Vice President of Philanthropy

Join Our Team as Vice President of Philanthropy

Program: Development & Advancement

Location: San Francisco, CA

Reports to: Co-Chief Executive Officer

Salary: $145,000–$165,000 annually, commensurate with experience

Status: Full-time, Exempt

About Community Forward

Community Forward SF is defining radical care for San Francisco’s most vulnerable women and gender-expansive people by providing essential housing, mental health services, and crisis response. From operating the city’s only 24-hour women’s drop-in center to leading a bold campaign to launch a new women’s center, we fight for housing justice, racial equity, and gender liberation—not just survival, but dignity.

As we expand our footprint and deepen our impact, we are building a powerhouse development team led by a strategic, justice-minded, and revenue-savvy Vice President of Philanthropy.

Your Impact as Vice President of Philanthropy

The Vice President of Philanthropy will serve as the chief architect of Community Forward SF’s fundraising vision and strategy. Reporting to the Co-CEOs and as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the VP will design, oversee, and execute a diversified revenue plan to meet current and future organizational needs. This role manages a growing development department, partners closely with the Co-CEO on a $15M+ capital and programmatic campaign, serves as a liaison with the board of directors on giving and strategy, and stewards a portfolio of major donors and funders. While Community Forward has served San Franciscans since 1978, our development department has only been in place since 2020. The ideal candidate will bring strong leadership, an ability to help us scale up from a small team, a deep understanding of philanthropic trends, and a passion for building sustainable funding models rooted in racial and gender justice.

What you will do

Lead Fundraising Strategy & Execution

• Develop and lead an integrated annual fundraising strategy to raise $1M+ annually from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
• Personally cultivate and steward a portfolio of 50–75 major gift prospects and donors capable of giving $25,000+ annually.
• Partner with the Co-CEOs, Board, and Campaign Manager to drive donor engagement for a comprehensive $15M+ campaign, including major gifts, legacy giving, and institutional partnerships.
• Oversee and innovate across all fundraising streams, including events, donor communications, corporate engagement, and new philanthropic partnerships.
• Lead development of fundraising dashboards, campaign reports, donor pipelines, and grant calendars.

Grow and Inspire Your Team

• Supervise, mentor, and grow a high-performing Development team.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, boldness, and equity within the department and across the organization.
• Partner with the the Programs team, broader staff and clients to ensure the voices of those with direct experience are integrated into the Development team.

Build Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Strategy

• Co-lead development of annual revenue budgets and multi-year projections in collaboration with the finance team and campaign leadership.
• Monitor revenue performance against targets and adjust strategy in real time to ensure financial goals are met or exceeded.
• Ensure transparency and accountability in fundraising expense management and return on investment analysis.
• Translate revenue planning into fundraising strategy—aligning staffing, timelines, and donor outreach with organizational needs.

Collaborate Across Systems

• Serve on the Senior Leadership Team to ensure alignment between fundraising, program goals, and organizational priorities.
• Work with the Co-CEO to build a strong Capital Campaign Committee and internal team and ensure campaign strategies are community-rooted, data-informed, and operationally feasible.
• Partner with the VP of Reentry and Public Affairs to align fundraising strategy with public policy work.
• Collaborate cross-departmentally to elevate program impact in donor-facing communications and campaign.
• Ensure fundraising approaches reflect Community Forward’s values of racial equity, harm reduction, and survivor-centered care.

Employment Terms and Disclaimers

Community Forward SF (CFSF) reserves the right to revise job descriptions or work hours as required. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the person assigned to this position. Essential job duties are intended to describe those functions that are primary to the performance of this job. Other job duties include those that are considered secondary to the overall purpose of this position. This position description does not state or imply that the above are the only duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Employees holding this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties as requested by the supervisor and management. All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability. All jobs are subject to contract funding availability. CFSF will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if CFSF is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the Civil Rights Department Fair Chance Act webpage.

What You Bring

• 7–10 years of fundraising experience, with 5+ years in senior leadership roles
• Proven track record of raising $1M+ annually through major gifts and institutional funding
• Strong financial acumen in budgeting and campaign forecasting
• Experience building and leading high-performing development teams
• Deep commitment to racial, gender, and economic justice
• Knowledge of trauma-informed, community-based approaches
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Proficiency with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, EveryAction) and project management tools (e.g., Asana)
• CFRE certification is a plus, but not required
• Familiarity with San Francisco’s philanthropic and social justice landscape preferred