Director of Development

WHAT WE DO

The California Hotel & Lodging Association Hospitality Foundation (CHLAHF) serves as a pivotal force in California’s hospitality industry. Through the scholarships we provide, CHLAHF empowers hospitality and culinary arts students to unlock their potential and pursue rewarding careers in hospitality. We are the only independent hospitality scholarship foundation in the state and have cumulatively awarded more than $4,000,000 in scholarships since our founding, awarding $200,000 total to approximately 60 students each year. The impact of our funding for these students and their families can be truly transformational.

Founded in 2019, CHLAHF was created through a partnership between the Hotel & Restaurant Foundation and the California Hotel & Lodging Association Education Foundation, which joined forces to support the future of the hospitality industry in California. Through our strategic partnerships, education activities and outreach initiatives, the foundation not only addresses the evolving needs of the hospitality sector, but also the needs of current and future employees who are the heart of the industry.

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

The Foundation is proudly managed and staffed by the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA) and is overseen by a highly engaged and connected Board of Directors. Our board is comprised of passionate community leaders and hospitality experts committed to cultivating talent and championing industry growth and innovation. This newly created position will report to Jesse Geremia, Executive Vice President of the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA). Working in partnership with CHLA staff across the state, the organizational culture is highly collaborative and supportive, with a priority on fostering a healthy work-life balance and ongoing professional development opportunities.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Salary – $85,000 - $100,000
• Fully remote role, based in California with occasional travel required.
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401(k) after one year of employment
• PTO: 10 vacation days, 2 PTO days, 5 paid sick days, 10 paid holidays, plus the week between Christmas and New Years off.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Executive Vice President of CHLA, the Director of Development will oversee CHLAHF’s entire fundraising portfolio. This newly created role will require the creation, development and implementation of a comprehensive fundraising plan to expand and diversify revenue while enhancing CHLAHF’s brand awareness. This is a highly collaborative role, partnering with leadership and the Board of Directors to strengthen and improve CHLAHF’s overall fundraising capacity. CHLAHF provides critical funds to serve more students, increase scholarship amounts, and further develop programs and partnerships, growing annual scholarships. This role is flexible, and the association is open to entertaining this as a part-time role. The association may consider candidates already working at an organization with non-competitive clients.

The Director will also represent CHLAHF in the community, developing lasting relationships with key organizations and community partners to build CHLAHF’s visibility, impact, and financial resources.

Strategic priorities for the Director of Development include:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan to enhance, expand and diversify revenue.
• Strengthen the culture of philanthropy across CHLAHF and CHLA, demonstrating how employees and board members can become advocates for CHLAHF in the community.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead, develop, and execute strategies for all CHLAHF’s fundraising areas including campaigns, major gifts, individual giving, planned giving, events, grants, and corporate sponsorships.
• Plan and execute a moves management approach to individual and institutional giving.
• Oversee grant proposal development, working in close collaboration with relevant staff.
• Manage prospective and current funder relationships, ensuring all funders are informed about our work on an ongoing basis and feel connected to the Foundation.
• Integrate development and marketing/communications strategies to maximize CHLAHF’s brand exposure and fundraising opportunities.
• Oversee the design and production of donor recognition materials and solicitations, as well as the development and distribution of publications.
• Serve as liaison to the Board of Directors in all development-related areas, attend and provide timely updates at board meetings.
• Establish policies, systems, and procedures, with a special emphasis on professionalism and ethical standards, for soliciting, acknowledging, tracking, and reporting gifts.
• Supervise the appropriate use of Salesforce software and reporting, ensuring donor privacy, data accuracy, and timeliness of acknowledgments and reporting.
• Create and manage clear success metrics, holding yourself and others accountable for achieving those goals.

BACKGROUND PROFILE

• Entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit; a true self-starter.
• Successful professional nonprofit fundraising experience, with a strong understanding of fundraising strategies, systems, and processes.
• Experienced with constructing, articulating, and implementing a strategic fundraising plan, including solicitation and stewardship of individual, foundation, corporate donors, grant writing, special events, and collaborating with the Board of Directors to achieve fundraising goals.
• Excellent communication skills: using both written and oral skills to influence and engage diverse audiences.
• Strong analytical skills and use of data to drive fundraising, partnership decisions, and forecasting.
• An understanding of the hospitality industry is desirable.