Co-Director of Development with Street Spirit

Berkeley, California | 0.8 FTE | thestreetspirit.org

About Street Spirit

Street Spirit is an independent nonprofit newspaper that amplifies the voices of people experiencing homelessness while creating economic opportunity through our vocational training program for unhoused people in the East Bay. For more than 30 years, we've combined journalism with deep community engagement to elevate stories that are often ignored. As we transition to a shared leadership model, we're seeking a Co-Director of Development to help lead our next phase of growth and long-term sustainability.

Position Summary

The Co-Director of Development serves on Street Spirit's executive leadership team, sharing organizational leadership with the Co-Director of Programs. This role leads fundraising, financial strategy, and external partnerships, and helps shape the organization's direction. The Co-Director will oversee a $350,000 annual budget, growing individual donor, grant, and foundation revenue by 20% year over year. Working closely with Street Spirit's fiscal sponsor, advisory board, funders, and community partners, the Co-Director ensures the organization has the resources and relationships it needs to advance its mission.

While the Co-Director of Development provides strategic oversight of the organization’s financial health, Street Spirit’s fiscal sponsor handles bookkeeping and payroll, freeing them to focus on fundraising and long-term sustainability.

If you are aligned with Street Spirit's values of dignity for marginalized people, and enjoy collaborative leadership, creative problem-solving, systems-building, and helping shape an organization's future, this role is designed for you.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Leadership

• Provide leadership and organizational direction alongside Co-Director of Programs.
• Partner on organizational planning, budgeting, staffing, and resource allocation.
• Serve as a public ambassador with funders, partners, and community stakeholders.
• Help steward Street Spirit's values of transparency, dignity, and centering the voices of people with lived experience of homelessness.

Development Strategy

• Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy.
• Grow and diversify revenue through foundation funding, grants, major gifts, individual giving, sponsorships, and earned revenue.
• Cultivate relationships with institutional funders and major donors.
• Oversee grant strategy, proposal development, and reporting.

Financial Stewardship

• Lead annual budgeting and financial planning.
• Monitor organizational financial performance and cash flow.
• Partner with fiscal sponsor regarding financial administration and compliance.
• Ensure grant compliance and financial reporting.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• 4+ years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, grant writing, philanthropy, or related fields.

Other Qualifications:

• Demonstrated success in one or more areas of nonprofit fundraising, such as grant writing, foundation relations, individual giving, donor stewardship, or campaigns.
• Experience managing projects, priorities, and deadlines with a high degree of independence.
• Experience supporting organizational budgeting, financial planning, or grant management.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships and collaborate effectively with staff, funders, and community partners.
• Experience in a small organization experiencing significant growth or organizational change, where initiative, adaptability, and problem solving are highly valued.
• Familiarity with Bay Area philanthropy and nonprofit funding is a plus.
• Individuals who have lived experience with homelessness, housing insecurity, or poverty— or experience working alongside communities directly impacted by these realities—are strongly encouraged to apply.

Physical Requirements

With or without reasonable accommodation(s), the essential functions of this position include but are not limited to: sitting for approximately 70% of the workday, standing and walking for approximately 30%, lifting (up to 20lbs), typing, writing (in English), reading (English), speaking (English), seeing, and hearing.

All of the qualifications and responsibilities outlined above are essential job functions; individuals may be required to perform other duties, subject to reasonable accommodation.

Working Conditions

Street Spirit is based in South Berkeley. Our office and drop-in center is at 2726 Martin Luther King Jr Way, and is open from Monday-Thursday each week. The Co-Director of Development can choose to work from our South Berkeley office and/or from home as desired.

Compensation & Benefits

• This position is 0.8 FTE with an hourly wage of $31-$40/hour commensurate with experience
• Street Spirit pays pay bi-weekly
• Benefits include a Kaiser Silver health plan or a $500/month healthcare stipend, as well as vision and dental insurance. Employees are eligible for 401(k) and/or Roth plans after six months of employment.
• Two weeks accrued Paid Time Off and Paid Sick Leave, plus 13 paid days off for government holidays
• Monthly remote work stipend if applicable

Equal Opportunity Employer

Street Spirit is an equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.

How to Apply

Please email the following materials to streetspiritnews@gmail.com by August 10, 2026:

• A one-page resume
• In lieu of a cover letter, write responses to the following questions on one document (2 pages or less):
  • Describe the skills that would make you great in this role.
  • How has your work experience prepared you for a small grassroots work environment?
  • How has your work experience prepared you to develop a fundraising strategy for a small grassroots organization?
  • How do you think about the role of art and media in building solutions to homelessness?
• One work sample (which could include a grant proposal or a Letter of Intent you have written, or a fundraising strategy you have built)

The anticipated start date for this position is September 30, 2026.

• Kaiser Silver health plan or a $500/month healthcare stipend, as well as vision and dental insurance. Employees are eligible for 401(k) and/or Roth plans after six months of employment.
• Two weeks accrued Paid Time Off and Paid Sick Leave, plus 13 paid days off for government holidays
• Monthly remote work stipend if applicable

English fluency in reading, writing, and speaking