Director of Community and Donor Engagement

Join FoodCycle!
FoodCycle was founded in 2005 by volunteers who recognized the scale of food waste, its impact on vulnerable populations, and its contribution to climate change. With the mission to feed people, not landfills, FoodCycle has grown into an innovative operation, leveraging technology, electric vehicles, solar-powered refrigeration and mobile apps. Working with hundreds of businesses—including Whole Foods, Lazy Acres and Trader Joe’s, to name a few--we rescued more than 10 million pounds of surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, and with our nonprofit partners we delivered more than 8 million meals in 2024.

FoodCycle nourishes food-insecure communities by rescuing and redistributing surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. Ultimately, our work reduces hunger, improves health, and addresses climate change related to food waste in landfills. At the heart of our mission is the simple belief: no one should go hungry while good food goes to waste.

Position Summary
The Director of Community and Donor Engagement will build a community of individuals, businesses, municipalities and foundations to support and sustain FoodCycle’s mission and programs to solve food insecurity, while keeping food waste out of landfills and reducing carbon emissions.

The Director will build FoodCycle’s first formal development and communication plan to create and inspire transformational participation and giving opportunities that increase the availability of nutrition in food deserts while reducing food waste from food purveyors (like catering companies, restaurants, and grocery stores). Working with the FoodCycle staff, volunteers, and board of directors these strategies will support a growing operating budget that is currently approximately $1.2 million.

Compensation and Benefits
The compensation for the Director of Community and Donor Engagement is $115,000 - $125,000 per year. This position is eligible for the following benefits:

• Medical insurance
• Paid holidays
• Paid vacation leave
• Paid sick leave
• Retirement plan

Essential Position Responsibilities
Fundraising and Community Building

• Create and implement a diversified fundraising plan that increases unrestricted funds and builds committed relationships and long-term major giving support.
• Cultivate and shepherd new donor relationships.
• Reach out to past and existing donors and businesses to strengthen and increase support.
• Build and strengthen relationships with food donors and nonprofit organizations.
• Build relationships with restaurants, chefs and related businesses that share “no-waste” philosophies, and partner on messaging, community programs and intimate donor cultivation activities.
• Inspire FoodCycle (volunteers, staff, etc.) to serve as ambassadors and fundraising partners.
• Provide on-site opportunities to current and prospective donors to experience to food distribution events.

Communications and Events

• Develop and implement an agency-wide communication strategy and provide oversight of all donor and community communications--such as appeals, newsletters and donor appreciation.
• Lead and provide oversight on social media postings that increase visibility and engagement.
• Align messaging, storytelling, donor and community engagement strategies.
• Supervise social media manager.

Board Engagement

• Provide leadership and support to FoodCycle’s Board of Directors, including its development and finance committees and assist in board member recruitment.
• Work with the development committee to create and implement fundraising and community-building strategies.

Budgeting and Allocation

• Participate in the FoodCycle budget and monitoring process, projecting reasonable and realistic fundraising goals by funding category and other factors.
• Coordinate with the Finance team regarding appropriate gift allocations and financial reporting.

Qualifications

• Commitment to issues of food insecurity and no-waste food production.
• Bachelor's Degree and/or equivalent experience required.
• At least seven years of progressive fundraising success, with an emphasis on unrestricted funds.
• Track record of annually raising at least $250,000 in unrestricted funds through individuals, grants and events.
• Track record of cultivating and stewarding high-net-worth donors and philanthropic institutions.
• Experience coordinating large and small-scale donor engagement events.
• Exceptional relationship-building and interpersonal skills.
• High degree of emotional intelligence and strategic thinking.
• Management and supervisory experience required.
• Excellent attention to detail, highly organized, flexible, reliable and responsible.
• Strong organizational, time-management, and multitasking skills with the ability to prioritize and complete projects thoroughly and on time.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Ethical, responsible with the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion while maintaining a high degree of confidentiality.
• Computer proficiency with Donor Management software, MailChimp or other email platforms, Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Canva and Excel.
• Solid understanding of communications tactics and social media platforms.
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred.

How to Apply
Thank you for your interest in the Director of Community and Donor Engagement opportunity available with FoodCycle! Please submit your resume and cover letter for consideration. We are unable to accept direct inquiries about this position (i.e. phone calls, emails).