Development Director

Job Description

Position Overview

The ACLU of Georgia seeks a Development Director who will provide visionary, strategic leadership to build strong relationships with donors and institutional supporters with the goal of generating transformational gifts to support ACLU-GA’s current and future strategic goals. This person will develop and oversee the program to raise funds for both the ACLU Foundation of Georgia – 501(c)3 – and the ACLU of Georgia – 501(c)4, for a combined budget of $5 million. Working closely with the Executive Director, the National ACLU, the development team, staff and board, the Development Director is responsible for planning, supervising, and executing the ACLU of Georgia’s development program, including major gifts, other individual giving, foundation grants, law firm and corporate giving as well as overall donor communications.

The ACLU of Georgia enhances and defends the civil liberties and rights of all Georgians through legal action, legislative and community advocacy, and civic education and engagement. We are an inclusive, nonpartisan, and statewide organization powered by our members, donors, and active volunteers.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning and Leadership

• Supervise and lead an ambitious team of Development professionals toward accountable and goal-oriented outcomes, while providing mentorship and training.
• Develop, lead, and evaluate a comprehensive annual development plan and budget that focuses on major gifts, grants, and corporate giving that includes fundraising goals and metrics for meetings with donors who can make gifts of $10,000 and greater.
• Report to the Board of Directors on development efforts and goals.
• Develop and execute special cultivation and stewardship opportunities for supporters, provide executive-level support to senior staff in preparation for donor contact, and participate in donor cultivation events.
• Oversee the department’s administrative systems related to the fundraising goals, including Salesforce data management, donation tracking, processes and procedures, reporting, and gift processing/acknowledgement.
• Develop, review, revise, and execute the organization’s strategic plan as it relates to raising revenue, with a focus on evaluating the efficacy of past strategies and creating new plans and frameworks for diversifying growth.
• Serve as a thought partner in collaboration with the Executive Director and as a member of the leadership team, proactively bringing essential strategy and solutions to ongoing challenges and opportunities.

Portfolio Management

• Manage a portfolio of donors and institutional supporters, creating individual goals and a comprehensive plan for each donor based on their history of giving and the organization’s knowledge of that donor’s potential.
• Solicit five- and six- figure annual and planned gifts through individual meetings with donors and prospects in collaboration with the National ACLU team.
• Actively research, identify and cultivate prospective donors.
• Staff the development responsibilities of the Executive Director, which includes focusing and prioritizing the Executive Director’s development-related time and duties, scheduling meetings with donors, partnering on meetings with donors, etc.
• Set and achieve aggressive fundraising goals, tracking progress through metrics.

Donor Communications

• Work collaboratively with the Communications Department to develop and implement an annual communication and marketing plan for donors and supporters.
• Prepare and write personalized proposals, reports, letters, emails, and notes for donor cultivation.
• Work with the Communications Department to develop and implement digital strategies that foster membership growth and showcase local ACLU of Georgia successes.
• Manage and write communications to donors about the ACLU of Georgia’s mission, activities, and successes in a compelling, inspiring, and motivating way.
• Work across departments to effectively and ethically share stories of success and impact within our community to various audiences across multiple channels.

Grants Management

• Lead overall grants program including managing consultants, researching prospective foundations, tracking applications and LOI deadlines, partnering with senior staff to write grant applications and ensure regular reporting schedules, and prepare grant reports and other communication with funders based on donor interests and program progress.
• Continue to build out our grants program to achieve substantial growth in the number of grants we apply for and receive each year.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will possess many of the following qualifications and attributes. If you are excited about the position but are unsure that you are qualified, we encourage you to still apply.

• Demonstrated commitment to ACLU of Georgia’s values, mission, and vision.
• A minimum of 5 years professional experience in philanthropy/development required, ideally in a rapidly evolving institution with progressive responsibility and a proven track record of securing visits with prospective donors, and soliciting, closing, and stewarding major gifts in the $10,000+ range.
• A minimum of 2 years successful management and leadership experience, including the ability to motivate, lead, set objectives and foster an environment of creativity and professional growth.
• Successful experience converting donors/prospects into major donors, and experience soliciting special, multi-year campaign commitments and planned gifts.
• Experience with donor database management and systems to track goals, metrics, and progress across the development team and a commitment to setting and achieving aggressive fundraising goals.
• Experience working across departments to create communication/marketing plans for donor communication that results in donor cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation.
• Experience successfully growing and building grants, major gifts, corporate giving, planned gifts, and individual giving programs.
• Experience soliciting 501(c)4 non-tax-deductible gifts a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication and presentation skills, with a demonstrated ability to simplify complex themes and activities into a short, compelling presentation or written piece.
• Ability to work with and center historically marginalized or oppressed communities of different cultures and backgrounds, including a complex understanding of racial justice and the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture.
• Proven track record of working across lines of race, immigration status, ethnicity, language, class, gender and other identities and experience.
• Ability to travel within the state of Georgia and work occasional evening, weekends, and irregular hours.

Compensation:

The ACLU of Georgia offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within parameters of the ACLU of Georgia’s compensation scale. The salary range for this position is $110,000-$135,000 depending on experience. Excellent benefits include paid vacation, sick time and holidays; medical, vision and dental insurance; Flexible Spending Account; life and long-term disability insurance; and 401(k) Defined Contribution Retirement.

To Apply:

Applications should include a cover letter, resume and list of three professional references to jobs@acluga.org. To facilitate our review, your emails should have the subject line: “[Your last name] Development Director.” We will review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

This job announcement provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU of Georgia reserves the right to change the description and/or posting without advance notice.

The ACLU of Georgia is an equal opportunity / fair chance employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU of Georgia encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or record of arrest or conviction. We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact: info@acluga.org.