Development Manager

Position: Development Manager

Classification: Exempt, full-time

Work Location: Approximately 90% remote, with around 10% of time spent engaging with the local community

Compensation: $50,000, with an additional health benefits stipend of $5,000

Position Summary: The Development Manager is a new position responsible for growing contributed income from individuals, corporations, and foundations for both general operating support and restricted funding for programs and events. 

Position Funding: 

The creation of this position is funded through a grant, and funding is currently secured through February 2026. Handmade Arcade plans to sustain this position past February 2026 with additional fundraising, but employment beyond this period will be contingent upon securing additional funding. 

Reporting Relationships: 

  • The Development Manager reports to Handmade Arcade’s Executive Director. 

Responsibilities: 

Individual Giving

  • Develop and implement a comprehensive annual fundraising plan with strategies for individual donor identification, solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship in order to increase annual individual donations, number of individual donors, and number of monthly donors

  • Lead the development and execution of 2-4 individual giving campaigns and appeals per year from start to finish, including developing the marketing strategy for the campaign; creating printed materials, e-communications, social media materials, etc.; managing annual campaign mailings; and managing annual donor acknowledgement letters 

  • Develop and maintain year-round relationships with Handmade Arcade’s portfolio of individual donors and/or donor prospects to grow immediate and long-term funding

  • Create individual engagement, stewardship plans, and giving goals for each donor based on giving history, relationship, and organization’s knowledge of the donor’s giving potential 

  • Alongside Executive Director and Program Operations Manager, develop social media and website content related to Handmade Arcade’s impact on makers to engage and motivate donors

  • Distribute the quarterly donor e-newsletter, including collaborating with Executive Director and Program Operations Manager to spotlight makers and maker impact to donors 

  • Manage Handmade Arcade’s donor database on Neon CRM to ensure that all information and data is up-to-date and available in real-time to Executive Director and board of directors 

  • Prepare donor data reports using the donor database for board meetings, grant applications and reports, and other essential organization operations

  • Lead strategies for soliciting donations at events, including collaborating with the Program Operations Manager on donation solicitation signage, attending all markets and special programs to represent Handmade Arcade at the welcome table to solicit donations and interact with donors, etc. 

  • Collaborate and engage with the board of directors for donor stewardship activities

Sponsorships

  • Create event and program-specific sponsorship decks with sponsorship levels and benefits based on annual budget

  • Maintain sponsorship opportunity pages of Handmade Arcade website 

  • Proactively identify potential event sponsors and other year-round sponsors and build relationships with potential sponsors by hosting meetings and phone calls and following up with specialized sponsorship proposals

  • Manage execution of sponsorship agreements, sponsor invoices, and other sponsorship components  

  • Track and execute all sponsorship benefits, including advertising, email, social media, web, print, etc. 

  • Collaborate with the Program Operations Manager to execute in-person sponsorship benefits, including on-site booths, sponsor signage, sponsor passes to ticketed events, etc.

  • Alongside Program Operations Manager and Executive Director, manage event-specific media sponsorships by creating and preparing trade advertising materials and executing media sponsorship benefits 

  • Maintain sponsorship data in Handmade Arcade’s donor database on Neon CRM to ensure that all information and data is up-to-date and available in real-time to Executive Director and board of directors 

  • Prepare sponsorship reports using the donor database for board meetings, grant applications and reports, and other essential organization operations

  • Collaborate and engage with the board of directors for sponsor stewardship activities

  • Engage with sponsors at Handmade Arcade events to continue fostering sponsor relationships 

Foundation Giving

  • Support the Executive Director in identifying and evaluating grant opportunities 

  • Support Executive Director in preparing materials for grant applications, grant management administration tasks, and grant reports 

Minimum Qualifications & Skills: 

  • Demonstrated commitment to Handmade Arcade’s values of anti-racism, equity, transparency, financial sustainability, and collaboration 

  • At least 3 years of experience in development, fundraising, and/or philanthropy experience in a nonprofit

  • Demonstrated track record of fundraising success, including meeting or exceeding annual fundraising goals for individual gifts and sponsorships

  • Strong understanding of fundraising best practices 

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

  • Ability to self-direct work and resourcefully work through challenges 

  • Commitment to high standards for customer service and interpersonal communications/relationship building

  • High degree of technological competency and interest in new technology  (Handmade Arcade uses Squarespace, Google Drive, Neon CRM, Jotform, and other technology on a daily basis)

Essential Functions:

  • Move inside event venues of various sizes to communicate with event attendees, donors, and sponsors

  • Operate a computer and other necessary event/office machinery, including copy machine, printer, and electronic payment device (i.e. Square point-of-sale system)

Handmade Arcade is committed to building a team that is reflective of our region’s diverse make-up of makers, customers, and collaborators. Candidates with disabilities, candidates who are BIPOC, and/or candidates who are members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community are encouraged to apply. 

Why It’s Great to Work for Handmade Arcade: 

  • Competitive and flexible benefits package

  • Work remotely

  • Unlimited paid time off with 11 holidays and annual paid Winter Break between December 24-January 1

  • Flexible schedule (includes evenings and weekends as needed for meetings and events) 

  • Independence and innovative thinking encouraged

  • Dedicated annual professional development stipend 

  • Collaboration with the region’s talented and robust maker, arts, and craft community and like-minded nonprofit organizations 

  • Supportive and engaged board of directors and volunteers 

  • Values-driven nonprofit committed to transparency and equity

How to Apply: Application due date has been extended through January 10, 2025. Interested applicants should complete this application form. Upon completion of the application, applicants will also be asked to complete a separate, anonymous demographics survey. 

Handmade Arcade is an equal opportunity employer. Our success depends heavily on the effective employment of qualified people, regardless of their race, ancestry, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, veteran’s status, or any characteristic protected by law. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.