Director of Development

Concrete Jungle (CJ) forages, farms, and supports food access across Georgia. We provide fresh produce to food-insecure families by distributing excess produce from fruit trees and farms throughout the region; growing food on our farm; and providing nutrition education resources. We envision a future where communities are well nourished in a world with no food waste. Last year, we partnered with 27 farmers and 66 hunger relief organizations to distribute over 5.2 million servings of fresh fruit and vegetables in Metro Atlanta and across Georgia. Click here for a summary of some of CJ’s main programs.

Concrete Jungle is in an exciting growth moment as we have established ourselves as a reputable and impactful organization across the state. The organization’s strategic goals position us to increase our impact on the communities we serve and sustainably move our operating budget above $1M. We are seeking a Director of Development who believes in our mission, is excited to grow with us, and has experience in Atlanta’s philanthropic community to help us grow our funding portfolio.

Position Overview

Concrete Jungle is recruiting highly skilled and diverse candidates for our Director of Development Position. This senior leadership role will oversee a comprehensive development program to meet annual fundraising goals. The Director will lead our diverse fundraising revenue streams: individual, foundation, corporate, and government while strengthening the systems and relationships that sustain our work.

This position will ensure Concrete Jungle has the resources needed to achieve its strategic goals—driven by strong relationships, meaningful partnerships, and sustained philanthropic support. This position will play a central role in shaping the organization’s growth, with corresponding opportunities for growth in the role and compensation. The successful candidate will be a relationship-driven fundraiser with a demonstrated ability to secure major gifts, cultivate meaningful donor partnerships, and guide sophisticated fundraising strategies.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy

• Lead and execute a comprehensive development strategy that supports annual fundraising goals ($1.3 million and growing).
• Regularly monitor and evaluate progress toward goals and recommend new fundraising pathways and strategies as needed based upon analysis of donor and giving trends and the broader fundraising landscape.
• Partner with the Executive Director and Board to strengthen donor relationships and fundraising engagement.
• Identify new philanthropic opportunities and expand the organization’s funding base.
• Oversee foundation and grant strategy, including prospect research, proposal development, and reporting.
• Strengthen corporate fundraising through strategic corporate volunteer workdays on our farm.
• Identify opportunities for government funding and oversee success in securing funds.

Development Department Management

• Manage up, down and across: the Grants and Communications Director, Development Coordinator and communications consultant will report directly to the Director of Development. CJ’s Executive Director is a part of the Development team and expects to be managed up in order to execute on CJ’s highest priority fundraising goals.
• Represent the Development Department on the Leadership Team.
• Creating systems to ensure opportunities are documented, tracked, and advanced, and the impact can be shared.
• Ensure the maintenance and integrity of high-quality data in the donor database, including oversight of reconciliation with our financial reports and timely input of contact reports.

Donor Engagement and Programs

• Create donor-specific engagement strategies.
• Actively manage a portfolio of high-capacity prospects, with a focus on moving Atlanta-based family foundations and individual philanthropists from 'supporters' to 'investors.’
• Solicit donor and corporate partners personally with individualized asks.
• Lead donor cultivation events and stewardship strategies.
• Represent Concrete Jungle at some foundation, corporate and community events. These may be occasional weekend or evening events.
• Partner with program staff to translate their work into compelling funding opportunities.
• Support board members in their fundraising roles and strengthen the organization’s culture of philanthropy.

Communications Strategy

• Provide strategic oversight of communications and marketing to ensure alignment with fundraising priorities.
• Guide messaging and storytelling that inspire philanthropic investment in increasing food access and reducing food waste.

Key Qualifications, Skills, and Competencies

A Director of Development candidate should possess the following experience or skills:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 6+ years of experience in nonprofit fundraising
• Management experience: With at least two years of experience, effectively manage people & projects simultaneously, tracking both towards goals and measuring progress along the way.
• Project planning: Effectively produce a plan to generate results, ruthlessly prioritize what is most important, and utilize all resources including necessary delegation.
• Strategic relationship building: The Director of Development will organize meetings or take meetings themselves with new potential funders or partners. The Director should be able to identify potential in contacts & engage people into their next action with CJ.
• Hospitality mindset: Community is one of Concrete Jungle’s core values and all CJ staff are expected to welcome people into our community, creating warm relationships & experiences.
• Flexibility: Due to the nature of our work and the ever-changing funding environment, the Director of Development should thrive in ambiguous, ever-evolving contexts, always ready to find a way forward. They should expect the unexpected, operate with calm and clarity when plans change, and have the capacity to support the team to action in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Initiative & vision: The Director of Development will hold the annual and multi-year fundraising plans and should be able to harness all the resources and relationships at their fingertips to identify possibilities and create a path where none yet exists.
• Strategic Doer: Must be as comfortable presenting in a corporate boardroom as they are tracking data trends in the CRM or representing CJ at a Saturday morning forage.
• Fun: Create an exciting, joyous environment that makes the work irresistible.
• Proficient in core computer skills, including Google Workplace tools, nonprofit CRM systems, and electronic communications.

Compensation & Benefits: Annual Salary: $80,000-$95,000 based on experience. Concrete Jungle offers an attractive and competitive benefits package including health care, paid time off, technology stipend, hybrid and flexible work schedule, and professional development.

How to Apply: Email your resume and a one-page cover letter to info@concrete-jungle.org with “Director of Development” and your name in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Concrete Jungle is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. Concrete Jungle is committed to an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity.

Concrete Jungle offers an attractive and competitive benefits package including health care, paid time off, technology stipend, hybrid and flexible work schedule, and professional development.