Reach Out and Read Regional Director of Development

Regional Director of Development
Remote, Northern California

The Opportunity

Reach Out and Read Northern California seeks a strategic, mission-driven Director of Development (DOD) to partner with our Executive Director in driving philanthropic growth and advancing early childhood literacy and health equity across the region. We support 160 clinical sites across 12 counties, with a growing team that includes an Executive Director, 2.5 Program Managers, and an Affiliate Medical Director. Our current operating budget is $750,000, and we’re poised for significant growth.

The Director of Development plays a critical leadership role in developing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to sustain and expand Reach Out and Read’s regional impact. The ideal candidate is an experienced development professional who is both strategic and hands-on, able to build relationships across sectors, craft compelling cases for support, and successfully secure funding from individual donors, foundations, corporations, and government sources.

If you’re energized by the opportunity to create lasting change for children and families, thrive in a collaborative and remote environment, and are excited to co-lead a growing affiliate alongside a committed Executive Director, we encourage you to apply.

Your Key Responsibilities Will Include: 

Individual Donors and Major Gifts (50%):

• Lead a comprehensive individual giving strategy in collaboration with the Executive Director and National Development team.

• Identify, cultivate, and steward individual donors and prospects, managing a portfolio of major donors ($5,000+).

• Design and implement moves management plans aligned with donors’ philanthropic goals.

• Analyze giving trends to inform segmentation, personalized outreach, and donor retention strategies.

• Partner with the Executive Director on donor meetings and stewardship activities.

• Develop donor communications, appeals, and engagement materials.

• Track donor activity and engagement in Salesforce or other CRM systems.

Corporate and Foundation Funding (30%):

• Lead the development and management of a multi-year grants pipeline and calendar.

• Draft and submit grant proposals and reports

• Help identify and pursue new foundation and corporate funding opportunities.

• Maintain relationships with current funders and partners.

• Represent the organization in meetings and presentations with institutional funders.

• Oversee workplace giving and combined campaign efforts.

Partnership Development (10%):

• Partners with Program staff on funder site visits and impact storytelling.

• Support clinics in developing local fundraising efforts.

• Assist in public funding and health system partnership strategies.

Communications and Publications (10%):

• Develop donor-facing communications and collateral.

• Manage or support social media, newsletters, and fundraising campaigns

• Align regional messaging with Reach Out and Read’s national brand and voice.

Qualifications and Experience

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and learn about the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We’ll honor your lived and professional experience as critical aspects of your candidacy for the role and prioritize applicants with experience dismantling the structural inequities that disproportionately impact children and families with traditionally marginalized identities. We are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• Commitment to increasing equity in opportunity and outcomes for children and recognizing factors that significantly impact differential outcomes for children, including race, ethnicity, language, and socio-economic status.

• 5-7 years of nonprofit fundraising experience with increasing levels of responsibility, including a strong track record in donor campaigns and annual giving.

• Broad familiarity with multiple fundraising areas beyond grant writing, such as corporate sponsorships, individual giving, major gifts, and public funding.

• Experience developing effective communications for external partners and supporters.

• Proficiency in using technology platforms, including Microsoft Office, Salesforce, Classy, donor management software, online design tools (e.g., Canva, Piktochart), and email marketing services (e.g., Mailchimp, Robly, or similar).

• Ability and enthusiasm to learn new software and systems.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with experience speaking effectively in small group settings.

• Self-motivated and able to work independently in a virtual environment, while also contributing as a collaborative, team-oriented colleague.

• Demonstrated success in cultivating and maintaining partnerships and donor relationships.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including strong editing abilities.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.

Position Specifications

Full-time (40 hours), remote, exempt position. This person requires to be located in Northern California. 25-30% locally-based travel throughout the Sacramento and Bay area, plus availability to attend team retreats and one to two Affiliate or national meetings per year. Some overnight travel may be required to accommodate meetings.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $105,000 - $115,000 commensurate with experience. ROR offers a robust benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan with match, paid time off, and more.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and a thoughtfully written cover letter using the application portal. Successful candidates can expect an initial screening call with the Search/Recruitment team, followed by a series of virtual interviews with the Hiring team. The expected start date is August 2025.

Commitment to Diversity

Reach Out and Read is committed to building an organization that embraces diversity, pursues equity, and fosters an environment of inclusion. ROR sits at the intersection of health and education, uniquely positioned to play a critical role in addressing systemic disparities and inequities in the public health framework. ROR strives to be an antiracist organization, using its influence to fight against social injustice by supporting a culture of learning, empowerment, equity, and a deep appreciation for the unique experiences that we each bring to our communities. We believe that changing the world begins with holding ourselves and our workplace to that same standard.

About Reach Out and Read

Founded in 1989, Reach Out and Read is a national non-profit organization working to ensure all families have the opportunity to create meaningful everyday moments through shared reading aloud and building relationships. By leveraging pediatric care to champion the positive effects of reading daily and distributing books, Reach Out and Read gives young children a foundation for success and reaches 4.4 million children across the county – half of whom identify as BIPOC and two-thirds of whom come from low-income families.

Reach Out and Read’s tens of thousands of trained pediatric providers use books as a diagnostic tool during regular check-ups, and teach parents how to engage their child with a book to promote positive parent-child interactions during the rapid brain growth between birth and age five. The daily practice of reading aloud with a parent supports children’s literacy and math skill development, their social-emotional development, and prepares them for future success in school. Working together with our sites and providers, we leverage our three decades of expertise, build on our literacy foundations, and engage our shared networks as a catalyst for change, focusing on equitably strengthening and deepening our impact on the children, families, and communities we serve.

The Impact:

• Reach Out and Read program sites are located in 6,200 clinics, safety net hospitals, medical systems, and other healthcare settings in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
• Reach Out and Read serves 4.4 million children and their families annually.
• More than 7.1 million new, developmentally appropriate books are integrated into well-child visits with families annually.
• 36,000 clinicians currently participate in Reach Out and Read
• Our peer-reviewed body of evidence demonstrates that Reach Out and Read parents are two-and-a-half times more likely to read regularly to their children, and that children experiencing Reach Out and Read show enhanced language development.

To learn more about Reach Out and Read, visit www.reachoutandread.org.

ROR is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Reach Out and Read is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status. Reach Out and Read is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and we are committed to making special accommodations for your interview or work as a member of our team. If specific accommodations are needed, please email HR @ reachoutandread.org and our HR team will work to accommodate your needs.