Association of Fundraising Professionals, Golden Gate Chapter (AFP Golden Gate) · 18 hours ago
Associate Director of Development & Membership, California State Railroad Museum Foundation (Sacramento)
Sacramento, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$90K/yr - $95K/yr
7+ years expThe California State Railroad Museum Foundation is seeking an Associate Director of Development & Membership to manage their annual fund and membership fundraising programs. This role involves overseeing donor relationships and leading fundraising campaigns to generate sustainable revenue while ensuring strong donor stewardship.
Non-profit Organization Management
Responsibilities
Plan and execute the Foundation’s annual fund strategy in partnership with the Development Director, aligned with organizational revenue goals and priorities
Lead all fundraising campaigns serving donors and members giving up to $1,500 annually, including:
Year-end appeal
Big Day of Giving
Targeted digital, direct mail, and acquisition or renewal campaigns, as appropriate
Coordinate fundraising calendars, production schedules, and internal deadlines across departments
Draft and refine donor-facing appeal copy, solicitation emails, and campaign messaging in collaboration with Communications & Marketing
Support testing, segmentation, and continuous improvement of annual fund efforts
Provide strategic and operational oversight of the Foundation’s membership program in coordination with fundraising objectives
Supervise the Manager of Membership, and through them oversee two Membership Assistants responsible for frontline member services and engagement
Guide membership acquisition, renewal, and upgrade strategies consistent with donor and member experience goals
Ensure alignment between membership benefits, fundraising appeals, and stewardship communications
Partner with events, education, curatorial, and interpretation teams to support meaningful member engagement opportunities
Manage a portfolio of individual donors and members giving up to $1,500 annually through personalized outreach, stewardship, and targeted communications
Support donor retention and upgrade strategies by identifying patterns of engagement and giving potential
Coordinate with the Chief Development Officer to identify donors with emerging major gift capacity and support smooth pipeline transitions
Assist with donor recognition activities, acknowledgments, and impact communications appropriate to giving level
Share oversight of the Development and Membership Coordinator (or Specialist) with the Director of Development, ensuring clarity of roles, workload balance, and performance expectations
Partner with development operations staff to ensure timely gift processing, acknowledgments, data integrity, and reporting
Monitor and analyze fundraising and membership performance metrics, including retention, response rates, and revenue trends
Prepare regular reports and insights for the Director of Development to inform planning and forecasting
Coordinate with external vendors (print, mailing, digital services) as needed to support campaigns
Work closely with Communications & Marketing to ensure consistent messaging, timing, and brand alignment across fundraising and membership efforts
Collaborate with Finance to ensure compliance with gift acceptance policies, IRS requirements, and internal controls
Represent the Development team at internal planning meetings and selected donor or member events
Perform other duties as assigned in support of the Foundation’s mission and goals
Qualification
Required
Commitment to the mission and public-serving role of the California State Railroad Museum Foundation
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required
Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in nonprofit development, annual giving, membership fundraising, or related roles
At least 5 years of management experience, including direct supervision of staff
Demonstrated success planning and executing multi-channel fundraising campaigns
Strong writing and editing skills for compelling donor-facing communications
Experience working with donor databases and fundraising reporting tools; DonorPerfect or similar CRM experience preferred
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
Proven ability to collaborate effectively across departments and with external partners
Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends for campaigns and events
Influence in the absence of authority
Comfort working within a collaborative environment that includes public-sector partners
Sense of humor
Preferred
Experience in a membership-based organization, museum, or cultural institution
Familiarity with statewide or regional giving days
Experience supporting donor pipeline development
Company
Association of Fundraising Professionals, Golden Gate Chapter (AFP Golden Gate)
AFP Golden Gate is one of the largest chapters of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, serving the Bay Area’s diverse nonprofit community.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageCompany data provided by crunchbase