Chief Development Officer at Public Rights Project

Public Rights Project envisions a democracy built by the people that delivers equity and justice — where every community has a government fighting for their civil rights.

About the Organization

Public Rights Project (PRP) is an 501c3 non-partisan, non-profit organization founded in 2017 by Jill Habig, an Ashoka award-winning fellow and former civil rights attorney. PRP is a fully remote team working across nine states. Some of its key funders include Ford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Democracy Fund.

Vision: Envision a democracy built by the people that delivers equity and justice — where every community has a government fighting for their civil rights.

Mission: We help local government officials fight for civil rights and democracy.

Impact: Since its founding in 2017, PRP has recovered over $46 million in relief for marginalized people; built a network of over 438 government offices in 44 states; trained 415 prosecutors and government lawyers in 30 states; and secured court victories on rights for abortion, immigrants, workers, and voting.

You can learn more about Public Rights Project at their website.

About the Role

What You'll Do

Public Rights Project seeks to hire a Chief Development Officer (CDO) to join its executive leadership team and help guide the organization through its next stage of growth. Building on a strong fundraising foundation, PRP's revenues have grown from $7M to $15M over the past three years. PRP has earned support from an impressive and expanding roster of institutional partners, while also significantly strengthening its major donor pipeline. The CDO will lead a team to meet its 2026 annual revenue goal of ~$20M. In partnership with the Development team and senior leadership, the CDO will also help drive a strategy to continue scaling annual revenue, diversifying funding, and deepening long-term philanthropic support.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned development leader with a proven track record of building and executing ambitious fundraising strategies, stewarding major institutional relationships, and leading organizations through periods of rapid growth and increased complexity.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee a comprehensive multi-year fundraising strategy, with the goal of growing PRP's institutional, major donor, and online giving programs
• Serve on PRP's executive leadership team, help shape PRP's overall organizational strategy and growth, incorporate development into the broader vision for PRP's work, and help steward the organization's change management and cross-team collaboration
• Oversee and grow PRP's major donor program and signature fundraising events to deepen donor engagement and increase long-term philanthropic investment
• Partner with the CEO, Chief of Staff, and executive leadership team to help grow the fundraising capacity of the Board, both by prospecting new members and coaching existing members to maximize their philanthropic potential
• Design and implement strategies that equip Board members to effectively cultivate their networks, transforming relationships into broader networks for PRP
• Train and coach senior PRP staff to represent the organization in conversations with funders
• In partnership with the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer and the CEO, identify and develop thought leadership opportunities within the philanthropic landscape, including conferences, speaking opportunities, and trade press
• Ensure effective operations of the development team, including use of Salesforce, protocols to ensure timely submission of all grant materials and reporting requirements, and oversight of fundraising and compliance policies (gift acceptance policies, board giving, anonymity rules, etc.)
• Provide strong leadership and effective management for the development team, creating an environment of respect, creativity and professional fulfillment
• Manage hiring, retention, and professional development for the development team, expanding their capacity to support pipelines and lead in their areas of specialization
• In partnership with program team, consider opportunities to grow PRP's earned revenue strategy with government partners
• Serve as a culture builder and ambassador for the organization, with a passion for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• Model our core values in leadership and management of the development team as well as in representing the executive leadership team across the organization

Who You'll Work With

• You will report to the Chief Executive Officer and serve on the Executive Leadership Team
• The CDO will directly manage the Director of Institutional Giving and Director of Individual Giving, and oversee a team of 5 in addition to hiring for any additional team members

Required Skills and Experience

• 10-15+ years of professional experience, with at least 5-8 years in a senior fundraising role
• Experience fundraising in organizations that use impact litigation as a tool is preferred
• Experience with political campaigns, labor unions or other fundraising with progressive donor bases in addition to nonprofit development, is a plus
• Experience running a growth campaign or scale effort is a plus
• Experience with Salesforce is preferred
• Track record of cultivating, soliciting, stewarding, and closing funds from individuals, corporations, government, and foundations in a non-profit setting
• Exceptional relationship building and influencing skills, with the ability to develop trusting relationships internally and externally
• Experience working in close partnership with a Board of Directors, providing strategic direction and insight as it relates to driving effective fundraising initiatives
• Track record of overseeing the hiring, managing and mentoring of a high-performing team and fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace
• Ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial and growing environment, with a collaborative spirit and willingness to support colleagues to meet goals
• Excellent and persuasive written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate a clear and compelling vision and generate buy-in for that vision
• Expert, detail-oriented, and proactive project and program management skills, including managing multiple work streams concurrently
• A passionate commitment to economic, racial, gender, and environmental justice
• Dedication to Public Rights Project's mission, with a belief in the power of state and local government to make positive change in the world

Additional Details

Remote Work Environment
PRP is a fully remote organization and team. This role will require travel to PRP events, meetings and donor cultivation activities.. We currently have remote staff in Oakland, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), and Washington, D.C., as well as other cities.

PRP Hiring Commitment

PRP is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. A diverse and inclusive workplace, both at PRP and within the government offices we serve, is a key ingredient for achieving our mission of building equitable enforcement capacity within state and local government.

We aim to assemble a team that reflects the world we live in and the communities we serve with respect to race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and immigration status. People with personal or family experience with the type of harms we seek to combat, including wage theft, predatory lending, fraud, discrimination, and environmental degradation are particularly encouraged to apply.