Development Manager

About The James Beard Foundation 

The James Beard Foundation(“JBF”) is a vital cultural institution with deep roots honoring and advancing the culinary arts industry. JBF’s mission is to celebrate, support, and elevate the people behind America’s food culture and champion a standard of good food anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability. As a 501(c) (3) national non-profit organization, JBF brings its mission to life through the annual James Beard Awards, industry and community-focused initiatives and programs, advocacy, partnerships, and events across the country.  

The Development team is responsible for generating more than $7 million in support in FY27, with a goal to grow to $10M annually by FY29-30. All members of the Development team work to cultivate and support a culture of philanthropy within the organization and represent JBF externally in front of current and prospective donor audiences. 

The Development Manager is a key member of the Development team at JBF, coordinating processes essential to reaching our ambitious goals and supporting our dynamic work. Reporting to the Vice President of Philanthropy, the Development Manager will help manage the daily flow of development activities, initiatives, and communications and assist in soliciting gifts of all types to meet the department's fundraising goals.   

Description

As the Foundation continues to grow, building a robust culture of philanthropy and a thriving Development Department is critical. The Development Manager plays a key role within the Development Department and the organization. Reporting to the VP of Philanthropy, the Development Manager will manage the daily flow of development activities, initiatives, and communications, assist in creating fundraising goals, and solicit funds to meet these goals.

Requirements

Requirements

Patron Program

• Serve as the primary owner of the day-to-day administration and execution of the JBF Patron Program, reporting to and supervised by the Vice President of Philanthropy
• Coordinate with internal and external partners to oversee programmatic aspects of Patron Program events and other patron engagement opportunities 
• Monitor Development and Patron Program email inboxes and phone/voicemail and respond to all inquiries in a timely manner 
• Provide support for Patron follow-up and communications pre- and post-event as part of broader stewardship and cultivation strategy 

Donor Communications  

• Create and manage a departmental calendar of donor communications, initiatives, and events  
• Draft regular Donor and Patron newsletters, brainstorm content, and project manage; function as key liaison with other teams to source content and assets for monthly newsletters and other donor communications 
• Project manage the creation of development communications pieces for fundraising campaigns, Patron Program events, Gala, Auction, and other initiatives  
• Assist with drafting and proofing additional development copy as needed, including fundraising campaign texts, standardized donor acknowledgement templates, thank you emails, post-event communications, program descriptions, etc. 

Donor/Member Relations

• Provide support for donor follow-up and communications pre- and post-event as part of the broader stewardship and cultivation strategy 
• Manage and track table and ticket sales for the Annual Gala; interface with donors and attendees pre- and post- event  
• Manage regular communication with Greens members; support the Director of Individual and Major Giving in communications and programming with the Young Patrons 
• Represent the Development team at Greens events, stewarding Greens members; strategize the evolution & integration of Greens within the Patron Program 
• Help to identify and manage partnerships and collaborations with other arts and cultural organizations to augment our young supporter and member base 
• Provide support in the solicitation and fulfillment of prize packages for the annual Auction, including drafting item descriptions and providing other support as needed 

Prospect Research 

• Help conduct prospect research to identify individual, foundation, and corporate prospects;
• Help build and update research profiles, prepare briefings for meetings and events, and respond to research requests 
• Strategize outreach coordination with the Development team, stewarding info into Salesforce 

Miscellaneous

• Support the Development team as needed. 

Requirements

• 5 years minimum of professional experience
• Experience with Salesforce or comparable CRM
• Tech savvy, proficient in MS 365, including Adobe Acrobat Pro, and Monday.com  
• Excellent attention to detail 
• Proactive, customer service orientation 
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines 
• Passion for food culture, culinary equity, and the JBF mission; ability to articulate a compelling case for philanthropic investment 
• Ability to travel domestically and attend evening events as needed 

Benefits

JBF offers its employees a dynamic work environment with benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their dependents; life insurance; flexible spending account; commuter benefits; retirement savings; employee assistance program; tuition reimbursement/ professional development; and generous paid time off. We also offer fertility planning support and up to 18 weeks of paid parental leave.

Additional perks include staff events, tickets to events at Platform by JBF (Pier 57), and much more.    

The Foundation currently works on a hybrid schedule that requires employees to be in our NYC office 2 days per week. This position is not eligible for relocation.