Development Associate at Culinary Nonprofit

Job Description

Sprouts Chef Training is seeking a people-loving, organized, and initiative-forward Development Associate to foster and nourish Sprouts’ vibrant community of supporters through fundraising campaigns, sponsorships, donor touch-points, and community events. This role is ideal for someone who loves people, feels strongly about mission-driven work, and enjoys orchestrating fundraising events.

This position is perfect for someone who thrives in collaborative, all-hands-on deck environments and also thrives doing independent work behind a computer to track donor details, update CRM inputs, and complete donor admin tasks. Projects can range from ideating with an event committee of donors on engaging event ideas to updating a sponsorship tracker with our latest impact report. This is an ideal role for someone who would like to grow in the development world and learn directly from a nonprofit founder and Executive Director with 20 years of experience. Your behind the scenes work will directly support the funding of Sprouts’ youth programming and mission. As you evolve in the position, there will be opportunities to oversee and eventually offer mentorship to other interns and teammates.

Chef Training Program Overview

Sprouts enables Bay Area and NYC youth to rise from hardship through culinary training and job placement. Youth are paired with chef mentors and case managers to build the skills needed to secure and maintain culinary jobs. Every year, Sprouts supports 75-100 young adults to achieve stability and financial autonomy.

Key Responsibilities

Sponsorship

• Cultivating relationships with past, present, and potential corporate sponsors; ideating on what value means to them to create win-win partnerships
• Draft outreach emails and organize follow-up tasks for corporate partners and sponsors
• Create sponsorship decks, agreements, and reports
• Maintain up-to-date records in our customized CRM to track sponsor contacts, deliverables, and payments
• Coordinate timelines and deliverables with the Events and Marketing team

Donor Engagement and Communication

• Touch points with donors (phone calls, emails, happy birthday cards, hand-written notes in mail, ideation meetings)
• Update donor records and contact logs
• Support donor acknowledgment processes, including thank-you emails and letters

Grant & Foundation Support

• Conduct research to identify potential grant opportunities
• Maintain calendar of grant deadlines and submission requirements
• Support the preparation and submission of grant proposals by gathering materials, drafting sections, and ensuring deliverable meets all requirements.
• Track submissions and maintain organized records of grant communications and outcomes

Event Coordination

• Help plan and execute cultivation and fundraising events
• Supporting event committees with communication, meeting notes, and support
• Organize details for food & beverage procurement, venue logistics, in-kind donations, RSVPs guest list, and seating charts
• Send personalized invitations and event outreach to key attendees and honored guests
• Assemble event collateral in collaboration with Marketing Team
• Coordinate and execute sponsorship recognition for events

Skills and Experience

• 2+ years of relevant experience (internships or volunteer work in development, nonprofit admin, events, or customer service welcome)
• Enjoys working with upper management, teammates, key donors, and board members
• Eager to incorporate processes developed by our Founder over two decades of fundraising
• Detail-oriented, dependable, and organized
• Shows strong initiative and ownership of tasks; proactive about asking questions and seeking clarity when needed
• Strong written communication and follow-through skills
• Comfortable with repetitive and administrative tasks (i.e. conducting outreach, updating CRMs)
• Receptive to feedback and able to adapt to evolving expectations and leadership styles
• Personable and professional communicator; able to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders and audiences
• Flexible and solution-oriented
• Skilled at translating broad ideas into actionable steps and creating structures
• Familiarity with Google Suite
• A commitment to Sprouts’ mission and enthusiasm for youth development and career access

Your Professional Growth

We believe that everyone has unique talents, passions, and interests to contribute. We will work with you individually to make sure that your skill set is highlighted and your goals for personal and professional growth are met.

Locations and Hours

• Full-time (30 to 40 hours/week based on candidate’s preference)
• Remote, hours are open to applicant
• Travel to Bay Area for seasonal events such as March and October, 2026

Commitments and Contract Period

Starting Date Window: January 21, 2026 to February 21, 2026

Compensation

• Coordinator Level: $65,000-$75,000, depending on experience and skill set
• Manager & Beyond Level: $75,000-$90,000
• 12 paid vacation days (accrued), annually
• 13 paid federal holidays, annually
• Paid sick time according to state regulations
• $450 stipend for remote office equipment upon signing of contract
• $150 monthly remote work stipend, eligible after first 30-days of employment
• $300 monthly tax-free insurance/healthcare stipend through QSEHRA account, eligible after first 30-days of employment

How to Apply

Please submit the following to our team at sprouts@sproutscheftraining.org:

• Resume
• Cover letter that explains why your skill set, interests/goals, and past experiences are pertinent to the position
• LinkedIn profile URL

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. The interview process will include a take-home work exercise designed to reflect the role’s responsibilities.

Sprouts Theory of Change

1. Jobs change lives
2. Kitchens heal
3. It takes a village

Sprouts Culture & Values

• Be jazzed

Impact is rewarding. Growth is exciting. Be jazzed!

• Celebrate our youth

Our youth’s success brings us the ultimate joy.

• YOU first

We take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others. We are here to grow and learn.

• Solution-forward thinking

Problems are exciting growth opportunities! We brainstorm solutions to problems and always present them in pairs.

• All hands on deck

We aren’t limited to one role. We pitch in where help is needed.

• Zero projections

We ask first! We don’t assume others think, work, or behave like us.

• Be communicative

Benevolent and honest communication is queen.

• Initiative mentality

We take ownership of our work. We don’t wait to be asked.

• Do more with less

We strive to reach the maximum impact with our resources. We are grateful for what we have.

• Think out of the box

We don’t confine ourselves to social constructs and limiting thought patterns

Compensation

• Coordinator Level: $65,000-$75,000, depending on experience and skill set
• Manager & Beyond Level: $75,000-$90,000
• 12 paid vacation days (accrued), annually
• 13 paid federal holidays, annually
• Paid sick time according to state regulations
• $450 stipend for remote office equipment upon signing of contract
• $150 monthly remote work stipend, eligible after first 30-days of employment
• $300 monthly tax-free insurance/healthcare stipend through QSEHRA account, eligible after first 30-days of employment