About StartOut

StartOut is the largest national non-profit championing scalable LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. Our mission is to increase opportunity and success for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. Our vision is a world where all entrepreneurs can thrive on a level playing field.

Founded in 2009, StartOut is a global community of over 18,000 members that works at the exciting intersection of entrepreneurship and the LGBTQ+ and allies community. StartOut’s services, network, and ecosystem are game-changing and life-changing for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who need resources to build their businesses. According to the StartOut Index, of $2.1T in venture funding to U.S. start-ups, less than 0.5% went to openly LGBTQ+ founders. StartOut exists to level the playing field with our suite of programs and events, including:

• Founder’s Program
• StartOut Growth Lab
• StartOut Spark Lab
• StartOut Con
• StartOut Awards
• Demo Day
• Mentorship Program
• Investor Portal & Access to Capital Program
• Education workshops
• 100 virtual and in-person events annually, nationwide

StartOut is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within StartOut, and within the greater LGBTQ+ and entrepreneurial communities. This includes inclusive hiring practices and an organizational commitment to equitable and inclusive conduct, outlined in our Code of Conduct.

Additionally, StartOut is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, neurotype, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status. 

About the Role

StartOut seeks a dynamic and strategic Director of Development to lead our fundraising and advancement efforts, ensuring we meet or exceed our $2.3M annual revenue goals. You will play a pivotal role in driving the organization's growth by securing funding, building strategic partnerships, and implementing comprehensive development strategies. This leadership position requires a seasoned professional with a passion for our mission and a proven track record in fundraising and donor engagement.

Job Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy

• Develop and execute a comprehensive, metrics-based fundraising strategy, securing at least $2.3M in annual dollars in line with StartOut’s strategic plan in 2026. 
• Nurture and grow existing funding sources.
• Identify and pursue new funding sources, including foundations, corporations and major donors.
• Prepare, support and collaborate with a highly engaged CEO on fundraising strategies and engagement.
• Build a place-based funding strategy to secure new dollars tied to San Francisco, NYC and Los Angeles regions. 
• Grow annual revenue to at least $2.6M by 2027.
• Provide monthly revenue projections to the Director of Operations and draft an annual revenue budget to be approved by the board. 

Corporate Partnership Development

• Identify, solicit and steward corporate sponsors to donate to StartOut, understanding their needs for mission-based philanthropy, DEIB, and/or business development. Nearly 80% of the current development portfolio comes from corporate and/or corporate foundation partners. 
• Collaborate and coordinate with the programs and marketing teams to fulfill all sponsor deliverables and track in Salesforce.  
• Work with the Corporate Partnerships Manager and CEO on corporate portfolio assignments and prospecting new corporate sponsors.
• Create sponsorship proposals, materials, decks, one-pagers, etc. working with marketing or designers when appropriate.
• Facilitate processes to document all sponsorship contracts and acknowledge gifts appropriately together with the Director of Operations. 

Foundation Engagement

• Identify, engage, solicit and steward institutional foundations to donate to StartOut.
• Build a comprehensive strategy to identify and engage said founders, including both national foundations and place-based foundations with a focus on those engaged in entrepreneurship, business development, education, LGBTQ+ communities and other related areas. 
• Grow percent of portfolio from institutional foundations by 10% year-over-year. 

Donor Engagement

• Cultivate and steward relationships with existing and potential donors, including board members, to ensure a high level of engagement and support. 
• Partner with board members to create individual fundraising plans and coordinate activations for them to meet and exceed their $25,000 give/get commitments. 
• Manage a personal portfolio of corporate contacts and individual donors; assist CEO in management of their own portfolio of donors above $10,000 and high potential prospects.
• Create a plan to steward and manage 1% pledge donors, program alumni who have indicated a desire to bequeath 1% of personal earnings from a liquidity event.

Marketing Management

• Oversee and collaborate with the marketing team to ensure cohesive messaging and branding across fundraising and other promotional materials. 
• Align and advise marketing strategies for development events.
• Oversee digital fundraising and engagement campaigns for donors. 

Team Leadership

• Build, lead and mentor high-performing teams, fostering a culture of growth, collaboration, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. 
• Supervise the Development and Operations Associate  (part-time) and Senior Marketing Manager (full-time), including monitoring KPIs.
• Provide guidance on fundraising best practices and ensure the team's success in achieving fundraising goals. 
• Manage and collaborate with the Corporate Partnerships Manager (contractor), and event planner (contractor). 
• Provide regular updates and reports to the leadership team and board of directors on fundraising performance.

DEIB Leadership

• Champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging both within StartOut and publicly with donors, in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the LGBTQ+ and allied community. 
• Ensure that StartOut development events, attendees, and volunteer committees have representation from all StartOut community members.

Event Fundraising

• Oversee the planning and execution of, and meet all fundraising goals for, the annual StartOut Awards and San Francisco and Provincetown salons, including management of event planning consultant. 
• Facilitate sponsorships, including in-kind venue, food and beverage, etc. for StartOut’s marquee events: StartOut Awards, StartOut Con, and Demo Day.

Public Engagement

• Serve as an articulate, enthusiastic, visible and tireless spokesperson for StartOut.
• Create a strong institutional culture of philanthropy among our members to help drive revenue and awareness.
• Provide guidance to local volunteer Leadership Councils to augment their fundraising capabilities and advise on national and local sponsorship strategy.