ABOUT TIDES
Tides is a nonprofit and philanthropic organization committed to advancing social justice. We work across the social sector to shift power to communities of color and other groups historically denied power.
Centering equity and justice in everything we do, we collaborate in deep partnership with movement leaders, nonprofits, donors, foundations, and corporations to amplify the impact of their work by providing services like fiscal sponsorship, donor advised funds, grant making, and a variety of innovative solutions. Learn more at tides.org http://tides.org.
ABOUT THIS ROLE
Tides seeks an entrepreneurial fundraising leader to serve as its inaugural Vice President of Development – launching the organization’s first dedicated Development office in support of Tides’ renewed vision and mission. The Vice President will design and implement fundraising strategies; source, solicit, and cultivate relationships with individual philanthropists and philanthropic institutions; and lead all fundraising activities executed by Gift Officers and Philanthropic Strategists. This leader will engage senior staff, board members, and key partners to build and execute a robust contributed revenue program aligned with organizational priorities.
This is fundamentally a build role. Tides has not previously had a dedicated major and principal gifts program, and the incoming Vice President will design the systems, pipeline, and moves-management practices that do not yet exist, working with a small, committed team that includes a Major Gift Officer and Prospect Researcher, as well as an indirect reporting line to a cohort of approximately 14 Philanthropic Strategists newly charged with fundraising actively as part of their broader role delivering donor advised funds (DAFs) and fund advisory services. Given the urgency of this moment for Tides, the Vice President will be expected to deliver credible, near-term progress – meaningful gifts secured within the first several months – while simultaneously constructing the longer-term infrastructure that will sustain growth for years to come.
Reporting to the Executive Director of Tides Foundation, the Vice President will focus on three interconnected priorities:
- Build Broadly Restricted Support for Tides (approximately 50% of time). Tides plays a vital intermediary role in the social justice sector. While the organization primarily relies on administrative fees to fund its capacity and innovation needs, the Vice President will partner with senior leaders to raise unrestricted and broadly restricted operating support for Tides itself.
- Raise Philanthropic Capital for Tides-Led Initiatives (approximately 35% of time). Tides has launched ambitious pooled grantmaking funds in democracy, climate justice, immigration, gender equity, and reproductive health. Early results have been strong; the Vice President will sustain and grow this momentum in close coordination with Tides Foundation’s Program Officers.
- Lead and Build the Development Team (approximately 15% of time). Build a sustainable, high-performing development function by cultivating existing talent and establishing new roles to support long-term organizational growth. The Vice President will play an essential role in articulating a compelling case for investment in Tides’ strategic priorities. Success will be measured by the appointee’s ability to expand the donor pipeline – identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and closing major and transformational gifts from individual and institutional supporters – while consistently achieving annual fundraising goals. Target portfolio size and revenue goals will be established in the first 90 days in partnership with the Executive Director.
The Vice President will play an essential role in articulating a compelling case for investment in Tides’ strategic priorities. Success will be measured by the appointee’s ability to expand the donor pipeline – identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and closing major and transformational gifts from individual and institutional supporters – while consistently achieving annual fundraising goals. Target portfolio size and revenue goals will be established in the first 90 days in partnership with the Executive Director.
Development Context
The Vice President will partner closely with the Executive Director of Tides Foundation to bring rigorous fundraising discipline to the organization and strategically coordinate an organization-wide fundraising mandate, with an emphasis on proactively cultivating and securing major and transformational gifts. They will help design the core fundraising team and function, while also building the capacity of and mentoring Tides Foundation's network of Philanthropic Strategists as a coordinated, active fundraising force in addition to their fee-for-service work in philanthropic advising. The Vice President will be central to ensuring that Tides’ social-justice-forward profile is complemented by best practices and fundraising acumen.
Because of the various programmatic pillars of the Tides Network, there are several fundraising fronts. Tides has traditionally received grant funding from traditional philanthropy to support general operations that help build capacity for projects. Additionally, collective action funds serve as impactful vehicles for individual donors to give in community with one another. Lastly, Tides Foundation’s Philanthropic Strategists steward the investments of major donors through DAFs. Tides would like to grow both the number of DAF holders and the size of each investment under management, and the Philanthropic Strategists will be incentivized as allies in that effort.
Tides’ CEO and the Executive Director of Tides Foundation are widely respected, highly credible figures who open doors for Tides across philanthropic, corporate, and civic networks. The Vice President will partner strategically with the CEO, the Executive Director and the rest of Tides’ Executive Team, preparing them for high-value engagements, translating access into structured cultivation and solicitation plans, and ensuring their time and relationships are deployed toward Tides' highest-potential opportunities.
This search is proceeding alongside a concurrent search for a Vice President of External Affairs and Strategic Communications. The two roles are intentionally paired: Tides' senior leadership recognizes that a compelling, consistent public narrative is foundational to fundraising success, and the incoming Vice President of Development will build a close working relationship with this new communications partner from the outset.
Tides' Board of Directors has articulated a bold ambition for this moment: to move Tides from behind-the-scenes infrastructure toward a more visible, vocal leadership role in reshaping how philanthropy responds to systemic inequity. The Vice President will help realize that ambition by cultivating three interconnected donor communities: individuals and families with a long history of supporting justice causes; emerging philanthropists and public figures from historically marginalized communities themselves; and institutional leaders in philanthropy, technology and finance prepared to redirect capital toward equity, community opportunity, and sustainability. Over time, success will be defined not only by revenue growth, but by Tides' recognition as an essential partner in power-shifting philanthropy.
Tides' Board is itself a distinctive development asset. Reshaped in recent years to include frontline leaders, legal and financial experts, and private-sector executives from historically marginalized communities, Board members bring networks and lived experiences that differ meaningfully from those of a traditional donor board. The Vice President will design precise, well-prepared engagement strategies that unlock Board members' willingness to open doors and make connections on Tides' behalf.
The Vice President will lead this work at a moment of real opportunity – and real challenge – for progressive philanthropy. Diversifying and strengthening Tides' base of support, rather than relying on a small number of historic relationships, will build the resilience the organization needs to sustain its mission through changing political and economic cycles.
As an executive leader, the Vice President must execute duties and responsibilities while embracing and exhibiting Tides’ core competencies:
- Leading Self:
- Self-awareness
- JEDI practice
- Continuous learning
- Project management
- Leading People
- Building trusting relationships
- Team leadership
- Decision making
- Developing teammates
- Leading Results
- Strategic planning
- Change leadership
- Driving outcomes
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Lead Tides-wide Development strategy design and implementation, building a sustainable operation for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors with a focus on establishing a reliable annual stream of contributed revenue.
- Set ambitious, data-informed fundraising targets and establish rigorous systems for tracking donor progress and portfolio performance.
- Build, manage, and steward a pipeline of major and principal gift donors, with particular emphasis on donors of color. Formalize onboarding processes for new donors, offer a menu of giving and engagement options, and develop relationships that support long-term retention and funder learning.
- Develop, execute, and evaluate a fundraising strategy for Tides-Led Initiatives (TLI) in close partnership with the Foundation’s Executive Director and senior leadership - driving major and principal gifts from both new and established Tides donors.
- Mentor Philanthropic Strategists and Program Officers to develop and implement effective cultivation and stewardship strategies for TLI donors and prospects.
- Serve as a skilled and authentic relationship builder, connector, and closer - achieving ambitious revenue targets while maintaining the trust of donors and partners across the philanthropic ecosystem.
- Demonstrate fluency with varied donor constituencies, including high-net-worth and ultrahigh- net-worth individuals, donors of color, foundations, and corporate philanthropies.
- Collaborate with Marketing, Business Development, and Programs teams to pioneer new approaches to prospect activation - growing the major donor pipeline by at least 2x by leveraging Tides’ substantial partner database.
- Participate as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to organizational strategy and ensuring revenue targets align with near-term and long-range goals.
- Foster trust and alignment across functions; champion effective cross-team communication and collaboration in service of shared outcomes.
- Develop, lead, and, over time, grow a high performing development team – promoting a culture of excellence, accountability, and follow-through.
- Stay current on fundraising trends and shifts in donor behavior; keep the organization well positioned to respond to a changing philanthropic landscape.
WHAT YOU WILL BRING
- Deep alignment with Tides’ vision, mission, and values of respect, transparency, accountability, and collaboration, alongside genuine commitment to, and fluency in, progressive social change.
- Comprehensive knowledge of fundraising program components and a strong track record of success in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high-net-worth individuals and institutional funders.
- Experience co-creating programmatic and campaign strategies that achieve ambitious fundraising goals in complex organizational environments.
- Direct knowledge of and experience engaging donors of color, including the philanthropic behaviors, motivations, and relationship dynamics unique to this community.
- Ability to create a results-oriented environment that balances high expectations with a collaborative, supportive culture; high integrity, emotional intelligence, and political acuity.
- Credibility and sophistication to engage effectively across the progressive philanthropic ecosystem – with major donors, foundation officers, and movement leaders alike.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with strong self-direction; able to prioritize effectively, hold oneself accountable, and sustain momentum in fastmoving, high-stakes environments.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills and a natural ability to build rapport, navigate complexity, and strengthen partnerships within and across organizations.
- Significant experience building, managing, and developing high-performing teams at organizations of comparable scale; skilled at hiring, supervising, and growing talent.
- Consistent record of ethical judgment, discretion, and trustworthy conduct in all professional relationships.
- Experience engaging board members and senior volunteers as partners in fundraising.
- Proficiency with Salesforce or similar CRM platforms; familiarity with MS Office Suite and NetSuite, a plus.
IDEAL EXPERIENCE
- A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in philanthropy, strategic partnerships, and/or major and principal gifts fundraising within a complex organization.
- A track record of meeting or exceeding fundraising goals while advancing through increasingly senior roles.
- Demonstrated understanding of nonprofit organizational structure, financials, and management.
- Experience with multi-entity structures, including 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities, strongly preferred.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and applications (résumé with cover letter) should be sent via the DSG Global website: https://www.dsgco.com/search/23435-tides/. Electronic submission of materials is required. Submissions not made through the DSG website will not be accepted.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
We look forward to reviewing applications from all qualified job seekers. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, and bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ communities. No applicant will be discriminated against because of their race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, or medical condition including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related conditions. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we encourage and will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Where required by state law, we utilize E-Verify as a part of our employment authorization process.
APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES
Reasonable accommodation will be made so that all who are interested may participate in our interview process. If you are in need of an accommodation, please advise in writing at the time you apply.
