Director of Development

About Breakthrough Silicon Valley

Breakthrough Silicon Valley launches talented students who have been historically excluded from higher education on the path to college, and inspires high school and college students to become the next generation of leaders, advocates, and educators. BTSV’s seven-year college access and success program, which supports students from 7th grade to first year of college, has proven to be effective in preparing these students for college: a stunning 99% of BTSV graduates attend college immediately after high school.

BTSV’s tuition-free program provides year-round out-of-school time academic support, counseling, and advocacy for a diverse group of talented students, most of whom come from under-resourced communities and will be the first generation in their family to go to college. Through our students-teaching-students model, BTSV also provides a consummate professional development experience providing talented high school and college students the opportunity to understand the K-12 system and the drivers of educational inequities, and to design and teach classes under the direction of seasoned educators.

Located in San Jose, California, Breakthrough Silicon Valley is an affiliate of The Breakthrough Collaborative, a leading national service organization that acts as the national voice for 25 Breakthrough sites across the country.

The Position

Breakthrough Silicon Valley is seeking a passionate, strategic, and equity-driven fundraising leader to serve as its next Director of Development. This is a pivotal moment for BTSV: with a new Executive Director at the helm, a compelling mission, and a track record of success, the organization is poised for bold new growth in the years ahead. The Director of Development will play a central role in shaping this next chapter—building out new approaches to fund development and donor engagement, deepening foundation and corporate partnerships, and strengthening the systems and culture that support long-term sustainability.

The Director of Development will lead a small, highly collaborative team—currently including a full-time Development Events Manager and a contracted grant writer—and work closely with the Executive Director, Board, and broader staff to elevate storytelling, foster meaningful donor relationships, and grow BTSV’s philanthropic impact. The ideal candidate is a powerful communicator, a relationship-builder at heart, and a leader who brings out the best in their team.

The Director of Development reports to BTSV’s Executive Director.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute a multi-year fundraising plan aligned with organizational goals and values.
• Lead and monitor all fundraising activity, including major gifts, foundation grants, corporate partnerships, and annual campaigns.
• Manage and forecast the development budget and revenue targets; track KPIs and fundraising performance.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director and Board on all fundraising matters.

Major Gifts & Individual Giving

• Lead all individual and trustee giving strategy, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Cultivate and steward a portfolio of major donors, working closely with the Executive Director and Board to engage high-capacity prospects.
• Build and oversee stewardship and moves management systems that drive deeper donor relationships.
• Expand opportunities for 1:1 donor engagement and increase long-term donor retention.

Institutional & Corporate Giving

• Maintain and grow relationships with foundation and corporate partners and prospects.
• Oversee the grant writing strategy, pipeline, and calendar in partnership with the contracted grant writer.
• Lead all corporate giving and sponsorship efforts, including both event-related and non-event partnerships.

Fundraising Events

• Collaborate with the Development Events Manager and Executive Director on the strategy and execution of BTSV’s signature fundraiser, Are You Smarter Than a Breakthrough Student, ensuring donor experience, sponsorship fulfillment, and fundraising outcomes align with BTSV goals.

Board & Volunteer Engagement

• Partner with the Executive Director to engage Board members in fundraising and lead the Development Committee.
• Support the engagement and stewardship of volunteers, alumni, and AYS event attendees.

Team Management & Collaboration

• Supervise, support, and coach development team members, including the Development Events Manager and interns.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and mission-aligned development culture.
• Build systems and processes for team efficiency and cross-functional communication.

Marketing & Communications Alignment

• Collaborate with the development team to ensure consistent, compelling donor messaging across platforms.
• Advance social media and digital engagement strategies that elevate visibility and donor acquisition.

Development Operations

• Oversee effective use of Salesforce for tracking, reporting, and donor segmentation.
• Ensure proper gift acknowledgment and stewardship processes.
• Build internal systems to support development operations, data integrity, and staff training.

What background and skills do you have?:

• Demonstrated success managing a diverse fundraising portfolio at a nonprofit or purpose-driven organization.
• Familiarity with the Silicon Valley philanthropic landscape.
• Major donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Foundation and corporate partnership development.
• Cultural competency and commitment to equity-centered fundraising.
• CRM (ideally Salesforce) fluency and data-driven decision-making.
• Strategic leadership and planning.
• Relationship-building and high emotional intelligence.
• Experience leading a team, coaching staff, and building a collaborative culture.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong project management and organizational systems development.
• “Breakthrough Spirit”: You’re a collaborative team player who is committed to excellence and open-minded, demonstrates a growth mindset, thinks creatively to solve problems, and works with a sense of humor and humility.
• Commitment to Breakthrough Silicon Valley’s mission and goals as well as a passion for educational equity.

Bonus points if you have:

• Experience at a nonprofit youth development or educational organization, particularly one focused on college access for first-generation students and students of color.
• Fluency in Spanish or Vietnamese.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; Master’s degree in a related field is a plus.

We know that many strong candidates will not have all the skills we list. That’s OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!

Compensation and Benefits

• This is a full-time, exempt position.
• The starting salary range for this role is $125,000–$140,000. BTSV typically makes salary offers between the range minimum and midpoint, taking into consideration the candidate’s qualifications, our budget, and internal equity.
• Health benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, with 100% of employee premiums and 75% of dependent premiums covered by BTSV.
• Retirement Benefits: 401(k) plan with immediate, fully vested 3% company match.
• Paid time off: 15 days of PTO, plus 11 holidays and two “shut-down” weeks.
• Professional development fund for professional association memberships and to pursue growth and learning opportunities.

Location and Hours

BTSV maintains two offices in San Jose:

• Bridges Academy: 1702 McLaughlin Ave, San Jose, CA 95122
• Herbert Hoover Middle School: 1635 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95126

This is a hybrid position. The Director of Development will typically work from BTSV’s offices three days per week, with the flexibility to work from a home office when in-person work is not required. As BTSV is an “out-of-school time program,” occasional evening and weekend work, as well as travel to offsite programs and events in the San Jose area, are also required. Candidates must be local to the Bay Area or planning to relocate in order to be considered.

Application Process

Apply at https://breakthroughsv.org/join-our-team. Please indicate where you heard about the position in your cover letter. We will review applications on a rolling basis.

Breakthrough engages with individuals of all backgrounds and we are committed to embracing diversity within our organization, including developing a team who represents the communities we serve.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Breakthrough is committed to providing employment opportunities to all individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.