Development Manager

The Development Manager leads fundraising and communications efforts for Sanctuary Farm Phila, supporting a growing and community-centered urban agriculture nonprofit. This role is responsible for managing grants, donor engagement, and external communications, while building systems and relationships that strengthen long-term sustainability.

Working closely with the Executive Director, staff, Development Committee and Board of Directors, the Development Manager plays a key role in shaping how the organization tells its story, engages supporters, and secures funding. The role also leverages digital and AI-assisted tools to streamline workflows and increase efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising & Grants

• Identify and pursue grant opportunities; write proposals, budgets, and reports
• Serve as primary point of contact for foundations and grantors
• Track grant deliverables and collaborate with staff and leadership to ensure funds are used as proposed
• Support capital campaign efforts, including donor research, outreach coordination, and progress tracking

Donor Stewardship & Annual Giving

• Plan and execute annual giving campaigns, including end-of-year appeals and Giving Tuesday
• Maintain donor records in Little Green Light and ensure timely acknowledgments, tracking, and reporting
• Support donor cultivation by tracking giving data and notifying staff/board of engagement opportunities
• Monthly donor tracking and Thank You’s

Communications

• Produce monthly e-newsletters and contribute to social media messaging in collaboration with the Social Media Manager
• Create key organizational materials, including annual impact reports, program one-pagers, and donor communications
• Provide regular updates to the Board, including quarterly development reports and communications about engagement opportunities
• review and update website content monthly as needed

Events & Campaign Support

• Support planning and execution of fundraising events (including donor outreach, sponsorship coordination, and logistics) in collaboration with Development Committee and Board of Directors,
• Assist with broader organizational events (e.g., Fall Festival), including sponsor engagement, materials creation, and follow-up

Partnerships & External Relations

• Build and maintain relationships with community partners, funders, and collaborators
• Represent Sanctuary Farm in meetings with partner organizations and prospective collaborators

Systems & Operations

• Maintain and update development systems and platforms, including Little Green Light, online giving tools, and grant platforms (e.g., Candid, SAM)
• Utilize digital and AI-assisted tools to improve efficiency in writing, research, and communications workflows

Qualifications

• Commitment to the mission of Sanctuary Farm Phila
• 4+ years of nonprofit development, communications, or related experience
• Experience with donor databases (Little Green Light experience a plus) and basic digital tools
• Strong writing and storytelling skills across multiple formats
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Experience with Major Gift cultivation and/or Corporate Sponsorship cultivation in the non profit space preferred
• Comfortable working independently and taking initiative in a small, collaborative team environment
• Comfortable using (or willingness to learn) AI-assisted tools to support writing, research, and communications