Director, Development

ABOUT A MORE PERFECT UNION

A More Perfect Union is a nonpartisan social-impact organization that mobilizes the American Jewish community to protect and strengthen democracy. We educate American Jews, equip Jewish institutions, and activate Jewish leaders to respond to the growing threat of authoritarianism and be engines for civic renewal in their communities. Rooted in the enduring American Jewish experience and powered by evidence-based strategies, we help communities meet this moment with clarity, courage, and collective action. Through research, messaging, training, and partnership, we’re building a future where democracy works for all of us.

A More Perfect Union is fiscally sponsored by Goodnation Foundation and guided by our Strategic Advisors.

ABOUT THE POSITION

A More Perfect Union seeks an exceptional Director of Development to refine and implement a comprehensive revenue strategy that builds on significant success to date and enables the planned expansion of the organization under our new strategic plan. The Director of Development will work closely with our Executive Director to build on our core portfolio of institutional funders and major donors and manage the workflow of the development department. The Director of Development will also work to diversify our revenue stream to include funding from pro-democracy funders from across the political spectrum and beyond the Jewish community. The ideal candidate is an experienced fundraiser, strong project manager, gifted relationship builder, and savvy communicator who has a passion for our mission and is able to craft and articulate compelling cases for support – grounded in a deep understanding of our organizational strategy – to diverse stakeholders. 

This is a full-time, remote position reporting to the Executive Director.

Key Responsibilities

Evolve and implement core fundraising strategy 

• Oversee all fundraising efforts to ensure we are raising our annual revenue budget (we seek to raise approximately $13M between 2025-2028) and making substantive progress toward growth through a diversified fundraising plan, including expanding our individual major gifts portfolio
• Proactively develop and oversee the cadence of the work of the development department, coordinating staff and consultants across functions to develop funding proposals and reports, provide donors with compelling program information, and foster a culture of philanthropy across the organization
• Supported by the Director of Operations, refine and maintain our development operations systems 
• Work with the VP, Strategic Communications to raise A More Perfect Union’s profile and strengthen its reputation with key audiences 
• Supervise our external grant writer and other vendors as needed

Major gift portfolio management, relationship building, solicitation, and stewardship

• Build and manage a portfolio of approximately 100-125 major gift prospects and donors with capacity for gifts of $10,000 to $100,000+ (for a total portfolio of $1-1.5M) through the entire cycle from identification to solicitation and stewardship
• Develop and implement individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies for each prospect in close collaboration with the Executive Director
• Lead the development and execution of funder experiences and programs, supported by the Operations team, and coordinate donor access to organizational briefings, events, and engagement opportunities 

Manage key donor relationships and serve as a powerful ambassador

• Provide strategic and administrative support for the Executive Director’s stewardship of relationships with institutional funders and key major donors
• Develop a sophisticated understanding of trends and key players in A More Perfect Union’s operating environment and serve as an expert on – and ambassador for – our mission and impact to be able to represent the organization effectively with a broad range of stakeholders

ABOUT YOU

You’re excited about the mission of A More Perfect Union. You believe deeply in the promise of American democracy, the role of faith-based leadership in supporting it, and the potential for the Jewish community to play a part in protecting and strengthening it. You understand that effective democracy work requires political sophistication while maintaining nonpartisan positioning. You're energized by building meaningful relationships with donors who share your passion for democratic institutions that support thriving Jewish life. You thrive in environments in which you get to perform many different kinds of activities and engage a variety of skills over the course of a single day. You're comfortable working with high-net-worth individuals and can navigate the unique dynamics of major gift fundraising with professionalism and integrity. You’re excited to join a growing organization and be part of implementing a new strategic plan. 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCES, AND SKILLS

• 5-7+ years of demonstrated fundraising success and frontline experience securing 5- and 6- figure gifts from institutional and/or individual donors, including roles that required communicating with a variety of stakeholders; prior grant-writing experience is preferred
• Demonstrated success developing and overseeing effective institutional and individual fundraising strategies for organizations in the $1-5M annual budget range
• Knowledge of and connection to the American Jewish community, including understanding of Jewish organizational landscape, philanthropic traditions, and community networks
• Exceptional relationship-building skills and natural ability to connect with diverse personalities, build trust, and maintain long-term donor relationships
• Outstanding communication skills, including creating powerful fundraising materials and sharing complex ideas through simple presentations
• Strategic thinking and analytical skills with ability to develop and implement cultivation plans, assess donor capacity, and optimize portfolio performance
• Ability to travel for donor meetings and cultivation activities, with some evening and weekend availability required for events and donor cultivation
• Collaborative spirit and ability to work effectively with colleagues across all organizational functions and levels on a virtual team
• Commitment to experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement
• Adept with complex project management in a fundraising context and effectiveness at collaborating with others
• Tech-savvy, particularly with Google Workplace, CRMs (we use Zoho), Zoom, Slack, and Asana

• Commitment to A More Perfect Union’s Core Values:

• ACTION-ORIENTED - We prioritize action, both because our work demands urgency and because the best learning comes from experimentation, hypothesis testing, and adaptation.
• COLLABORATIVE - We know that none of us is as smart as all of us, so we are always looking for new people to learn from and dream and build with. And because we know that each of us only sees one part of the elephant, we seek to build a community rich with diverse identities, perspectives, and experiences.
• TRUSTWORTHY - We know that organizations and networks move at the speed of trust. We work hard to earn and maintain the trust of our colleagues and our partners by prioritizing respect, empathy, reliability, and accountability. 
• CURIOUS - We are voracious learners, eager to deepen our understanding of the communities and fields in which we operate, and we approach complex problems with a healthy skepticism about simplistic answers.
• RESOLUTE - We believe that – with commitment and hard work – things can get better, and we resist succumbing to cynicism, complacency, or armchair outrage.
• JOYFUL - We believe that our team and our work are more effective when we infuse them with playfulness, celebration, and a sense of humor.

WORK ENVIRONMENT, SALARY, AND BENEFITS

A More Perfect Union currently has team members in multiple states. While team members primarily work remotely, we travel to gather in person regularly (4-6 times per year), and this role may involve additional travel 4-6 times a year for funder meetings, conferences, and other related events. We offer a generous benefits package via our fiscal sponsor, which includes comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance, paid time off, life insurance, short- and long-term disability insurances, retirement plan with 4.5% match, 100% paid family leave (12 weeks), and employee resources designed to support the passion and commitment that is vital to our team members.

The starting salary range for Director-level positions is $110,000 - $125,000 per year. In exceptional circumstances (e.g., based on market comparables), new hire compensation for certain roles may fall outside the starting salary band. Candidates with different salary expectations are still encouraged to apply. Team members who stay with A More Perfect Union can expect their salary to increase over time. 

Note: we believe that there are multiple potential pathways to achieve our revenue goals. If you are interested in working with us, but have a different vision than the one outlined in this job description, please feel free to reach out. We’d love to talk to you about it.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Beyond the overall goal of raising our annual operating budget, the Development Director will be expected to raise $1,000,000+ annually through major gift solicitations as part of our diversification strategy. Success will be measured through a combination of quantitative metrics (dollars raised, number of solicitations made, donor retention rates) and qualitative assessments (relationship building, collaboration, donor satisfaction). We recognize that major gift fundraising requires relationship building time and expect it will take 12-18 months for this role to reach full productivity, with milestones agreed upon between the Director and Executive Director.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your application through our Workable account. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with priority given to those received by October 15th. 

A More Perfect Union places a high value on creating and fostering an inclusive workplace. We do not make hiring decisions based on race, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, political affiliation, pregnancy, disability, or any other status protected by law. Individuals from across the political spectrum who are passionate about protecting and strengthening American democracy are strongly encouraged to apply.

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, while women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you're new to this field, returning to work after a gap in employment, looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.