ABOUT CHINATOWN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) believes in a comprehensive vision of community, a quality environment, a healthy neighborhood economy, active voluntary associations. The organization is committed to the empowerment of low-income residents, diversity, coalition building, and social and economic justice. A private nonprofit founded in 1977, CCDC owns and/or manages 39 affordable housing buildings serving over 4,500 low-income seniors, single adults, formerly homeless adults, and families of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Tenderloin, Western Addition, and Polk Gulch neighborhoods. CCDC also builds housing, develops grassroots leadership, and engages low-income residents and youth.

THE CURRENT MOMENT

CCDC has built a powerful and distinctive model that combines affordable housing, community development, grassroots leadership, and resident engagement. As San Francisco communities face profound challenges related to housing affordability, displacement, economic inequality, and preserving community voice and power, CCDC’s work has never been more urgent. In 2027, the organization will celebrate 50 years of people-driven community development in San Francisco — a milestone that offers an opportunity to honor five decades of impact while envisioning what is possible in the next 50 years.

As CCDC enters this next chapter, the organization is poised to strengthen its fundraising and communications capacity to match the scale and ambition of its work. The inaugural Deputy Chief of Development and Communications (Deputy Chief) will play a central role in building the relationships, systems, and strategies needed to sustain and expand revenue, visibility, and influence. The 50th anniversary campaign provides an important platform to reconnect with longtime supporters, engage new donors, elevate CCDC’s story, and broaden philanthropic support. The Deputy Chief will also ensure that CCDC’s mission and impact are communicated consistently and compellingly to residents, donors, partners, policymakers, staff, board members, and new audiences, helping position the organization for its next chapter of impact.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the CEO, the Deputy Chief will lead the team responsible for fundraising, communications, and storytelling. The Deputy Chief is part of the Executive Team and will share in the team’s responsibility for creating a culture of philanthropy, collaboration, and effective communication across the organization’s staff and board. Areas for impact in this role include:

Strategy and Planning

The Deputy Chief will partner closely with the CEO, CFO, Executive Team, Board, and staff to develop and implement an integrated annual strategy for development and communications. This includes establishing clear fundraising and communications goals, translating organizational priorities into annual work plans and calendars, and creating systems to track progress, evaluate results, and adjust strategies as needed. The Deputy Chief will bring an enterprise-wide perspective to planning, ensuring that development and communications priorities are closely connected to CCDC’s broader strategic priorities, programs, advocacy, and community-building work. The Deputy Chief will regularly communicate progress, opportunities, and challenges to the CEO, Executive Team, and Board and will use data, learning, and external trends to inform its development and communications strategies.

Leadership and Management

The Deputy Chief will lead and develop a growing team of seven staff, creating clarity around priorities, roles, goals, and accountability while fostering a collaborative, supportive, and high-performing culture. The Deputy Chief will hire, supervise, coach, and develop staff; establish annual work plans and performance expectations; and ensure that team members have the resources and support needed to be successful. As the department continues to evolve, the Deputy Chief will help shape its structure, workflows, and ways of working. The Deputy Chief will also play an important role in strengthening a culture of philanthropy and effective communication across CCDC. This includes helping staff and Board understand their roles as ambassadors, storytellers, and partners in fundraising. The Deputy Chief will also oversee departmental budgets and help ensure that resources are deployed effectively in support of organizational priorities.

Fundraising and Resource Development

The Deputy Chief will provide strategic leadership for CCDC’s development program, with a focus on building a diversified and sustainable base of philanthropic support. The Deputy Chief will strengthen and manage a portfolio of individual and institutional giving, including unrestricted operating support, annual giving, major gifts, multi-year commitments, and develop a legacy giving program. Working closely with the CEO and Board, the Deputy Chief will cultivate a culture of philanthropy and build meaningful, long-term relationships with donors, funders, and other supporters. The Deputy Chief will also oversee the full development cycle, from prospect identification and cultivation through solicitation, recognition, and stewardship, while actively engaging donors and identifying opportunities to deepen existing and new relationships. The role will also ensure that development systems, data, policies, and practices are aligned with organizational priorities and positioned to support long-term growth.

Communications

The Deputy Chief will provide strategic leadership for CCDC’s communications, storytelling, and external positioning, ensuring the organization’s voice reflects its history, values, communities, and vision for the future. Strategically partnering with the Director of Marketing and Communications and communications staff, the Deputy Chief will translate CCDC’s comprehensive model — affordable housing, community development, grassroots leadership, and resident engagement — into compelling narratives that resonate with existing and new audiences. The Deputy Chief will strengthen internal understanding of the organization’s mission and story while elevating CCDC’s visibility and influence beyond San Francisco Chinatown. The Deputy Chief will also provide strategic direction across communications channels including fundraising materials, annual reports, digital communications, media, events, and multimedia, ensuring content is accessible, culturally relevant, and multilingual when appropriate. As an advisor to the CEO and Executive Team, the Deputy Chief will guide media, policy and advocacy communications, public positioning, and crisis communications. They will also serve as an ambassador and spokesperson, building relationships with donors, civic and community leaders, funders, partners, and media to elevate CCDC’s voice and influence.

Events

The Deputy Chief will provide strategic fundraising and marketing oversight for CCDC’s relevant events, ensuring activities are aligned with departmental goals and supported by clear objectives, work plans, budgets, and effective use of team resources. The Deputy Chief will foster creativity, collaboration, and a sense of pride and belonging across events, ensuring they are meaningful experiences for staff, board members, donors, and community members. They will also represent CCDC at external events and speaking engagements, including networking opportunities, panels, and other community gatherings.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will possess the attributes above and many of the following professional abilities and experiences.

Mission and Values Alignment

Demonstrated commitment to the mission, vision, and core values of CCDC to build community and enhance the quality of life for San Francisco residents, holding the values of respect, compassion, empowerment, and teamwork.
Understand of place-based organizations and the role they play in advancing equity and social justice for the communities served; experience in San Francsico strongly preferred.
Ability to develop authentic and trusting relationships, including the cultural competence needed to work successfully with specific donor communities; experience with AAPI and Chinese American donors and Mandarin or Cantonese language skills strongly preferred.

Strategy and Planning

Demonstrated experience establishing, tracking, and achieving ambitious annual fundraising goals in partnership with staff leading individual and institutional fundraising.
Proven ability to develop and execute annual fundraising and communications plans aligned with an organization’s mission, strategic priorities, and long-term goals, with a focus on increasing revenue, strengthening brand and reputation, and expanding organizational visibility and influence.
Strong strategic judgment and ability to translate organizational priorities into clear goals, plans, and measurable outcomes while adapting strategies to changing internal and external conditions.

Leadership and Management

Demonstrated success leading high-performing teams and fostering inclusive, collaborative, and accountable organizational cultures in which staff are supported, valued, and empowered to excel.
Strong skills in delegation, communication, coaching, and performance management, with the ability to create clarity around priorities, build staff capacity, and create conditions for individuals and teams to thrive.
Experience recruiting, hiring, onboarding, supervising, and developing staff, with a commitment to providing clear expectations, ongoing feedback, professional growth, and meaningful opportunities for leadership.
Experience managing departmental and campaign budgets, allocating resources strategically, and ensuring financial decisions support organizational priorities and fundraising goals.
Demonstrated experience working effectively with a Board of Directors, building trust and shared accountability, and engaging board members as strategic partners, ambassadors, and fundraisers.

Fundraising

Proven success cultivating, soliciting, stewarding major donors, and securing significant individual gifts, including unrestricted, multi-year, and legacy commitments as a frontline fundraiser.
Demonstrated ability to develop and execute long-term fundraising strategies that diversify revenue, strengthen the donor pipeline, and build a sustainable culture of philanthropy across an organization.
Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to inspire confidence, build trust, and engage donors, funders, board members, and other stakeholders through authentic and culturally responsive approaches.
Experience identifying, cultivating and managing a portfolio of foundation and corporate funders and prospects, identifying opportunities aligned with organizational priorities, and increasing the depth and longevity of institutional partnerships.
Ability to translate organizational priorities and impact into compelling investment opportunities and to guide senior leaders and board members in donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and strategic introductions.
Experience coaching and supporting staff in prospect research, portfolio management, donor cultivation and solicitation, stewardship, and the effective use of fundraising data and systems.
Strong understanding of development infrastructure including donor databases, portfolio management, gift tracking, acknowledgment and stewardship practices, grant compliance, and reporting systems.

Communications

Demonstrated experience leading the development of communications strategies that strengthen an organization’s brand, elevate its visibility, and build relationships with diverse audiences, supporters, and partners.
Ability to translate an organization’s mission, history, values, impact, and priorities into clear, compelling, culturally relevant narratives that resonate with both internal and external audiences.
Experience expanding an organization’s reach and awareness, engaging new audiences, and strengthening staff and board capacity to serve as effective ambassadors and spokespeople.
Experience supervising and partnering with communications professionals and guiding work across multiple channels, including digital, social media, web, publications, events, marketing, media relations, and multimedia.
Strong judgment and experience advising CEOs and senior leaders on media opportunities, public positioning, policy and advocacy communications, and time-sensitive issues.
Ability to respond thoughtfully and effectively to sensitive, high-profile, or rapidly evolving communications needs while protecting organizational reputation and maintaining alignment with mission and values.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this full-time exempt position is $185,000 - $200,000. CCDC is based in San Franisco Chinatown, with hours Monday – Friday between 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. This is a hybrid work role, with expectation for occasional nights and weekend participation at events. CCDC offers a generous benefits package including high-quality, comprehensive HMO and PPO plans from Blue Shield of California and Kaiser Permanente, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement 403B plan.

HOW TO APPLY

To learn more about Chinatown Community Development Center please visit: www.chinatowncdc.org.

This search is being led by Phuong Quach and Sharon Gertsman of the national talent search firm NPAG. We invite applications with resume and cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications via the portal on NPAG’s website.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and do not discriminate on the basis of race (includes hairstyle and hair texture), color, religion (includes dress and grooming practices), age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical condition and reproductive health decision making), national origin (includes language restrictions), ancestry, citizenship, disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristic), genetic information or characteristic, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or participation in an EEO protected activity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

SAN FRANCISCO FAIR CHANCE ORDINANCE

All final candidates will undergo a background check. For certain positions this will include a fingerprint check. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

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Deputy Chief of Development and Communications