Associate Director, Donor Engagement

Associate Director, Donor Engagement

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks a full-time position of Associate Director of Donor Engagement in the Development Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY.

The ACLU’s passionate community of donors and activists is stronger than ever. The mission of the ACLU’s Development Department is to unlock the full potential of donors and the ACLU as partners in the creation of a more perfect union. We pursue our mission by building long-term donor relationships and organizational partnerships, by demonstrating impact in response to threats, by engaging donors how they wish to engage, by taking interest in our donors and facilitating personal action, by being accountable stewards of their funds, and by asking donors to consider giving the ACLU their full support.

Reporting to the Director of Donor and Brand Activation, the Associate Director of Donor Engagement will plan high-impact engagement events for mid-level, major, and principal gift donor audiences. The Associate Director will work closely with national fundraisers and key affiliate leaders to craft strategic cultivation opportunities, ranging from large-scale webinars to intimate affinity groups, that focus on achieving audience goals. The role will require an excellent content strategist with strong fundraising and event production experience and a commitment to centering equity principles into event design.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contribute to the strategy, growth, and planning of the Donor and Brand Activation unit as a member of its management team
• Oversee a virtual engagement program for major and principal gift donors with up to 10,000 invitees nationwide
• Partner with Leadership Gifts to develop substantive experiences for select groups of principal gift donors, such as capital campaign-style leadership councils, next-generation cohorts, and immersive in-person visits
• Partner with key ACLU affiliates across the country to develop, pilot, and evaluate replicable donor engagement models, such as relationship-based committees to build and cultivate mid-level and major donor networks
• Supervise the unit’s Events Manager who manages their own donor cultivation event portfolio while providing production support for many of the engagements outlined here
• Translate the ACLU’s organizational priorities into compelling, lively, and well-researched runs-of-show, briefings, talking points, and event correspondence - independently and/or with the support of the unit’s in-house editorial team
• Identify and test ways to increase audience engagement of virtual and in-person donor cultivation experiences, including but not limited to live polling, Q&A, breakouts, and post-event surveys
• Deliver premium support to ACLU leadership, clients, and coalition partners via facilitator and speaker prep, coaching, and speechwriting assistance.

In addition to:

• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regard to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance
• Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated success producing cultivation events for major donors or other key stakeholders (e.g., board members, shareholders, volunteer leaders) – both virtual and in-person, large- and smaller-scale
• A content strategist who creates substantive engagement experiences that are driven by audience goals, equity principles, and powerful storytelling
• A problem solver who is comfortable with ambiguity and is able to develop new, innovative event models from the ground-up
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong project management skills, including ability to assemble and motivate teams, establish clear objectives, develop workable action plans, and juggle multiple tasks and deadlines
• Willingness to travel as needed

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience developing donor affinity groups or similar event models – end-to-end – from audience identification to execution
• Fundraising experience in a nonprofit or political campaign setting
• Familiarity with different virtual event platforms and online engagement tools such as Zoom Webinar, Zoom Meeting, and Padlet

COMPENSATION

The annual salary for this position is $143,943 (Level E). This salary is reflective of a position based in New York, NY. This salary will be subject to a locality adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting. Note that most of the salaries listed on our job postings reflect New York, NY salaries, where our National offices are headquartered.

ABOUT THE ACLU

The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union – beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU 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 and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

The ACLU makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.