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Job Title: Fundraising Development Lead
Location: San Francisco or New York City (Hybrid/Remote)

About LabStart

LabStart is a 501c3 nonprofit deep climate technology venture studio backing climate solutions that are too early, too hard, and/or too important to ignore.

We work hands-on with seasoned entrepreneurs, first-time founders, and industry experts to launch fundable, high-impact ventures. From lab to launch, we provide the earliest support—bridging the gap between breakthrough innovation and investable startup.Our lean, mission-driven team is backed by private and public funders who believe in moving faster, funding smarter, and building a more inclusive climate future. 

The Role 

LabStart is seeking a Fundraising Development Lead to serve as the engine of our growth. This role is a hybrid of strategic relationship management and proactive business development.

We aren't starting from scratch - you will inherit a qualified, researched pipeline of funders, and we need a strategic connector to activate and refine those leads while simultaneously scouting for the next wave of partners. You will be responsible for the full lifecycle of a donor: from initial research and "cold" outreach to long-term stewardship.

Key Responsibilities

• Full-Cycle Relationship Management: Transition warm, researched prospects through the cultivation cycle, from first contact to closing and long-term stewardship.
• New Lead Generation: Use your "hunter" instincts to identify, qualify, and reach out to new philanthropic prospects that align with LabStart’s mission.
• Proactive Growth: Identify and bridge gaps in our current network, utilizing research tools and industry networking to keep the pipeline consistently full.
• Presence & Advocacy: Act as a primary ambassador for LabStart at key industry events (e.g., Climate Week, investor summits). You are comfortable navigating diverse environments, from family office boardrooms to tech-forward mixers.
• Data-Driven Development: Own the fundraising "engine." Use our CRM (Monday.com) to track engagement metrics, ensuring timely follow-ups and transparent reporting for the leadership team.
• Strategic Storytelling: Collaborate with the team to translate climate-tech initiatives into compelling opportunities for philanthropic and catalytic capital.
• Commitment to Relationship Longevity: You understand that the best partnerships aren't built in a quarter. You are looking for a 3+ year horizon where you can steward relationships from the initial introduction to long-term, multi-cycle support.
  
  

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of experience in nonprofit development, venture capital relations, or high-end sales.
• You possess the emotional intelligence (EQ) to build immediate rapport and the organizational discipline to manage a complex, multi-stage pipeline.
• Authenticity and integrity – with both the donor world and the internal team
• You have a high "rejection-to-success" tolerance and the relentless tenacity skills required to get onto a busy donor's calendar.
• You are autonomous, extremely organized, and genuinely excited about the intersection of climate tech and philanthropic capital.  Small teams excite you.
• Location: NY or SF preferred, others considered on a case-by-case basis
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Basic familiarity with climate, the solutions landscape, and various types of capital flowing into climate solutions today
  
  

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation Philosophy
LabStart offers competitive base compensation, robust benefits and quarterly performance bonuses (determined by personal and company performance) to attract and celebrate people aligned with our mission and values. Our compensation program reflects our commitment to fairness, transparency, and excellence in nonprofit management.

• Salary: The base salary for this role is $100,000-125,000/yr. This reflects the good faith minimum and maximum range LabStart reasonably expects to pay for this position at the time of posting. If offered, the salary will be determined based on the candidate's specific skills, experience, and geographic location.
  • Note:  In accordance with the California Fair Pay Act and New York Labor Law, LabStart does not request salary history from applicants.
• Flexible time off, 5% retirement matching, QSHERA (healthcare) reimbursement, 12 paid company holidays, home office reimbursement, paid parental leave, etc.

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