Director of Development and External Affairs

Center for Democracy & Technology • Washington, DC

7d • $160,000 - $200,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) seeks a senior fundraising executive to lead its fundraising strategy and operations during a period of organizational and field growth. The Director will build a diversified, sustainable base of philanthropic support and help advance CDT’s work protecting civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age.

As a member of the executive team, the Director partners with the CEO and Board of Directors to set and achieve revenue goals, deepen supporter relationships, and lead engagement with the philanthropic community. The role manages CDT’s development team and works closely with the Board, finance and operations leadership, communications and policy teams, the Europe office, and staff across the organization. The position reports to the CEO.

The Director leads development strategy and operations across major gifts, institutional fundraising, external affairs, supporter engagement, and development infrastructure. This includes overseeing donor cultivation and stewardship, foundation and corporate fundraising, events and communications, external supporter networks, fundraising systems and compliance, and coordination with Finance on forecasting, gift processing, and donor-fund stewardship.

The position is based in CDT’s Washington, D.C. office and follows a hybrid schedule with three days in the office per week, generally Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. A different hybrid schedule may be considered in exceptional cases and is available as a disability accommodation. Compensation ranges from $160,000 to $200,000, based on experience and role responsibilities.

Requirements

• Deep commitment to CDT’s mission and values.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible development experience.
• Demonstrated track record of cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts from individuals.
• Experience leading and developing a fundraising team and building or scaling a development program at a growing organization.
• Experience working closely with a CEO and board to open doors, engage prospects, and close gifts, with the presence and credibility to represent an organization in donor conversations.
• Experience with institutional fundraising (foundation, corporate, and/or government) and understanding of how to build a diversified revenue base.
• Strategic, data-informed approach to fundraising, including experience with prospect research, moves management, pipeline tracking, revenue forecasting, and donor databases.
• Experience building and stewarding networks of advisors, alumni, volunteers, or other external supporters.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, sound judgment, and discretion in handling confidential donor information.
• Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising ethics and compliance.
• Energetic, entrepreneurial, and collaborative working style.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with, or strong interest in, technology policy, human rights, and democracy issues and related funder communities.
• Experience fundraising for a nonpartisan policy or advocacy organization.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive, multi-year development strategy and revenue plan in partnership with the CEO and senior leadership.
• Contribute to organizational planning, budgeting, and revenue forecasting as a member of the executive team, and lead special projects as they arise.
• Lead, manage, and mentor the development team, overseeing the systems, processes, and capacity needed to support a larger fundraising operation.
• Work with policy staff to translate CDT’s policy work into a clear and compelling case for support.
• Track and report fundraising progress, pipeline, and key metrics to the CEO, senior leadership, and Board.
• Build and lead a major gifts program, identifying, qualifying, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors and family foundations capable of leadership-level and transformational gifts.
• Manage a major-gift donor and prospect portfolio using moves management and a tracked pipeline.
• Partner with the CEO, development team, and senior policy staff on donor cultivation and solicitation strategies, including briefings, convenings, events, and personalized engagement.
• Steward donors and keep them connected to CDT’s mission and informed about the impact of their support.
• Oversee foundation, corporate, and events-based fundraising, including renewals, new opportunities, proposals, and reports.
• Mentor and support senior development staff managing foundation, corporate, and events-based fundraising, including tracking trends and providing strategic leadership.
• Oversee fundraising pitches, grant proposals, and reports to ensure quality, persuasiveness, and a consistent voice conveying CDT’s impact.
• Oversee and steward external supporter networks, including the CDT Advisory Council, alumni community, and Collaborating Attorneys Network.
• Oversee supporter engagement efforts, including donor events, donor communications, and annual and online giving, in partnership with the communications team.
• Represent CDT to funders, allies, and the broader philanthropic community, and raise the organization’s profile among prospective supporters.
• Oversee development operations and improve CDT’s development infrastructure.
• Assess development operations and implement tools and systems for prospecting, pipeline development, donor database management, gift processing and acknowledgment, and reporting.
• Ensure fundraising practices comply with applicable law, ethical standards, and CDT policies, including gift acceptance, charitable solicitation registration, and donor privacy, in coordination with the General Counsel and Director of Finance & Operations.
• Partner with Finance on revenue forecasts, fundraising-goal tracking, accurate gift processing, grant reporting, and financial stewardship of donor funds.

Benefits

• 100% covered health care, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.
• Flexible spending and dependent care accounts.
• Life insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• 403(b) retirement account; CDT contributes up to 6% of salary following a year of employment.
• 13 company holidays and closure for the period between Christmas and New Year’s.
• Paid vacation: 15 days per year, increasing with tenure.
• Sick days.
• Parental leave.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed