Fund Development Manager (FDM) Job Description

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Fund Development

• With Executive Director, develop an annual comprehensive fundraising plan, including timelines and benchmarks, aligned with organizational budget goals and BVFB strategic priorities.
• Monitor revenue-projection progress regularly, discuss with Executive Director and create and implement contingency strategies in order to pivot when goals are at risk.

• Analyze donor trends, segmentation, giving levels, and campaign performance year over year to identify opportunities for growth.
• Prepare monthly fundraising dashboards, metrics, and board‑facing reports.
• Collaborate with Executive Director on high‑level strategic planning, campaign development, and long‑term revenue initiatives.

Direct Mail Fundraising

• Serve as primary contact with BVFB’s direct mail vendor.
• Ensure timely story content, photos and quotes are selected by the CEM and personally ensure organizational updates for mailings.
• Review proofs for accuracy, clarity, dignity (human centered content), and donor‑centered messaging.
• Track campaign performance (response rate, average gift, total revenue) and recommend improvements.

Grants & Foundation Funding

• Manage the complete grant lifecycle: prospecting, BVFB qualification review, proposal writing/editing, submission, compliance monitoring, and reporting.
• Maintain annual master grant templates, standard narratives, and data summaries, ensuring consistency and accuracy across applications.
• Coordinate cross‑department data collection when additional information is required, ensuring accurate program outputs, outcomes, and financial documents are prepared on schedule.
• Maintain a grants calendar with deadlines, reporting requirements, award statuses, and follow‑up tasks.
• Build relationships with program officers, foundation representatives, and community foundations.

Major Donor & Corporate Giving

• Conduct prospect research to expand pipeline of individual and/or corporate supporters.
• Develop individual cultivation plans for top donors and prospects, including meeting preparation, moves‑management strategy, and stewardship touchpoints.
• Support Executive Director in major donor meetings by preparing briefing memos, donor histories, and solicitation materials.
• Manage corporate engagement strategy, including sponsorship programs and year‑round partnership opportunities.
• Ensure timely follow‑up, tracking of donor interactions, and coordination of personalized donor experiences and tours.

Special Event Fundraising

• Coordinate with peer, the Communications & Events Manager (CEM) to develop monetary sponsorship goals and fundraising strategies for BVFB‑led events.
• Develop sponsor packets, proposals, and customized pitch materials.
• Identify, cultivate, and secure event sponsors at all levels, track benefits, commitments, and payment statuses.
• Serve as fundraising lead at events, stewarding sponsors and conducting donor relationship‑building.
• Conduct post‑event revenue analysis, including KPI review, ROI calculation, and donor follow‑up.

Donor Engagement, Education & Retention

• With the CEM, develop donor education strategies that build understanding of hunger issues, BVFB programs, and community needs.
• Promote Donor‑Advised Funds (DAFs), matching gifts, and planned giving options.
• Meet with Board Members to coordinate fundraising involvement, secure introductions, and support board‑led outreach efforts.
• Participate in strategic discussions with the CEM regarding creation of donor‑centered impact reports, stewardship touches, and annual donor appreciation initiatives.

Donor Systems & Data Integrity

• Oversee donor CRM accuracy, including gift entry, coding, notes, and segmentation by implementing reporting that provides checks and balances with the Community Engagement Assistant (CEA) 
• Establish and maintain data standards, SOPs, and documentation procedures.
• Ensure timely and accurate donor acknowledgments, including customized stewardship letters for higher‑level gifts.
• Generate donor lists and reports for campaigns, events, audits, board presentations, and external partners.
• Develop and maintain donor stewardship and gift recognition policies.

Policy Development & Implementation & Ethical Standards

• Develop and update fundraising‑related SOPs (who can accept monetary donations, what the process is from start to finish, etc.)
• Organizational Gift Acceptance Policy (what kind of donations BVFB can and will accept)
• Ethical AI use in fundraising Policy
• Monetary Donor Recognition Guidelines (photo Opps, social media posts, etc.) by financial gift size, frequency of donations, etc.
• Guidelines for size of donations that necessitates BVFB staff engagement (such as recruiting volunteers, staffing a table at an event, being fiscally responsible for collecting funds at the event, etc.)

• Ensure adherence to Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) ethical standards, IRS regulations, and state charitable requirements.
• Maintain confidentiality and strict data security protocols.

Staff Support & Supervision

• Oversee all fundraising task training, goal setting, coaching for the CEA
• Conduct regularly scheduled, documented one-on-one meetings with the CEA
• Instill in CEA the importance of the highest customer service
• Check all work of direct reports before releasing externally
• Recommend training and conference opportunities for growth for CEA, when applicable and if funds allow
• Handle all disciplinary action per policy related to CEA performance/conduct
• Conduct regularly scheduled workload management meetings with CEA and Communication & Event Manager

• Conduct required joint performance reviews of the CEA
• Assist with hiring of new members of the Development Department, when requested

Budget Management

• Develop annual fundraising expenses (direct mail solicitation, donor recognition, etc.) based on historical spending, as well as potential needs for the Fundraising cost center
• Assist Accounting & Finance Professional code incoming revenue to proper revenue category
• Ensure Fundraising expenses adhere to Board approved annual budget
• Coordinate with Accounting & Fundraising Professional to reconcile revenue and maintain accurate records
• Review all bids, quotes & proposals for relevant work per policy and discuss with Executive Director before acting

Compliance, Audits/Monitoring Visits, and Reporting

• Represent Fundraising during auditing events (annual independent financial audit, Houston Food Bank Affiliate Food Bank monitoring visit, other)
• Ensures that BVFB strategies adhere to contractual obligations, when applicable (AFB contract, direct mail contract, etc.)
  • Ensure all required department reports are completed and submitted on time
  • Review reports to analyze trends, needs, etc.

Use of Technology

• • Oversee proper operation and integration of technology of BVFB payment platforms (Stripe, Bloomerang, Apple & Google Pay, PayPal, OneEach webhosting)
  • Ensure that technology that is in use and available is best used to enhance efficiency, etc.

Use of Volunteers: (where appropriate)

• • With direct reports, identifying and fundraising volunteer needs, training, and supervision
    • Developing written job descriptions, including skills and education needed to fulfill the job

Other Tasks

• Maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for fundraising tasks.
• Follow all BVFB written Policies & Procedures
• Get approval from the Executive Director in advance of any unbudgeted financial expenditure
• Discuss all ideas and changes with the Executive Director before acting, during probationary period
• Attend and come prepared for all 1:1 session with the Executive Director
• Attend and actively participate in all weekly strategy meetings with the Executive Director and Communication & Event Manager
• Attend and actively participate in All Staff Quarterly scheduled staff meetings
• Communicate effectively, appropriately and in a timely fashion with the Executive Director
• Engage with and participate in relevant Feeding America (FA) opportunities
• Serve as the BVFB representative with Feeding Texas (FT) committees/work groups/trainings representing Communication
• Planning for and controlling/managing change
• Keep empowerment of people facing hunger in mind with all that you do
• Assist in BVFB disaster related efforts, when needed
• Other duties as assigned and needed

• Degree in Business, Communication, Marketing, Public Relations, the Arts or related.

• Minimum 3–5 years of paid, professional fundraising experience, preferably in a nonprofit environment.
• Demonstrated success in paid grant writing, donor cultivation, and/or campaign management.
• Experience working directly with major donors, foundations, and corporate partners.
• Experience with developing and adhering to a professional budget
• Proven coaching/managerial experience (3-5 years minimum)

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint, google docs
• Proficiency in donor CRM systems (e.g., Bloomerang, Raiser's Edge, DonorPerfect, or equivalent)
• Project Management skills – completing tasks that require input/information from other colleagues
• Experience reviewing transactions and pulling reports in online platforms such as Stripe, PayPal
• Experience managing payment platforms such as Apple and Google Pay
• Experience creating website donation landing pages
• Proficiency using email (Outlook) and web-based tools
• Experience using video conferencing tools, such as Teams, Zoom and other
• Ability to extract, analyze, and interpret fundraising data.
• Basic clerical skills needed, such as mail merge, thank you letter generation, etc.

• • Highly responsive, conscientious, and professional with BVFB staff, Board and existing and potential BVFB constituents. Driven and enthusiastic but also mission-grounded and inspired
  • Excellent attention to detail, strong follow-through and highly ethical, with firm boundaries
  • Integrity is necessary, understanding the importance of confidentiality, exercising good judgement and discretion
  • Ability to juggle multiple projects with diligence and accuracy, adhering to deadlines in a fast-paced environment
  • Ability to motivate self, donors, and other staff
  • Superior interpersonal skills, with the ability to listen and build rapport with people in authentic ways
  • Ability to quickly learn about the organization – its mission, its strategies, its programming, etc. in order to write and talk about it at a high level
  • Superior verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain concepts in clear, compelling, and persuasive ways, including aligning project goals with funder expectations
  • Research abilities, understanding the mission and priorities of potential funders/donors/corporations to identify funding opportunities that match the organization’s work
  • Ability to search publicly available research data sets to write statements of need, needs assessments, etc. for written proposals (case making)
  • Strong editing skills, with the ability to reword/rephrase for particular audiences
  • Ability to work with other staff across departments to gather evidence - pictures, stories, financial information, statistics – to support ask/written proposals
  • Comfort with data – understanding importance of accuracy, trends, and results to projections
  • Knowledge of food bank operations and programs, as well as government safety net programs, a plus Interested in learning more about model practices and industry standards and how to apply them
• Understanding of office procedures/management

• Passion for the mission of feeding people

• Must be able to give and accept constructive criticism
• Must be able to pass criminal background check
• Possible overnight stays for conferences/trainings

• Ability to walk, stand, sit, kneel, push, stoop, reach above the shoulder, grasp, pull, bend repeatedly, identify colors, hear with aid, see, write, count, read, speak, analyze, alphabetize, lift and carry up to 50 lbs., perceive depth, operate a motor vehicle, and operate motor equipment.
• Conditions may include working inside, working outside, working alone, working protracted or irregular hours, and traveling by car, van, bus, and airplane.
• Equipment (machines, tools, devices) used in performing only the essential functions including computer and related equipment, calculator, copier, fax machine, telephone, and automobile.

This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended at anytime at the sole discretion of the Brazos Valley Food Bank.

The Brazos Valley Food Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).