Director of Development

Café Momentum is seeking an experienced and entrepreneurial National Director of Development to help lead one of the most ambitious periods of growth in the organization’s history. This is a rare opportunity to join a nationally recognized, James Beard Foundation Award–winning nonprofit at a pivotal moment as vision, momentum and investment converge to redefine what is possible for justice-involved youth across the country.

Over the next three years, Café Momentum aims to raise $26.5 million to fuel national expansion and long-term sustainability, including:

•  $3.5 million to complete the capital campaign for the Café Momentum Dallas Flagship and National Training Center
• $4 million annually to support National Operations and shared services
• $5.5 million per market to launch new Café Momentum locations in Houston and Baltimore

What began as a single restaurant in Dallas has grown into a national movement. Café Momentum has served more than 1,300 justice-involved young people nationwide and is now operating as a capacity-building national organization designed to grow new locations, advance the national conversation on youth justice and support every Café Momentum site through shared services such as HR, marketing and training.

The National Director of Development is a senior individual contributor responsible for leading and securing approximately $1.5M in philanthropic investment in 2026 from foundations, individual donors, and corporate partners across multiple regions. Working in close partnership with the National VP of Development, this role helps drive long-term revenue strategy, build scalable fundraising systems and expand national donor engagement. This role is designed for a relationship-driven fundraiser who can move quickly, balancing long-term strategy with near-term revenue generation and early wins.

While this role does not manage direct reports, it is supported by a National Development Coordinator who provides administrative, reporting and Salesforce support.

Key Responsibilities:

National Fundraising & Revenue Diversification

• Establish, steward and own a national donor and prospect portfolio made up of individual, foundation and corporate partners.
  Accountable for end-to-end relationship management, from strategy through solicitation and stewardship. 
• Personally cultivate, solicit and steward major gifts, including six- and seven-figure contributions to an overall national budget of $4 million.
  Partner with the National VP of Development to design and launch a national giving society.
• Build a Corporate Partnership strategy to provide budget-relieving support to the National Organization and Café Momentum locations across the country. 

Strategy, Systems & Collaboration

• Collaborate with national program, marketing operations and finance leaders to align fundraising priorities with organizational growth and impact.
• Leverage Salesforce CRM and data analytics to inform fundraising strategy, prioritize opportunities, guide portfolio management and support revenue forecasting and performance measurement.
  Ensure all fundraising activities align with organizational gift acceptance policies, ethical fundraising standards and compliance requirements.
• Contribute to national fundraising campaigns and initiatives in collaboration with marketing and communications partners.

Experience & Qualifications

• Demonstrated success closing six- and seven-figure gifts nationwide.
• Proven, paid experience raising funds at a national level across multiple cities or regions (experience limited to a single local market will not be sufficient).
• Strong Salesforce experience required, including donor tracking, reporting and pipeline management.
• Experience working with remote, multi-time-zone teams in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, or start-up-oriented environment.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to clearly articulate Café Momentum’s mission and impact.
  Demonstrated ability to fundraise in ways that are equity-centered, trauma-informed and aligned with Café Momentum’s commitment to justice-involved youth and community-led solutions.
• High degree of initiative, accountability and comfort operating as a senior individual contributor without direct reports.
• Commitment to Café Momentum’s youth-first mission and values.
• Ability to travel domestically up to 25% of the time.

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Growth in national, multi-market revenue year over year
  Successful launch and early traction of the national giving society
  Strength and health of national donor pipeline (measured through Salesforce data)
  Increased diversification across foundation, individual and corporate revenue
  Quality of donor stewardship and retention at the national level
• 90-day: Demonstrate early revenue traction through new or accelerated gifts, sponsorships or funding commitments.
• 6 months: Establish a robust national prospect pipeline capable of sustaining multi-year growth. Show measurable progress toward annual revenue goals through closed and pending gifts.

Compensation: $110,000–$115,000 annually, with a bonus structure currently being refined for 2026

To apply for this role, please email the materials below to cmjobs@cafemomentum.org with the subject line:

Director of Development Application – First Name Last Name

Please include the following:

• Resume (PDF preferred)
• Brief cover note or email body explaining your interest in the role (1–3 short paragraphs)
• LinkedIn profile (optional but encouraged)

Applications missing required materials may not be reviewed.