donors, particularly around wealth and social justice, and experienced with Donor Advised Funds through direct stewardship or work within a DAF-providing institution. 

4. Experience managing and coaching people, with a strong commitment to the successful development, management, and mentorship of diverse teams. 

5. CFRE certification and a Bachelors degree (or equivalent relevant experience) preferred. 

6. Charismatic storyteller and engaging listener, with superlative interpersonal skills, who is capable of energizing those around them to cultivate networks and build relationships with a wide range of people.  

7. Strong knowledge of financial planning and charitable giving strategies, with established relationships among Bay Area professional advisors (e.g., wealth managers, attorneys, accountants). Skilled in interpreting investment reports and navigating conversations on estate planning, donor-advised funds, charitable remainder trusts, and private foundations.  

8. Skilled in translating organizational strategies into clear, actionable plans; provide direction and coordination to ensure department goals are met effectively. 

9. Demonstrated strength in translating organizational strategies into actionable work plans, setting measurable goals, managing multiple projects, and ensuring timely execution to achieve departmental objectives. 

10. Commitment to collaborate with internal and external partners to influence decision-making, align efforts, and advance shared objectives. 

11. Team player who upholds and communicates leadership decisions with consistency; foster a solutions-oriented environment by navigating conflict, removing barriers, and enabling team success through constructive feedback and support 

12. Exceptional written, verbal, and visual communication skills with a keen attention to detail and the ability to persuade and engage effectively. 

13. Superior MS Office Suite skills (specifically advanced pivot features in Excel). 

14. Experience with database and CRM platforms and project management tools, ideally for a philanthropic institution or nonprofit, such as FIMS, Blackbaud, Raiser’s Edge NXT, Salesforce, Granthub, and Give Interactive.  

15. Experience with using AI research tools such as ChatGPT, ClaudeAI, and Bard. 

The Ideal Candidate will Have: 

1. Knowledge of and relationships in the East Bay (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), particularly around philanthropy and its social justice landscape.  

2. An openness, fluency, and comfort in talking about oppressions such as racism, sexism, and classism, and an understanding of how their own experiences and background relate.   

3. Belief in the importance of mobilizing and organizing donors to become powerful participants and allies in local social justice movements; an ability and interest to engage in potentially challenging conversations around intersectional identities like class, race, power and privilege with people with wealth.  

4. Brings a positive attitude, growth mindset, sense of humor, and low ego, paired with high initiative, adaptability, and a strong drive for results. Creative and solutions-oriented, with the ability to thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments and consistently deliver high-quality outcomes. 

Salary and Benefits   

Salary Range: $135,000 – 140,000 

EBCF offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401k retirement savings plan with 5% employee match, group term life insurance, disability insurance, 15 days of paid time off in year one to three, 20 days in year four and thereafter, sick leave, and 17 paid holidays per year. Plus, a Flexible Spending Account, an Employee Assistance Program, an annual professional development budget, commuter benefits, and matching gifts program.    

How to Apply 
To apply, please submit a combined PDF or Microsoft Word file of a cover letter and resume, via LinkedIn at Director of Giving. In your cover letter, please share how your experience matches the job description and why you are interested in working for EBCF. 

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The East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) is an equal-opportunity employer committed to racial justice and equity. EBCF does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law and is an employment-at-will organization. The Foundation welcomes and encourages people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ people, and members of other historically disenfranchised groups to apply.