Are you fueled by community, purpose, and the power of sport?
CAF is looking for a dynamic Development and Events Manager to lead the growth, stewardship, and engagement of our cycling community. In this role, you’ll connect riders to a mission that changes lives—cultivating donors, building partnerships, crafting unforgettable ride experiences, and helping cyclists of all levels feel part of something bigger than themselves. If you love bringing people together for a worthy cause and engage in impactful work, this role is for you.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF) is a world leader in helping individuals with physical challenges get involved – and stay involved – in sports and fitness.  CAF believes that participation in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence, and enhances quality of life.  Since 1994, more than $178 million has been raised and over 48,000 funding requests from challenged athletes in all 50 states and 70 countries have been satisfied. CAF is headquartered in San Diego with regional presence in New York City, San Francisco and Boise, Idaho.  This is a full-time, exempt position. The current schedule is hybrid, and the Manager must be based in San Diego.  

Position Overview

The Manager reports to the Director of Special Events and is responsible for building and executing strategies to cultivate cyclist donors, fundraisers, ambassadors, and community partners, while leading the planning and delivery of CAF cycling programs and experiences.

The position blends community development, donor stewardship, and hands-on event and project management. Success requires strong relationship-building skills, comfort operating in the cycling community and industry, and the ability to inspire, organize, and support riders and donors at all levels.

Cycling Community Strategy & Growth

• Support the Director of Events with building and executing a long-term strategy to grow and strengthen CAF’s cycling donor and fundraiser community nationwide.
• Develop clear engagement pathways for cyclists, including recruitment, onboarding, stewardship, retention, and leadership development.
• Cultivate relationships across the cycling community and industry, including teams, clubs, ambassadors, partners, sponsors, and industry leaders. Identify and develop new programs, partnerships, and ride concepts to expand CAF’s cycling footprint and impact.

 Donor Relations & Stewardship

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for cycling donors, fundraisers, and community partners.
• Design and deliver ongoing stewardship initiatives, including appreciation events, communications, and personalized outreach.
• Use donor and participation data to deepen relationships and increase repeat and long-term giving.

Event Planning & Project Management

• Lead end-to-end planning, logistics, and execution of CAF cycling programs and events.
• Manage external contractors and vendors, including contracts, timelines, deliverables, and on-site execution.
• Oversee venue and hotel coordination, travel arrangements, permitting, transportation, and route planning.
• Develop and manage detailed event and program timelines, ensuring milestones, deliverables, and deadlines are consistently met.
• Monitor and manage event and program budgets; track expenses, ensure financial compliance, and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Create ride-day hospitality, mission moments, and stewardship touchpoints that elevate the athlete and donor experience.
• Implement post-event evaluations and reporting to assess performance, fundraising results, and opportunities for improvement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with the Programs team to align cycling initiatives with athlete support and participation opportunities.
• Partner with Marketing to elevate CAF cycling stories, content, and community promotion.
• Collaborate with Development and Finance to align fundraising strategy, donor pipelines, budgeting, and reporting.
• Proactively identify challenges and implement practical, collaborative solutions.
• Clearly communicate expectations, progress, and next steps to internal and external stakeholders.

Fundraising Administration & Reporting

• Monitor and report on cycling-specific fundraising performance, participation, and donor development metrics.
• Manage fundraising platforms and CRM systems to ensure accurate tracking and reporting of participants and donors.
• Prepare regular updates, dashboards, and post-event summaries for leadership and stakeholders.

• Availability to work evenings and weekends around key programs and events.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to rides, donor meetings, and community events.
•  Work requires the ability to operate standard office equipment and keyboards. 
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs and support event-day logistics as needed.

  Experience

• 5+ years of experience in donor relations, community development, event management, or nonprofit fundraising.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing contractors, vendors, and external partners.
• Experience with peer-to-peer fundraising platforms and CRM systems (DonorDrive and Salesforce preferred).
• Understanding of the cycling community, including clubs, industry brands, ride culture, and athlete needs is a plus.
• Adaptive sports or nonprofit experience is a plus.

Skills & Competencies

• Proven community-building and relationship-management skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication abilities.
• Strong project management and contractor/vendor oversight experience.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Data-informed decision maker with the ability to translate metrics into strategy.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; Salesforce and DonorDrive experience preferred.
• Strong alignment with CAF’s mission.

 Compensation 

CAF offers a competitive compensation package including Medical/Dental/Vision insurance (monthly stipend if not enrolled in medical insurance), employer paid Basic Life and Long-Term Disability Insurance, 401k match, paid time off, and paid holidays.