Development Manager

ALMA Backyard Farms is Los Angeles’ most visited urban farm. Founded by Erika L. Cuellar and Richard D. Garcia, ALMA grows food and community across a network of urban and backyard farms in South Los Angeles, connecting underserved communities through three core programs: a Farm Stand that provides healthy, affordable, organic produce and a beloved community gathering space for South LA; a job training program serving people who have been incarcerated; and an education program for local youth rooted in sustainable agriculture.

ALMA has earned national recognition, including coverage in Forbes and the New York Times, without a PR strategy or consultant. Now, with its first owned growing space recently acquired in Carson and a $10 million capital campaign underway, ALMA is entering one of the most significant chapters in its history. Learn more at www.almabackyardfarms.com.

ALMA Backyard Farms is seeking a resourceful, people-first Development Manager to help the organization convert its extraordinary community momentum into a growing base of committed donors and partners. This is a ground-level role for someone who is energized by being in the mix: at Farm Stands, at community events, in conversations with neighbors and supporters, and who can translate those connections into lasting relationships with the organization.

Reporting to Co-Founder and CEO Richard D. Garcia, the Development Manager will help ALMA make the most of what is already happening organically. Every Farm Stand generates new donor and partnership leads, and the organization has a substantial and engaged following. What ALMA needs is someone embedded in the day-to-day who can evaluate and pursue those opportunities, build systems to capture and cultivate them, and ensure that no relationship falls through the cracks.

This is a remarkable opportunity for someone who wants to be part of building an organization with a 13-year track record, a loyal community, and a major growth moment ahead.

ALMA is seeking proposals that respond to the needs described above. We are open to hourly, retainer, or deliverable-based contract structures, and we welcome consultants to propose what they believe is the most effective approach. In all cases, we ask that proposals include a clear picture of what the consultant expects to accomplish and by when.

At a minimum, the scope of work should address the following areas:

Donor Research and Lead Management

• Research new donor and partnership prospects as they emerge through Farm Stands, events, and organizational networks, helping leadership evaluate viability and determine appropriate next steps
• Prepare concise briefings and background research to support executive outreach and first meetings with prospective donors and partners
• Coordinate initial outreach and scheduling on behalf of leadership, ensuring that promising leads are advanced efficiently without requiring significant executive time before viability is established
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in the organization’s CRM, tracking prospect and donor activity, follow-up tasks, and relationship history

Donor Engagement and Relationship Building

• Attend Farm Stands, community events, and partner gatherings as an organizational representative, building authentic relationships with community members, supporters, and potential donors
• Support leadership in executing individualized cultivation and stewardship strategies for mid-level donors and engaged community supporters
• Identify and act on natural stewardship moments that deepen relationships without requiring a formal ask or production (i.e. a personal note after a first Farm Stand gift, an invitation to a behind-the-scenes harvest, a check-in when a regular supporter hasn't been seen in a while)
• Ensure that corporate volunteers, in-kind donors, and other organizational champions who have a meaningful experience with ALMA receive a personal, timely follow-up that opens the door to a deeper relationship
• Coordinate donor acknowledgment and stewardship communications, ensuring supporters feel seen and appreciated at every stage of their relationship with ALMA

Annual Giving and Audience Conversion

• Develop and implement practical strategies for converting ALMA’s existing community audience, including Farm Stand visitors, social media followers, and event attendees, into first-time and recurring donors
• Design and implement engagement tools for Farm Stands and community events, such as in-bag materials, sign-up opportunities, and giving prompts, that make it easy and natural for supporters to take a first step toward philanthropy
• Work with leadership and communications support to develop consistent, compelling messaging that connects ALMA’s mission to giving opportunities across digital and in-person channels
• Support a strategy for leveraging ALMA’s social media presence to grow the donor pipeline, including coordinating with leadership on fundraising content and calls to action
• Manage a calendar of donor communications and annual giving touchpoints, including appeals, impact updates, and acknowledgment milestones

Corporate and Partner Relations

• Build and maintain relationships with corporate partners, including contacts in corporate social responsibility, marketing, and employee giving programs, to identify and respond to sponsorship and philanthropic opportunities
• Work with existing corporate volunteer and in-kind donor relationships to identify opportunities to add or expand a giving or sponsorship component
• Support leadership in preparing for and following up on corporate partner meetings and events, including Farm Stand days and volunteer activations

Systems and Infrastructure

• Build and maintain simple, sustainable systems for tracking prospects, managing follow-up, and measuring engagement across the development program
• Establish lightweight processes for capturing and advancing leads generated through Farm Stands, events, and community networks
• Support the development of standard operating procedures for donor acknowledgment, record-keeping, and gift processing
• Track and report on pipeline activity and key engagement metrics on a regular basis

Grants and Foundation Relations

• Complete a small number of grant-related tasks each month, including research or drafting proposals or reports; this is a secondary responsibility and not a primary focus of the role

Skills, Qualities, and Experience

Entrepreneurial Mindset: First and Foremost
The most important quality for this role is an entrepreneurial spirit. ALMA is a dynamic, fast-moving organization where the landscape changes week to week, and opportunities arise without warning. The right candidate will be someone who sees what needs to be done and does it: someone who is energized by building systems from scratch, excited by the challenge of figuring things out, and genuinely comfortable with the fact that not everything will have a playbook. This is not a role for someone who needs extensive direction or who thrives in highly structured environments. It is a role for someone who is resourceful, self-directed, and motivated by the satisfaction of creating something from nothing.

Presence and People Skills
This role requires someone who is genuinely at ease with people across cultures, backgrounds, and contexts. The Development Manager will regularly be in community-facing situations, representing ALMA to Farm Stand visitors, longtime supporters, corporate partners, and first-time prospects alike. Warmth, cultural humility, and the ability to build authentic rapport quickly are essential. Bilingual English/Spanish skills are a strong plus given the communities ALMA serves.

Organizational Skills and Follow-Through
A significant part of this role is making sure that promising leads and relationships do not fall through the cracks in a busy, resource-constrained organization. The Development Manager must be highly organized, reliable, and skilled at managing multiple relationships and tasks simultaneously. Experience with CRM systems or donor databases is helpful; a demonstrated ability to build and maintain tracking systems is essential.

Experience and Background
The ideal candidate brings 2 to 4 years of experience in nonprofit development, community engagement, relationship management, or a closely related field. Demonstrated experience building relationships and moving people from interest to action is more important than specific credentials. Familiarity with annual giving, donor communications, or event-based engagement is a plus. Some exposure to grant writing or reporting is valued, though this is not a grants-focused role.

Commitment to Mission and Community
A genuine connection to ALMA’s mission and to the communities it serves is foundational. The Development Manager will be present in ALMA’s communities regularly and must bring respect, curiosity, and commitment to those interactions. Experience working with or within communities of color in Los Angeles is a strong plus. This is not a role that can be done from the outside looking in.