CAA Senior Manager of Development

Position Summary

The Senior Development Manager plans and implements major donor events, aligns events design with overall fundraising strategy, manages internal cross team coordination and external vendors. This role supervises the Development Coordinator position, and oversees development operations, including donor stewardship and communications.

About Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA)

Chinese for Affirmative Action was founded in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy in the United States. Today, CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial and social injustice.

At the grassroots level, our community building work nurtures the ability of immigrants to participate fully in civic life. These activities include direct services, leadership development, and civic engagement with limited-English proficient newcomers and immigrants on issues that impact our community. At the systemic level, CAA leads advocacy, communications, and movement building work to improve public policy and shape public discourse. We produce community-based research, publish policy analyses and recommendations, influence opinion through media, organize to engage elected and government officials, and nurture a range of progressive coalitions.

In 2014, CAA helped to launch the Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE) network, which focuses on long-term movement building, capacity infrastructure, and leadership support for Asian Americans committed to social justice. Including CAA, there are currently 11 partnering member groups with unique strengths. Fiscal sponsorship, administrative, and operational support is provided centrally for all of these groups so they can focus on their core programs.

In 2020, CAA was one of the founding organizations of Stop AAPI Hate (SAH), a U.S.-based coalition dedicated to ending racism and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAs & PIs). SAH strives to advance the multiracial movement for equity and justice by building power for our communities, working in solidarity with other communities of color, and advocating for comprehensive solutions that tackle the root causes of race-based hate.

With local offices anchored at its San Francisco Chinatown headquarters, CAA provides direct services and maintains an active state policy presence through an office and partnership in Sacramento, and statewide and national advocacy through English and Chinese-language strategic communications and a variety of active relationships with allies.

Position Description

CAA is seeking a highly organized fundraising professional with strong event planning and execution skills to serve as its Senior Development Manager for Donor Events. Reporting to the Director of Individual Giving and Donor Engagement, this position leads CAA’s donor events strategy and execution as a core part of the organization’s relationship-driven individual giving program.

Donor events are a core part of CAA’s individual giving strategy and an important way to deepen relationships, strengthen the community of CAA supporters, and advance fundraising goals. The Senior Development Manager is responsible for organizing and implementing CAA’s major donor events and stewardship gatherings, including the Celebration of Justice gala, the Leadership Circle appreciation event, and the Legacy Society lunch, as well as developing new supporter-led or other donor engagement opportunities over time.

The Senior Development Manager provides leadership for the planning and implementation of CAA’s donor events, ensuring that events, and their related appeals, sponsorships, and communications, are aligned with CAA’s broader individual giving strategy. The role manages event execution through vendors, contractors, volunteers, supporters, and staff, and partners with colleagues across CAA to ensure that donor events are well-run, financially successful, and connected to strong donor follow-up and stewardship. The Senior Development Manager also supervises the Development Coordinator, who supports development operations, including donor communications workflows, event support, mailings, collateral coordination, and review of donation and receipt tracking and processing.

Key Responsibilities

Donor Events Strategy and Leadership

• Lead CAA’s donor events program to deepen donor relationships, build community among supporters, and advance fundraising goals.
• Develop the annual donor events plan, including the purpose, audience, goals, and role of each event within CAA’s broader individual giving strategy.
• Plan and manage CAA’s major fundraising and stewardship events, including the Celebration of Justice gala, the Leadership Circle appreciation event, the Legacy Society lunch, and other donor gatherings.
• Develop and test new donor engagement opportunities, including supporter-led events and other gatherings that may help expand and strengthen CAA’s donor community.
• Work with the Director of Individual Giving and Donor Engagement to ensure that event goals, audiences, messaging, and follow-up are integrated with CAA’s individual giving strategy.
• Coordinate with CAA leaders, board members, supporters, and other event champions to strengthen attendance, sponsorships, fundraising, and donor engagement.
• Oversee event planning from concept through completion, including timelines, budgets, vendors, contractors, volunteers, staffing plans, sponsorships, run-of-show, guest experience, and post-event follow-up.
• Ensure that donor events are warm, polished, mission-aligned experiences that effectively cultivate, steward, and engage CAA supporters.
• Track event revenue, expenses, participation, sponsorships, and other results; assess event performance and recommend improvements over time.

Event Communications and Sponsorships

• Coordinate with program, communications, development, and other relevant teams to ensure that donor events are well integrated with CAA’s substantive work, communications calendar, and broader donor engagement strategy.
• Coordinate the development of strong, timely, and effective event-related communications, including invitations, event appeals, sponsorship materials, event collateral, acknowledgments, and follow-up communications.
• Oversee event sponsorship strategy, materials, outreach support, fulfillment, and stewardship in coordination with the Director of Individual Giving and Donor Engagement and other organizational leaders.
• Ensure that event-related communications and materials are accurate, compelling, and aligned with CAA’s voice, priorities, and fundraising goals.

Donor Engagement and Follow-Up

• Support donor cultivation and stewardship connected to events and other event-related engagement opportunities.
• Work with the Director of Individual Giving and Donor Engagement to identify event-related opportunities for donor follow-up, relationship deepening, and future engagement.
• Coordinate with staff, board members, volunteers, and supporters involved in events to ensure that key donor interactions and next steps are captured and advanced.
• Help ensure that donor event participation and responses are reflected in development systems and used to inform future engagement.

Project, Vendor, and Management

• Manage complex event work plans involving staff, vendors, contractors, volunteers, supporters, and other collaborators, ensuring clear roles, timelines, communication, and accountability.
• Source, hire, and manage vendors and contractors as needed for events and related development work.
• Coordinate staff participation in donor events, ensuring roles are clear and they’re equipped to contribute effectively.
• Foster regular communication, collaboration, and strong workflows for donor event teams.

Staff Supervision

• Oversee and supervise Development Coordinator, including assigning and directing work, setting clear expectations, providing guidance and coaching, identifying training needs, offering regular feedback to staff, ensuring team members meet their objectives and deadlines, and that supervisory practices align with organizational policies
• Develop and implement team goals, resolve complex issues within team and make significant decisions that impact team operations
• Manage team members’ development plans, conduct performance evaluations, make recommendations for corrective counseling if necessary, address conflicts and foster collaboration among team members with processes that allow for regular feedback and brainstorming

Development Operations and Systems

• In partnership with the Director of Individual Giving and Donor Engagement and other administrative and database staff, supervise and provide oversight for the Development Coordinator’s work supporting development operations, including donor communications workflows, event support, mailings, collateral coordination, and review of donation and receipt tracking and processing.
• Coordinate with the Development Coordinator and other relevant colleagues to ensure that event, sponsorship, acknowledgment, and reporting workflows support donor engagement goals.
• Use donor and event data to support planning, evaluate results, and inform future fundraising and stewardship strategies.
• Help maintain accurate and timely information related to event participation, sponsorships, event communications, and follow-up.

Other Duties

• Perform administrative duties as required for the position.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the overall mission of the organization.
• Contribute to a positive work environment in alignment with organizational values.

Other Details

Reports to: Director of Individual Giving & Donor Engagement

Supervisor Duties: Yes

Position Type: Full-time, 40 hours per week

FLSA Status: Exempt, not eligible for overtime

Location: San Francisco office. Eligible for hybrid work. Must be based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Schedule: Monday to Friday; at least 2 days/week in office; occasional nights and weekends

Deadline: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis, and early submissions encouraged.

Required Qualifications

• Deep commitment to the mission, values, and programs of CAA.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in event planning and management, preferably including fundraising, stewardship, or donor cultivation events in social justice, nonprofit, or community-based organizations.
• 2+ years of direct supervision experience of employees, contractors, and volunteers.
• Strong experience managing large and small events from concept through follow-up, including budgets, vendors, volunteers, staffing, logistics, and guest experience.
• Experience using donor events to support fundraising, cultivation, stewardship, and community-building goals.
• Strong project-management skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex workstreams, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with donors, board members, volunteers, vendors, staff, and community leaders.
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential or sensitive information.
• Ability to use fundraising data and donor systems to track results and inform planning.
• Excellent written, verbal, organizational, and analytical skills.
• Experience with Salesforce, Every Action or comparable donor CRMs
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and collaboration tools such as Asana and Slack.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Ability to work in person at the CAA office in San Francisco, and attend Bay Area or regional activities as needed.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience fundraising in Asian American, immigrant rights, civil rights, or other social justice contexts.
• Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising best practices and compliance standards.
• Advanced experience with Salesforce, Every Action, or comparable donor CRMs
• Ability to speak conversational Cantonese and/or Mandarin.

To Apply

Apply by submitting an application and uploading a cover letter and resume to: https://tinyurl.com/SrDevMgr

In your cover letter, describe your interest in the position and the organization, and highlight relevant experience. Please note that incomplete applications that do not contain a cover letter and a resume will not be considered.

CAA shares fiscal sponsorship with Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE). Staff hired by CAA will be employees of AACRE.

AACRE is dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment where everyone is valued and discrimination has no place. We are committed to serving the rich diversity of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and strongly encourage women, trans and gender expansive individuals, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with conviction or arrest records, and those living with disabilities to apply.

AACRE is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). We consider all qualified candidates for employment regardless of age, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.

Please visit https://caasf.org for more information.

We are committed to supporting our employees to thrive in service of our mission by providing generous benefits, which include 100% health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employee coverage and 65% for dependent coverage; employer-funded health reimbursement account; paid time off; and professional development stipend.