Description

The Development Operations Manager at the Boston Food Forest Coalition (BFFC) is a full-time position reporting directly to the Development Director. You will act as the backbone to the fundraising team, coordinating operations and providing tactical and strategic support for the overall development function. This is a fantastic opportunity for a self-starter who thrives in a collaborative, mission-driven environment and is eager to make a real difference.

In this role, you'll be responsible for the day-to-day operations of BFFC's development function, enabling the team to focus on high-level strategy and relationship building. This is a fast-paced, task-heavy, and research-intensive role, demanding rigorous accuracy and detail orientation, as well as relationship skills.  A large part of your day-to-day will involve entering and maintaining clean, accurate donor data, running reports, tracking giving trends, and making sure the team has the information it needs to build and manage donor relationships. Beyond database work, you'll conduct donor and grant research, support fundraising activities and events, and help keep senior staff organized and on track.

BFFC is an innovative organization at the forefront of an exciting and evolving field. Our priorities center around diversity, equity, and inclusion, which calls for creative, collaborative, and action-oriented thinking from our team members. 

This role is perfect for someone with a background in fundraising, marketing, communications, or program management. We're looking for a fast learner who communicates well, approaches their work with enthusiasm and a strong sense of responsibility, and cares deeply about data quality. We're especially interested in candidates with a passion for environmental justice and a commitment to working hand-in-hand with communities to create sustainable and resilient green spaces.

Responsibilities

Development Operations (50%)

• Oversee donor management systems, ensuring accurate records and timely acknowledgment of contributions.
• Lead the organization's Moves Management (MM) process, including preparing for and leading MM meetings, organizing prospect portfolios, and recommending strategic moves based on research and current events.
• Support the Development Director in managing the development calendar, ensuring deadlines for campaigns, reports, and donor stewardship activities are met.
• Develop and execute processes for donor stewardship, including personalized communications and recognition efforts.
• Assist leadership in preparing for donor meetings and events, including creating prospect profiles, agendas, presentations, and follow-up plans.
• Conduct online research and utilize tools (DonorSearch, DonorAtlas, Impala, etc) to increase BFFC Individual pipeline of donors with support and training from the Development Director.
• Understand, manage, and facilitate team utilization of BFFC data and tech systems to support our fundraising strategy (Bloomerang CRM).
• Identify and implement improvements to workflows, data systems, and processes to enhance efficiency.
• Build collaborative relationships across departments and align fundraising efforts with organizational objectives and non-fundraising department processes.

Grants Management (25%)

• Manage the annual grants calendar in coordination with the Grant Writer and Development Director.
• Research and identify grant opportunities aligned with the organization’s mission.
• Support grant proposals, perform some grant reporting, and occasional grant writing.
• Manage coordination of grant components and information required from other departments.

Fundraising Activities, Events and Administration (25%)

• Manage Appeals, including strategies for monthly & annually recurring donors and grassroots donors.
• Advise & provide content to Communications Manager for donor messaging into monthly newsletter, social media and blog posts.
• Manage strategy, coordination, management and execution for corporate volunteer group workdays.
• Lead the coordination, management, and execution of development events.

Requirements

Qualifications 

Experience 

• At least 5 years of professional experience in fundraising, nonprofit operations, communications or marketing, ideally with exposure to the nonprofit landscape.
• Experience working in a small nonprofit or start up environment, with the ability to wear multiple hats and adapt to changing needs
• Excited by the opportunity to manage up to key leaders in the organization with an open mind to growth and mindset of a team player
• Strong experience in project management and operations
• Experience with event planning and management
• Experience with database management and reporting
• Action-oriented with a flexible and adaptable style.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Skills

• An understanding of fundraising activities and operations
• Strong analytical skills for prospect research and data analysis.
• Strong, personable communication skills when connecting with the organization’s stakeholders including Donors, Funders, Stewards and Board members.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Skilled writer and editor, with the ability to share a clear perspective, both oral and written.
• Ability to work as a self-starter without oversight, and as a team player who productively engages with others within and outside the organization.
• Ability and desire to learn and grow in new situations and from mistakes; actively integrates feedback to improve.
• Excellent organizational skills and capacity to prioritize and manage time well, with strong attention to detail.
• Familiar with using Google suite tools (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets), or similar with willingness to learn Google suite.
• Knowledge of Bloomerang, Impala, DonorSearch, DonorAtlas or other CRMs and prospecting software a plus
• Layout/design skills in Adobe Creative Cloud and/or Canva preferred but not required
• Basic SQL skills for querying and pulling data from databases preferred but not required.
• Experience with data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or Google Looker Studio preferred but not required. 

Location 

This is a Boston, Massachusetts-based position. 
The position will include a mix of in-person and virtual/remote work. There are mandatory in-person team days (on Tuesdays), with additional in-person time as needed for donor meetings, volunteer workday management, and events.
BFFC is committed to sustainability and supports staff in taking time off to balance evening and weekend hours. 
 We ask all staff to abide by COVID-19 guidance set by the City of Boston.