Position Title: Vice President of Development

Reports To: Chief Advancement Officer

Community: Org Wide Role

Office Location: San Jose, CA; Redwood City, CA; Oakland, CA; or Richmond, CA (up to 50% hybrid role of in-person and remote)

Status: Full-time, exempt

About Fresh Lifelines for Youth

Fresh Lifelines for Youth is an award-winning non-profit whose mission is to partner with youth to unlock their potential, disrupt the pipeline to prison, and advance justice in California and beyond. By 2030, through partnering with young people, communities, and systems, FLY will contribute to the fight for equity and justice by taking concrete steps to dismantle California’s pipeline to prison, equip 30,000 youth to transform their lives and create meaningful opportunities for them to live healthy, free, and productive lives. For more information about Fresh Lifelines for Youth, please visit: www.flyprogram.org

Vice President of Development - Position Summary

FLY’s Vice President of Development (VPoD) partners closely with the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) to co-lead strategy and planning for the organization’s overall revenue generation and philanthropic efforts, with a primary focus on cultivating and growing major donors and individual giving and corporate partnerships. Together, the CAO and VPoD shape and execute innovative fundraising approaches that align with and advance FLY’s mission and strategic goals, as defined in its Imagine 2030 Strategic Plan.

The VPoD leads efforts to develop and sustain a robust pipeline of individual donor investments, including cultivating high-net-worth donors and equipping organizational leaders with strategies to steward key relationships. The VPof D will also cultivate and develop corporate relationships that lead to funding which may include sponsorship, employee engagement, employee matching or access to corporate foundation funds. The VPoD also plays a critical internal leadership role in building a fundraising culture across the organization and mentoring staff and board members in partnership with the CAO to serve as external ambassadors.

While the CAO oversees broader advancement strategies—including institutional partnerships, branding, communications, and external affairs—the VPoD supports that work and serves as the key strategist and implementer of individual and major donor fundraising efforts, as well as corporate funding, contributing significantly to the agency’s long-term financial sustainability.

Position Responsibilities

Strategy & Leadership

• Collaborate with the CAO to co-create and execute FLY’s comprehensive agency-wide development strategy, with particular responsibility for individual giving and major donor cultivation and corporate engagement.
• Formulate and implement short- and long-term goals for donor development, with a focus on growing FLY’s individual donor base and major gifts portfolio and corporate prospecting.
• Provide thought leadership in the creation of a donor stewardship program including donor/funder engagement experiences that align with FLY’s mission and values.
• Align major donor and corporate giving efforts with broader fundraising strategies.
• Partner with the CAO to support their role as a key fundraiser by providing strategic input, donor briefings, and relationship management guidance.
• In partnership with the CAO lead and inspire a cross-functional development team focused on achieving revenue targets, nurturing partnerships, and fostering a culture of philanthropy.

• Supervise the Associate Director of Individual Giving and provide strategic oversight of grant and fundraising operations.

Major Donor and Individual Giving

• Develop and manage a pipeline and portfolio of major donors. Lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts.
• Design and execute tailored strategies to identify, cultivate, and solicit gifts from individuals capable of making transformational gifts, including development of a major donor journey map.
• Equip senior leaders and board members with tools, materials, and training needed to effectively engage in donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Collaborate with the communications team to ensure consistent and high-quality donor communication and storytelling that deepens engagement and inspires investment.

Corporate Giving and Engagement

• Cultivate and steward relationships with past corporate sponsors and funders, identifying additional opportunities for meaningful and mission-aligned engagement.
• Proactively prospect and secure new corporate partnerships that align with FLY’s values and programs, with a focus on:
  1. Corporate sponsorships and philanthropic donations to support FLY’s initiatives and events.
  2. Employee volunteer engagement, offering opportunities for corporate partners to contribute time, skills, and mentorship that enhance FLY’s impact.
  3. In-kind contributions, such as technology equipment, event space, professional services, and other resources that support operational and programmatic goals.
• Collaborate with the Communications and Programs teams to develop compelling sponsorship packages and volunteer engagement opportunities that provide mutual benefit and visibility.
• Track and assess corporate partnership success and potential, ensuring alignment with FLY’s strategic priorities and commitment to equity and inclusion.

Fundraising Events & Community Engagement

• Lead the strategy and planning of donor events and experiences with the Associate Director of Individual Giving designed to increase giving and build community around FLY’s mission.
• Serve as a visible, credible, and persuasive ambassador for FLY within donor circles and at public-facing events.
• Oversee event fundraising goals and ensure donor engagement strategies are integrated into event planning

Board Engagement & Support

• Partner with the CAO to engage the Board of Directors in fundraising initiatives.
• Support board onboarding and training to increase board member confidence and effectiveness in donor relations.
• Staff board committees and special task forces focused on development initiatives and campaigns.

Cross-Agency Collaboration & Messaging

• Work with Communications, FLY youth and Alumni, and other departments to ensure cohesive and compelling storytelling across all development channels.
• Support messaging that showcases FLY’s impact in order to strengthen donor loyalty and long-term giving.
• Apply fundraising best practices that center youth voice and FLY’s values.

Compensation & Benefits

This position is a full-time exempt role at a rate of $151,410 annually. Our Total Rewards Package also includes the following:

• Full medical dental, vision, and chiropractic healthcare and retirement contribution match
• 10+ PTO Days
• 12 Holiday Days
• FLY provides 3-4 additional "rejuvenation days off" twice per year in July and December
• Annual Wellness Funds
• Annual Professional Development Funds
• Employee Assistance Program (paid for by FLY)
• Annual Staff Retreat, Holiday Party, End of Year Celebration, Team Off Sites, and other FLY Events.
• Customize your Work Schedule (dependent on supervisor approval based on positional and departmental needs)
• Hybrid of In-Office and Remote Work (frequency of required in-person work is dependent upon the role)
• 8 Hours of Civic Engagement
• Mileage Reimbursement.

At FLY, we have adopted a no-negotiation policy. This policy reflects our commitment to equity and ensuring that the offers we make to our candidates reflect competitive and appropriate compensation given the market and the role.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion

At FLY, we embrace a diversity of identities, beliefs, thoughts, and experiences. We commit to creating an organizational culture of equity and inclusion to better serve our youth and communities. FLY is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive for an inclusive culture and a staff team that reflects diversity. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex/gender, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. We strongly encourage women; people of color, people who identify as part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities; people with experience in the juvenile justice or criminal justice systems; and people with disabilities to apply. Fresh Lifelines for Youth is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at (408) 263-2630 or compliance@flyprogram.org

COVID-19 Vaccination

At FLY, we are committed to the safety of our employees, clients, and all others who enter our workplace. As such, FLY would like to make clear that the COVID-19 vaccination is a condition of employment. However, FLY does allow staff to apply for exemptions based on medical history or sincerely held religious beliefs or practices. This must be approved through FLY’s compliance department. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact us at (408) 263-2630 or email compliance@flyprogram.org

What to expect

• Application with 8-10 questions and an applicant screening question.
  • No Cover Letter Required
• 2-3 Interviews (for many roles, at least 1 would be in person)
• Meet w/FLY youth
• Work Product (Done in advance of the Final Round Interview)

Position Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a deep commitment to equity, social, racial, and economic justice. They will believe in FLY’s vision, mission and values: accountable, dedicated, respectful, equitable and just, loving, innovative, hopeful, and youth-centered.

The ideal candidate will also have the following;

• Proven track record of securing six figure gifts from individuals and corporations
• Serve as a highly accountable and competent leader, responsible for executing with excellence and aligning with agency-wide goals.
• Model strong decision-making, collaboration, and responsiveness to the CEO, CAO, executive team, and direct reports.
• Represent FLY with integrity and enthusiasm to donors, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Play an active role in agency-wide problem solving and be a reliable thought partner to executive colleagues.
• Embody and model FLY’s values, acting as a role model and brand ambassador across the organization.

Core Competencies: Skills and behaviors that FLY expects and develops all staff to exhibit across all positions at various levels of proficiency (early stage, intermediate and advanced)

• Cultural Responsivity: Demonstrates an openness and commitment to equity, justice, and belonging. This includes being aware of one’s own bias and privilege, building an understanding of systems of oppression, and valuing diverse perspectives; you take actions to learn and contribute to an environment that creates power-sharing, access, and opportunity within our community.
• High Quality: The ability to own your work, be accountable, and take initiative to produce high-quality results. This includes setting and achieving standards that demonstrate a high level of care and commitment to our mission, our population, our colleagues and our partners.
• Collaboration: The ability to work effectively within a team and intentionally across teams to contribute to FLY’s mission and agency goals. When working with others, you exercise your strengths and build on the strengths of others.
• Communication: The ability to convey information effectively with consideration of the situation and audience. This includes communicating clearly with people of different backgrounds and cultures in which you demonstrate self-awareness, empathy, and active listening.
• Problem Solving: Applies critical thinking to problem solving that considers multiple perspectives and actively identifies creative solutions to address individual and systemic challenges.
• Adaptability: The ability to adapt and respond to change effectively. This includes engaging in continuous learning, maintaining a solutions orientation, and proactively seeking opportunities to be supportive of change that best serves our mission.

FLY’s Leadership Competencies: Skills and behaviors that FLY expects and develops all staff in Leadership positions to exhibit across various levels of proficiency (early stage, intermediate and advanced)

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates self-awareness and the ability to process one’s own emotions and the impact and influence on others. This includes maintaining a compassionate and authentic perspective of issues and information that allows you to effectively work through challenges with teams and to respond with empathy.
• Change Management: The ability to recognize a need and assess the readiness for change. This includes effectively promoting and building commitment toward change and successfully guiding your team through the implementation process.
• Strategic Decision-making: Effectively structures and facilitates inclusive decision-making processes. This includes responsibly making informed decisions to improve organizational health and impact through the use of key information to problem solve and to identify equitable solutions.
• Develops & Motivates Others: Motivates, inspires and supports teams and individuals through strong coaching, mentorship, and targeted development activities. Builds healthy and effective teams through regular feedback, collaboration, role clarity and conflict resolution.
• External Relationship Builder: Invests in and builds strong, trusted and ongoing relationships with external partners and cultivates new relationships. This includes the ability to analyze and understand relationships as a strategy for achieving the mission, which often means navigating complex relationships while anchoring to FLY’s values.
• Project Management: The ability to create project plans, implement plans with effective delegation to team members, and manage those plans to intended impact, while adjusting the course when needed. This includes managing at various levels of complexity and scale, as well as anticipating potential barriers and evolving plans to achieve the desired impact.

Note on Qualifications: In FLY’s quest for an equitable hiring process, candidates are encouraged to apply even if they feel they only meet 75% of the position requirements.