Director of Individual Giving and Events

The Director of Individual Giving and Events (“Director”) will execute Hot Bread Kitchen’s Individual Giving program, under the guidance of the Vice President of Development (“VP”) and Chief Advancement Officer (“CAO”). The individual program is a critical component in growing the organization’s $11 million+ annual revenue and raises $3M+ annually. This role will also serve as a key project manager on all events, including Hot Bread Kitchen’s annual Breadwinners Benefit, in collaboration with the VP and Events Manager.

Reporting to the VP, the role will grow and diversify the organization’s individual giving portfolio, which includes principal and major gifts, the Annual Breadwinners Benefit, mid-level gifts, campaigns and appeals, and engagement of the Young Professionals Committee. This role will support Board giving and engagement, in collaboration with the VP and CAO. The Director will lead a team of three, and will oversee two direct reports, the Individual Giving Manager and the Events Manager.

The successful candidate will thrive on a complex and fast-paced development team. They translate ambitious fundraising goals and strategies into clear action plans, team calendars, and data reports. They set high standards and drive an individual giving team to meet those standards while balancing many competing priorities. They have experience as an individual giving fundraiser and can coach team members to successfully build donor relationships and solicit new and increased gifts.

Key responsibilities include:

Fundraising Program Leadership

• Execute fundraising strategies to grow individual giving revenue, from principal donors, events, campaigns, mid-level donors, and participation-level gifts.
• Collaborate with the VP and CAO to set annual fundraising goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) for the Individual Giving team.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Individual Giving program, including donor prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities. Set clear roles and responsibilities across team members and build team collaboration and unity.
• Supervise and provide strategic guidance to the Individual Giving Manager and Individual Giving Coordinator, who will oversee mid-level donors, campaigns, participation-level gifts, and the Young Professionals Committee. This team also supports the Major and Principal donor portfolios.
• Ensure donors and prospects at all levels have customized and proactive cultivation and stewardship plans, that can be shared with the VP and CAO.

Donor Engagement

• Oversee a portfolio of principal and major individual donors and prospects that will grow over time. The Director owns engagement plans and calendars for each donor in their portfolio. They will personally cultivate and solicit some donors. For all principal and many major gifts, they will manage up and prepare the VP, CAO, and CEO to engage and solicit donors.
• Collaborate and support the VP and CAO on Board activities, including Board giving, prospecting, and engagement.
• Develop compelling donor-facing materials and messaging, including gift proposals and reports, stewardship touchpoints, and cultivation emails. Review and approve donor-facing materials created by their team.
• Understand and personally connect to Hot Bread Kitchen’s mission and programs, in order to share our story with external stakeholders.

Events

• Oversee the fundraising success and execution of the Breadwinners Benefit held annually in the spring, in collaboration with the VP, CAO, Director of Brand, and Events Manager.
• Execute benefit solicitations and stewardship for honorees, co-chairs, sponsors, and other stakeholders, guided by event strategy set by the CAO and VP.
• Supervise the Events Manager to lead donor-facing events at Hot Bread Kitchen and ensure a positive guest experience and a fundraising mindset at each event. Work with the Events Manager to create an event planning timeline and meet all milestones and deadlines.

ABOUT THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

The successful candidate will be an experienced manager that thrives in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, and collaborative workplace. They set clear project plans and timelines and hold themselves and their team accountable for results. At the same time, they build strong relationships with individuals engaged in Hot Bread Kitchen’s mission and can present the work of the organization externally.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

• Passionate about Hot Bread Kitchen’s mission and programs.
• Progressive experience in individual giving is required, with an ideal tenure of at least 5+ years.
• Keen emotional intelligence and strong people management skills, with experience supervising and mentoring staff.
• Sets clear priorities and drives toward measurable revenue outcomes, while building structured plans and timelines to achieve them.
• Strong analytical and systems thinker who sees gaps in our fundraising process and creates solutions to fix them.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to craft compelling donor messaging.
• Decisive and action-oriented, with the ability to move initiatives forward in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Proficient in technology and comfortable with tools such as Salesforce, Asana, and Slack.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS: This is a hybrid position with some flexibility to work remotely. Regular in-person attendance is required weekly for departmental needs and events, averaging three times a week. Availability to work in-person full time, and occasionally early morning and evening, is required. Office Headquarters is located in Manhattan at Chelsea Market (A/C/E/L).

Hot Bread Kitchen offers a generous benefits package including comprehensive medical, dental, & vision insurance, generous PTO, 401K, and much more.