Director of Development

Director of Development

Director of Development 150 150 tatehausman
The Fairness Project
Published
October 18, 2020
Location
Remote; organization headquartered in Washington, DC
Job Type
Contact Name (not public)
Tate Hausman

Description

Let's face it: fundraising jobs can be a real drag. All too often you're just seen as the money machine, shunted away from programs, setting up the same old galas and dialing for the same old dollars ...

Well, not this job. This one's different.

The Fairness Project uses state and local ballot initiatives to win real change in working peoples' lives. We incubate, fund, and work directly with local grassroots leaders to run and win those campaigns. So our Director of Development isn't raising money for us. They're raising money for exciting, winning, high-impact campaigns around the country -- and then seeing the fruits of those campaigns every election season.

Who would thrive in the role? Someone who is:

  1. Looking for wins. TFP has 18 wins and one loss. We're poised to rack up more wins on Nov 3. It feels great.
  2. Ready for growth. This is a top-level leadership role, responsible for nearly doubling our budget from $3.2 million to $5 million. Perhaps that's your comfort zone already, or perhaps you're eager to step up into this level. We are very committed to growing our staff's skills and connections. You'll leave here more accomplished than you arrived.
  3. Excited to make the ask. We'll put you in front of deep pockets, and you'll love opening them up. You don't have to be wildly extroverted, but you should be confident around decisionmakers with money, and be ready to explain how TFP is helping THEM achieve THEIR goals.
  4. Enamored with TFP’s strategy. We think ballot initiatives are awesome, because we see, every day, how many peoples' lives they can improve. If that captures your imagination the way it captures ours, then you can probably infect donors with that enthusiasm, too.
  5. Open to the idea that work is fun. TFP is barely five years old, but in that time we've built a fun, open, motivated team that puts impact above ego. We get s*** done. Make no mistake, the work can be hard. There are certainly tough problems to solve, but when you genuinely like each other, and when you win life-changing campaign after life-changing campaign together, it's hard not to love your job.
  6. Tired of looking for a new gig every cycle. TFP is always on -- running campaigns while building the next set of them. You won't need to move to be close to a candidate or look for a new job the second Wednesday in November.

If this sounds like a role you could thrive in and an organization you'd feel proud to call home, read the details below, or just go ahead and apply.

 

About The Fairness Project

While Congress and state legislatures across the country remain paralyzed by partisan disagreement, ballot initiatives provide a path forward for improving millions of lives. The Fairness Project (“TFP”) incubates, funds, and provides strategic and technical assistance to state and municipal ballot initiative campaigns and drives a national narrative to elevate economic fairness issues. Through ballot initiatives, TFP offers voters the opportunity to do what politicians cannot or will not: take direct action to enact sound economic policy and change their own lives.

This summer, TFP worked with state-based groups on ballot measures to deliver big Medicaid expansion wins in Oklahoma and Missouri. In the 2018 election cycle, TFP helped raise the minimum wage in Missouri, Arkansas, and Massachusetts; provided paid sick leave in San Antonio and Michigan; and expanded Medicaid in Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah.

In 2017, TFP was a crucial player in the nation’s first successful ballot campaign to expand Medicaid in Maine. And in 2016, TFP partnered with grassroots organizations in six states on ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage, two of which also guaranteed paid sick and safe leave.

To date, the organization has won 18 of its 19 campaigns, changed more than 15 million lives, delivered health care for 830,000 people, and put more than $15.6 billion in working families’ pockets.

 

About the Position

Reporting to TFP’s Executive Director, the Director of Development will lead the organization’s fundraising efforts through this pivotal time by writing and executing a comprehensive development plan. It will include researching and actively engaging prospective individual and institutional donors while building, expanding, and cultivating TFP’s existing circle of supporters and donors. This is an ideal opportunity for a tenacious, creative, and risk-friendly fundraising leader who is passionate about growing TFP’s impact, who thrives in dynamic situations. Successful candidates must have the endurance and resolve to deploy various strategies and tactics to raise both C4 and C3 funds and fundraise from individuals and donor-advised funds for an organization dedicated to affecting progressive policy change through ballot initiatives.

Vision-Setting & Leadership

  • Participate at the highest level of organizational strategy and goal-setting.
  • Develop and execute the TFP’s multi-channel development program, to ensure a long-term, recurring, diversified funding base.
  • Innovate creative solutions or alternatives to existing organizational roadblocks.
  • Build and manage a team of staff and consultants.

Fundraising

  • In partnership with the Executive Director, identify, develop, and cultivate major gifts prospects – both individual and institutional -- and develop and execute closing and stewardship strategies, in service of TFP’s current fundraising goal of $3.2 million, which it intends to grow to $5 million by 2021.
  • Work collaboratively across TFP’s team and network of consultants to leverage different departments and staff members as-needed in front of prospective funders.
  • Build and develop board capacity and goal-setting to drive fundraising impact.
  • Enhance and maintain the development database and produce accurate reports and dashboards to track progress against goals.

Requirements

  • Infectious enthusiasm for TFP’s mission.
  • Deep development experience in the non-profit or political sector; fundraising experience for progressive candidates or for 501c4 entity strongly preferred.
  • Track record of identifying, cultivating, and soliciting significant individual and institutional donors.
  • Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to develop and deliver successful presentations to engage key stakeholders.
  • Experience liaising with a Board of Directors to drive fundraising.
  • Strong time-management skills and ability to work efficiently and effectively in a deadline-driven, fast-paced environment across multiple time zones.
  • Collaborative, low-ego, “all hands on deck” orientation around going to work.

 

Salary & Benefits

Salary is $100,000-140,000, negotiable within that range. TFP offers fully paid health, dental, and vision and a generous paid time off program.

 

Location

TFP is headquartered in DC, but remote candidates are very welcome.

 

The Fairness Project is committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our campaign work reflects these values that fight racial, gender, sexual, and economic inequality. Internally, we seek to build and empower a diverse staff and leadership team. People of color, people with disabilities, women, and LGBT candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. The Fairness Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer without regard to race, color, religion, gender or gender identity, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established under law.

How To Apply

Upload your resume and, in lieu of a cover letter, answer the three short questions at https://apply.workable.com/tfp/j/08B38B9977/apply/.