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Development Manager


Project Equity grows community wealth by retaining successful local businesses through employee ownership transitions

Do you want to see a world where the average employee has economic security and businesses help build resilient communities? So do we! Project Equity helps employees, especially those in low- to middle-wage jobs, become co-owners of the businesses where they work. We raise awareness of employee ownership as a business succession strategy, conduct business outreach, and education, and provide direct support for business owners and employees to transition to employee ownership. Project Equity is currently expanding into multiple regions around the country.


Help us tap incredible momentum

Employee ownership is gaining momentum. With income and wealth inequality, including the racial wealth gap, in the spotlight, interest in employee ownership as a practical solution has increased. The monumental passing of the Main Street Employee Act, the first federal legislation on employee ownership in decades, is one of many catalysts for growth in employee ownership transitions. Thanks in significant part to our own efforts, media outlets such as The San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, Forbes, NPR and the Washington Post have recently highlighted employee ownership. 


In the seven years since our launch, Project Equity has developed successful, replicable programs designed to scale; seen mounting support from foundations, financial institutions, and like-minded organizations in the field; and built a team that is well equipped to increase our impact. All of these factors put Project Equity in an exciting leadership role in a growing movement to harness employee ownership to maintain thriving local business communities, create quality jobs, and address income and wealth inequality. Join us in tapping this incredible momentum in the employee ownership space!


Your role

As a Development Manager at Project Equity, you will help shape and execute a robust fundraising strategy for our rapidly growing organization. 


How you will help raise funds to lead the expansion of employee ownership:

  • Write and edit inspiring funding proposals; create strategic funder communications, leveraging internal design and communication resources as needed.
  • Develop new institutional giving prospects, including foundations and corporations, and execute cultivation and stewardship plans for top funder prospects and high net worth individuals who can support and champion Project Equity’s work. 
  • Oversee grant and relationship management systems, including Salesforce. Ensure that contributions and donor data are properly maintained in the organization's donor database, including monthly reconciliation of contributions with the finance department.
  • Assist with the creation of annual and multi-year development plans. Identify, research, and explore the feasibility of new development strategies.
  • Represent Project Equity at funder meetings, special events, speaking engagements, and other events to help build awareness and foster relationships. Help organize and host occasional events (virtual and in-person, when safe). 

How you work:

  • You are passionate about making a difference and supporting employee-owned businesses, and you gracefully convey your passion to others.
  • You are goal oriented in your fundraising work, able to adjust strategy as needed to meet our development goals.
  • You are highly collaborative both with internal teams as well as external partners and contractors. You are excited to work with a small, very agile, fast-moving and sophisticated team.
  • You approach things systematically and are a natural at zooming out to see the big picture, then diving in to focus on the important details. You get a lot of pleasure in seeing projects through.

Areas where you shine:

  • You’re an excellent writer and communicator. You are an outstanding storyteller, and you love the craft of writing. Your communication skills shine across platforms, whether proposals, articles, emails, presentations, phone or in person.
  • You love learning. You have a strong knowledge of institutional fundraising best practices and dynamics and strive to grow in your field
  • You’re committed to economic justice and racial equity. You have a passion for learning about economic justice, local economies and racial equity, including the organizations and funders working to create systems change in these areas.
  • You take initiative. You proactively identify gaps and develop solutions. You are comfortable figuring things out and being resourceful to meet your goals. 
  • You’re a strategic thinker. You are adept at identifying traditional and “out of the box” funding opportunities to meet aggressive growth goals.
  • You have a real human sensibility. You are a people person and love to engage at a strategic level with donors and philanthropists. You understand what makes people tick, how to connect with their intellect and passions and how to move them to action.

Your experience includes:

  • At least 5 years of successful nonprofit fundraising experience with a focus on foundation grants, other institutional donors (government or corporate), and major donors.
  • Demonstrated experience writing successful grant proposals, ideally raising at least $500,000 per year.
  • A Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree in a relevant field of study a plus.
  • Education and/or professional experience in the areas of small business, community economic development and/or finance a plus. 

This position is a full-time role in Project Equity’s innovative, growing organization. Preferred location is the San Francisco Bay Area (our HQ); we will also consider candidates in Los Angeles and New York. Compensation is commensurate with experience.


Project Equity is an independent operating project of the nonprofit umbrella organization, Multiplier, a nationally recognized nonprofit with a growing portfolio of innovative initiatives that conserve and protect a sustainable and resilient world (www.multiplier.org).


Multiplier and Project Equity celebrate diversity and are committed to building teams and partnerships that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Multiplier and Project Equity are also committed to providing an environment of mutual respect that is free from discrimination and harassment. Multiplier and Project Equity prohibit discrimination in its governance, programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, marital status, amnesty, status as a covered veteran, because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from public assistance, or for any other non-merit based factor.

Learn more at www.project-equity.org [1].


  1. http://www.project-equity.org/

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