Job Description

We are looking for an engaged individual to come aboard and grow with us. Someone who is passionate about the issues, believes in the mission, and can build a deep base of financial support from a broad range of donors, including mail and online contributions from members, major gifts from individuals and support from foundations. The Director of Development is a key member of the team and will be responsible for growing all areas of the fundraising program for both the 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 organizations. The ideal candidate will have experience designing and executing development budgets and strategies for advocacy organizations and/or political campaigns and a commitment to the mission and values of AFLCF.

THIS A PART-TIME ROLE that will grow into a full-time position as the organization grows.

Responsibilities

Oversees and executes all fundraising activities including major gifts, grant writing, direct mail campaigns, fundraising events, donor cultivation and planned giving. Forecasts and achieves annual department budget.

Strategic Planning

• Prepare a multi-year strategic Development Plan for AFCLF.

Grant Writing
• Based upon identified needs within organization, research corporations, foundations and private individuals and solicits for funding opportunities.
• Prepares, submits and follows up on proposals in a timely manner.
• Develops relationships with foundations to gain better understanding of their grant process.
• Attends seminars and networking functions.

Direct Mail Campaigns
• Works with the Executive Director to plan and implement direct mail campaigns.
• Tracks response rates, average donations and other relevant data to ensure maximum identification of contribution database.

Fundraising Events
• Plans and manages special events throughout the year.
• Attends special events committee meetings as necessary.
• Secures sponsorships and donations for each event.
• Maintains relationships with event donors and sponsors, and continually recruits new sponsors.

Donor Cultivation
• Develops a strategic plan for cultivation and stewardship of current and new donors and sponsors. Prepares a schedule that recognizes different levels of giving with different levels of thanks and appreciation events or items.
• Creates a clearly defined giving pipeline in all areas. Uses strategies that encourage retention and upgrades to hit and exceed annual department budget goals.
• Establish standard practices for identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, acknowledgment, and stewardship of major donors
• Maintains frequent contact and nurtures positive relationships with major donors through timely phone calls, emails, visits, recognition and responsiveness to requests.
• Prepare written materials such as proposals, solicitations, reports, and appeal letters
• Responsible for prospect research and tracking, solicitation materials and reports, and donor stewardship events.
• Ensures that the donor database is updated timely and accurately.
• Provides all donors with a thank you letter and monthly or year-end statement of donations.

Planned Giving
• Develops and promotes planned giving program.
• Recruits appropriate professionals to offer expertise in specific areas of planned giving, including wills and bequests, charitable remainder unit trusts, charitable gift annuities, pooled income funds, life insurance contract, life estates, charitable lead trusts and gifts of appreciated property.

Qualifications

Education Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related area.

Experience Requirements
• Minimum 7-10 years professional experience in advocacy organizations and/or political campaigns
• Significant development experience with special emphasis on donor cultivation, prospect research and major gift solicitation, including demonstrated success in direct solicitation of 5-7 figure gifts
• Previous experience setting and managing multi-million-dollar budgets
• Proven ability to think creatively about development opportunities, including connecting donor interests to current events and ongoing program work, identifying strategies to cultivate newly engaged political donors, stepping up the levels of engagement of existing major donors, and transitioning midlevel direct-mail and online donors to the major gifts level
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written; strong analytic and interpersonal skills
• Strong strategic skills and proven ability to expand major gift program including materials, tracking, stewardship, solicitation and closing
• Broad understanding of different aspects of development, best practices, and fundraising ethics
• Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively; ability to work both independently and in a collaborative environment.
• Ability and comfortable working in a remote environment.
• Ability and willingness to travel
• Background in nonprofit preferable.