Development Manager at Food Share of Ventura County

About Food Share of Ventura County

Food Share is Ventura County’s largest hunger-relief organization feeding 254,000 people with a staff of 42 employees, 4,400 volunteers and a budget of $10 million to distribute 23 million pounds of food annually. The non-profit organization was founded 48 years ago and is an affiliate member of Feeding America and California Food Banks.

Food Share Culture

Every day, a group of talented, passionate, committed, hard-working professionals come together to work on a common goal – to lead the fight against hunger in Ventura County. Specifically, our role is to improve the lives of those in need by providing fresh, nutritious food. Recently named in the 2026 list of Best Places to Work by the Pacific Coast Business Times, Food Share’s family of hunger-relief staff and volunteers work together with compassion, commitment, and a shared belief that no one should go hungry in Ventura County.

Job Summary

The Development Manager plays a critical role in advancing Food Share’s fundraising success by managing the organization’s donor systems, annual giving infrastructure, and day-to-day donor engagement operations.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this role translates fundraising strategy into execution — ensuring operational excellence, data integrity, and meaningful donor engagement across all fundraising programs. The Development Manager serves as the primary steward of donor data and systems while supervising donor relations staff and partnering closely with Finance and Marketing.

Major Areas of Responsibility

Development Operations

· Serve as the primary user and administrator of Food Share’s donor platforms (Virtuous, GoFundMe Pro, Avid, AQ2, Omatic), ensuring data accuracy, integrity, and effective use across all fundraising programs.

· Oversee gift processing, acknowledgments, pledge tracking, donor records, segmentation, reporting, and year-end tax receipt mailing.

· Collaborate with the Chief Development Officer on all fundraising campaign strategy and performance analysis.

· Directly supervise the Donor Relations Coordinator, providing training, guidance, and performance management.

· Partner with the Finance Department to ensure accurate coding, reconciliation, and reporting of all gifts and pledges.

· Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual donor analysis and key metrics to support Development leadership and organizational decision-making.

· Create, maintain and document donor relations policies, procedures, and standard operating procedures.

Giving Programs Management

· Manage the execution of Food Share’s direct mail program, including coordination with external vendors, list management, segmentation, suppression, timelines, and reporting.

· Manage Food Share’s monthly giving program (GEMs) including acquisition, retention, upgrades, and stewardship of “Give Every Month” donors.

· Partner with marketing and digital vendors to support recurring giving campaigns and donor engagement.

· Support fundraising events and special initiatives and projects as needed.

Donor Communications & Stewardship

· Engage in donor communications to ensure timely, accurate, and meaningful stewardship.

· Support donor solicitations and stewardship strategies in collaboration with the Chief Development Officer.

· Serve as a representative of Food Share at community events, tours, meetings, and presentations.

Key Skills & Attributes

· Commitment to understanding and supporting Food Share’s mission.

· Able to work well in a diverse, team-oriented environment as well as independently.

· Ability to lead staff and work effectively across departments

· Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to data integrity

· Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills

· Ability to manage multiple priorities while meeting deadlines

· Collaborative, proactive, and solutions-oriented mindset

Job Qualifications

· 5+ years experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, or donor relations

· Demonstrated experience managing CRM systems (Virtuous or other experience preferred)

· Experience with annual giving, direct mail, and recurring donor programs

· Prior supervisory experience preferred

· Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent professional experience

· A valid California Driver’s License and current vehicle insurance.

Physical Requirements

· Must be able to perform physical labor as necessary (stand/walk/move for long periods of time, lift up to 30 lbs.).

· Must be comfortable working in a mixed office environment for extended periods of time.

· Travel off-site as needed.

Employment Requirements

· Able to successfully pass health screenings and background checks.

· Follow Food Safety Standards throughout the organization.

Additional Employee Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
• Group Basic Life insurance with 100% employer coverage
• 403(b) retirement plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holidays
• Paid Leave (Jury Duty, Bereavement, etc.)