Development Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION
December 2025

Development Manager
ELLA BAKER CENTER
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
OAKLAND, CA

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (EBC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California, organizing to shift resources away from prisons and punishment towards opportunities that make our communities safe, healthy, and strong. Named after civil rights hero Ella Baker, we mobilize Black, Brown, and low-income people to build power in our communities. For over 25 years, we have worked from the community to the legislative level to free our people from state violence. We are currently working to end mass incarceration and mass criminalization in the United States through Truth and Reinvestment—moving resources away from failed criminal legal policies and into creating opportunities, also known as "books not bars, jobs not jails, healthcare not handcuffs." Through our programs, such as successful organizing in Alameda County, a robust state policy platform, and national leadership in the movement to end mass incarceration, EBC is building a culture of care to replace cages and cops.

The Ella Baker Center Action Fund (EBCAF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization and a separate but affiliated organization with the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. EBCAF mobilizes our communities — current and formerly incarcerated people, their loved ones, people who are low income, and Black and Brown communities —to exercise their full political power and hold institutions accountable. Like our namesake Ella Baker, we understand that true power lies within the people. EBCAF was born out of the vision to further build power amongst those most impacted by incarceration and criminalization. We mobilize these communities to ensure that our elected officials are focused on addressing the root causes of harm in our communities, instead of investing in failing institutions, such as prisons and policing, that exacerbate that harm.

OUR VALUES
At the Ella Baker Center, we win by doing our liberation work in alignment with and guided by our core
values:
1. Prioritize people most impacted by policing and prisons
2. Accountability
3. Black Liberation
4. Interconnection
5. Transformation
6. Culture of Care and Healing
7. Self-Determination

The ideal candidate at EBC understands that our work uplifts the leadership and strategies of those most impacted by the criminal system: working-class people of color. Our primary aspiration is Black liberation, as these communities are the most harmed by policing and prisons. We practice accountability to our communities and each other by giving and receiving feedback, communicating directly, and building a culture of restorative justice. We seek staff who are looking to not only transform the world, but are themselves excited to be personally transformed by organizing for liberation while caring for ourselves or each other. Transformation means that we do not turn anyone away who seeks our advocacy or support based on what the state has charged them with. Inherent in collective liberation work — we ask our staff to do the personal work of organizing to dismantle white supremacy and cisheteropatriarchy, and practice anti-oppression in everyday relationships. Our values mean we are building a leaderful movement, with an emphasis on those who have been systematically denied leadership and power.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (EBC) seeks a leader for its Development team. The Development Manager will lead EBC's institutional fundraising efforts. The Development Manager will be responsible for the strategic direction and coordination of the institutional funding portfolio for the organization, leveraging their knowledge to inspire funder support and supporting the team to expand our budget to exceed $4.5M. This role incorporates both fundraising and organizing skills, with an emphasis on supporting and mobilizing funders to collaborate on funder convenings and larger discussions within the movement about wealth redistribution and philanthropy. The successful applicant will possess at least 4+ years of professional experience in fundraising, is a collaborative thinker, and is politically committed to the movement for liberation. This role will also be encouraged to support partner organizations in building fundraising capacity and engage in collaborative fundraising when opportunities emerge. This role primarily focuses on institutional giving for EBC's 501(c)3 entity and will spend a limited number of hours stewarding gifts towards EBC Action Fund, our 501(c)4 entity. This position is supervised by the Director of Development.

PRIMARY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Development Strategy and Implementation
● Lead the strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation of institutional fundraising initiatives aligned with EBC's mission and programmatic goals.
● Build and maintain relationships with funders and engage funders in discussions around equitable resource distribution and systemic change.
● Manage mid-level funder relationships, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
● Oversee grant agreements, compliance, and reconciliation of foundation income, ensuring accountability and transparency.
● Develop multi-year funding plans and projections to meet organizational growth goals.
● Collaborate with EBC leadership to integrate programmatic insights into fundraising strategy and donor engagement.
● Produce high-quality grant proposals, letters of intent, and reports, leveraging data, storytelling, and impact metrics.
● Stay current on trends in philanthropy, equity-focused giving, and nonprofit fundraising best practices, integrating innovative approaches as appropriate.

Prospect Research and Outreach
● Research, identify, and qualify new relationships with institutional funders through Foundation Online Directory and other tools.
● In collaboration with the Director of Development and Executive Director, develop and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies that facilitate increased funder engagement and institutional revenue.
● Prepare reports on foundation funding, including both past and prospective funding.

● Conduct data-driven prospect research using CRM analytics, funding databases, and other tools to identify and qualify new funders.
● Develop and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies to expand and diversify EBC's institutional revenue.
● Represent EBC at community and philanthropic events, building networks and fostering collaborative funding opportunities.

Development Operations
● Serve as the team lead for EBC's CRM database (Salesforce), managing data integrity, workflows, and reporting systems. Lead the Development Team's work to successfully manage and integrate various platforms into team workflows (Salesforce, Box, Google Drive, etc.).
● Design and implement dashboards and evaluation tools to track progress toward revenue goals and inform strategy.
● Collaborate with the Development Executive Assistant and Senior Development Associate on donor stewardship, data management, and campaign support.
● Integrate technology and platforms to optimize development operations and team workflows. Screen and evaluate potential new products and platforms, serving as the primary point of contact for external sales representatives.

Supervision of Development Staff
● Support, coach, and mentor the Senior Development Associate, supporting professional growth and leadership development.
● Foster a collaborative, high-performing, and politically engaged team culture.
● Support the Development Executive Assistant in implementing gift acknowledgement procedures, as well as collaborating on foundation stewardship as needed.
● Create opportunities for continued political education within the team and encourage those supervised to pursue external political education outside of the department.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS
● Proven commitment to racial, economic, and gender justice, with demonstrated ability to integrate these values into fundraising strategy.
● Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
● Outstanding interpersonal skills and adept at building a positive team culture.
● 4 or more years of experience in fundraising, with demonstrable experience implementing strategic institutional giving programs.
● 4 or more years of formal or informal mentorship experience can be in a supervisory role or other relevant experience.
● Proven track record in writing successful grant proposals for grants of $25,000 to $2 million or above.
● Strong understanding and analysis of the criminal justice foundation landscape locally, statewide, and nationally. Backgrounds in other foundation landscapes are also welcome, with a strong analysis of how these intersect with the criminal justice reform movement and how to diversify funding pipelines.
● Proficiency in budget and revenue tracking towards revenue goals.
● History of working collaboratively with stakeholders (board members, volunteers, etc.) and coworkers while exercising individual leadership in meeting core job responsibilities.
● Project management and/or campaign experience, including proven ability to successfully manage multiple time-sensitive projects.
● History of using CRM/database tools to successfully support funder engagement. Experience with Salesforce is preferred, with interest and aptitude for database development
● Aptitude for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of fundraising programs.
● Commitment to respecting people of all gender identities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
● Familiarity with the criminal justice reform movement and related philanthropic landscape in California and/or the Bay Area.
● Experience in collaborative fundraising, funder convenings, and cross-sector partnerships.
● Bilingual in Spanish/English or other languages relevant to EBC's communities.
● Experience in digital donor engagement, virtual events, and online stewardship campaigns.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP
This is a salaried, exempt, on-site, full-time, non-bargaining unit position. There will be times when the position will be required to work in the evenings, on weekends, and participate in outward-facing community events. The Development Manager reports to the Director of Development. This position supervises the Senior Development Associate.

SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary range: $90,000-$100,000, depending on professional and lived experience. The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights offers a competitive benefits package to its full-time employees, which includes employee health, vision, dental, chiropractor, acupuncture, LTD, life insurance, EAP, paid holidays, vacation and sick time, and the option to enroll in a 401K program. We cover 100% of the employee-only premiums for all medical coverage. Medical coverage begins on the 1st of the month, after the date of hire.

EVERYONE WELCOME
The Ella Baker Center is an equal-opportunity employer. Individuals of color, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, individuals with past involvement in the criminal legal system, or who have loved ones currently or formerly impacted by the criminal legal system, are strongly encouraged to apply. We do not require candidates to have a degree, and we welcome candidates with nontraditional backgrounds. We believe in both the necessity in building a broad, diverse movement to effectuate change and the importance of centering the experiences and leadership of those most impacted by the legal system. We are committed to investing in the leadership of people of color and formerly incarcerated people. If you are wondering if you are qualified to apply, please do.

HOW TO APPLY
Submit the following application materials: Ella Baker Center Website Careers
● Resume or summary of relevant experience.
● A thoughtful cover letter about your interest in the position.
● A writing sample that demonstrates your ability to convey programmatic impact to funders (3-5 pages max).
Should a candidate advance in the interview process, they may be asked to participate in a brief skills evaluation exercise and submit a portfolio or work samples. Application open until filled. Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as interviews will be offered on a rolling basis. Please note we will begin interviews in January 2026.

COVID-19 VACCINATION
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights recommends vaccinations to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Fully vaccinated is determined two weeks after completing a primary vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine, with, if applicable, at least the minimum recommended interval between doses. All newly hired employees are requested to report their vaccination status and to provide proof of vaccination. The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights encourages employees to wear a mask when working within the building and at EBC-sponsored gatherings. Employees may be legally entitled to a reasonable accommodation because of a disability, or if the provisions in this policy for vaccination, and/or testing for COVID- 19, and/or wearing a face covering conflict with a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.

START DATE
March 2026

Nothing in this job description restricts the Ella Baker Center's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.