Associate Director of Development

Essie Justice Group•South Pasadena, CA

14d•$110,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

Essie Justice Group (Essie) is seeking an impact-driven and strategic Associate Director of Development to join their team. This role will manage the internal operations for philanthropic efforts to support the organization's work to end mass incarceration and build a Black feminist future. The Associate Director of Development will be a strategic fundraising leader, comfortable managing internal operations, developing strategies, and crafting compelling narratives to connect with donors. They should be empathetic, motivated by the leadership development and liberation strategies of directly impacted people, and skilled in managing relationships with donors who are seen as partners in the work.

Requirements

5+ years of development-related work experience, including experience with individual giving campaigns and direct responsibility for donor relationship development.
Advanced experience managing a staff team and in creating and directing team-wide strategy.
Advanced experience in securing strategic partnership agreements to advance an organization’s mission.
Highly organized with an attention to detail that ensures successful tracking, management, and engaged donor relationships.
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to represent the organization and its work to donors as well as interface with a rich diversity of donors, volunteers, and staff while maintaining tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality.
Impeccable attention to detail and effective writing, editing, and verbal communication skills.
Adept with Mac operating systems, Google Suite, and MS Office Suite (especially Excel, Powerpoint and Word) and donor databases, preferably Salesforce.
Experience supervising people in a way that acknowledges differentials in privilege and power, recognizes their gifts, encourages their confidence, supports their growth, and holds them accountable to standards and achieving collective goals.
Commitment to the beliefs and values of Essie with a demonstrated passion for Black feminism and progressive politics, specifically in gender justice, race justice and ending mass incarceration.

Nice To Haves

A uniquely skilled, empathetic communicator who uses empathy to tap into what motivates others to act.
Someone who finds ways to make meaningful connections to our work for individuals who may not have had any direct experience with poverty, incarceration, or race, gender, or heteronormative bias.
Immaculately organized in approach, comfortable creating and utilizing project management systems that ensure deadlines and details aren’t missed.
Discernment and honesty, a thoughtful team member who acts in alignment with integrity and is unfailingly trustworthy.
Committed to continuously deepening and evolving their own understanding of systems of oppression through study, openness, and humility, and easily recognizes their own relationship to privilege and power, examining and shifting behaviors as appropriate.
Uplifting and additive, seeing mistakes as opportunities for growth, problems as catalysts for solutions, and inspiring others along the journey with a positive approach, can-do attitude, and authentic kindness.

Responsibilities

Help develop strategies and processes for identifying and engaging donors and nurturing and managing donor relationships.
Partner with the Interim Co-Executive Directors to establish benchmarks and goals for individual fundraising.
Iterate and oversee development infrastructure internally, including CRM features and advising on key changes to roles and make-up of our existing structures for stakeholder engagement.
Evaluate and recommend new funding opportunities in alignment with Essie’s strategic priorities and programmatic work.
Support in determining the key organizational accomplishments and aspirations we communicate in grant applications and reports.
Lead the design and management of prospect research and relevant relationship management processes.
Develop solicitation goals, cultivation strategies, and stewardship plans in a way that donors are respected, retained, and inspired to increase their support.
Develop and implement engagement strategies including, but not limited to: telephone outreach, email/mail outreach, personal visits, and small group activities.
Review and finalize grants and proposals.
Develop strategies and manage implementation of donation appeals (digital or print as strategically identified) including seasonal appeals (ex. end of year/holiday giving) and complementary fundraising appeals matching Essie’s campaigns and policy fights.
Track and report results of appeals and special campaigns, adjusting strategies as needed.
Manage and facilitate Essie’s ongoing organizational relationships with individual donors, ensuring that they remain engaged in and inspired by Essie’s work.
Manage robust donor stewardship and cultivation touchpoints including personal thank yous, digital communications, and personalized outreach.
Prepare and distribute materials to communicate with supporters including thank you letters, event reports, and annual reports.
Ensure electronic donor records are current in the development database, including tracking moves for those within the major gifts portfolio.
Advise and prepare senior leadership for donor meetings as needed.
Manage the strategy and coordination of funder visits with Executive Leadership.
Facilitate connective and grant reporting funder calls as identified.
Lead the planning and management of donor events that combine political education and philanthropic action.
Manage and evaluate team members and processes for success.
Co-hold the container of the staff team and contractors to support day-to-day development operations and achieve set organizational goals together.
Provide input on development process improvements, and work with teammates to refine collaborative systems as necessary.
Work collaboratively and consistently with other leaders at Essie to define strategic priorities, make decisions about unanticipated opportunities, and manage towards operational plan goals.
Manage departmental budgets and work systems, and co-build and manage a dynamic Communications & Partnerships staff team.
Embody and promote Essie culture and values internally and externally.
Directly manage 1-2 staff members.