Nonprofit Director of Development

Company Description

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting nontheism and safeguarding the constitutional principle of separation between religion and government. With a membership base exceeding 40,000 individuals, FFRF serves as a leading advocate for freethinkers, including atheists, agnostics, and skeptics. The organization acts as a robust watchdog against state/church violations while fostering a community for those who embrace reason and secular values.

Role Description

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, in hiring its first-ever Director of Development, is looking for someone with a passion for nonprofit development, and our twin causes of the First Amendment and freethought. The position is a is a full-time, on-site role based in Madison, WI. This is a high-impact job for an entrepreneurial professional who can build on the current development program while personally managing a portfolio of donors. This individual will leverage our established base of annual and planned gifts to create sustainable long-term growth. Similarly, FFRF also has a new lobbying arm, FFRF Action Fund, which operates on a comparative shoestring and is in need of fundraising prowess. 

Reports to: Executive Director

Range: $93,700 - $127,400

Key Responsibilities

Range: 

• Strategic Fundraising Leadership:
• Design and execute a comprehensive annual fundraising plan to meet short- and long-term financial goals.
• Identify and implement strategies to diversify revenue streams beyond current giving patterns, such as peer-to-peer fundraising and use of text messaging.
• Prepare the Executive Director for any high-level solicitations.
• Work with the PR Director and Executive Director to design and produce an annual report.

• Donor and Estate Planning Cultivation & Stewardship:
• Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects, leading the full cycle of identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
• Enhance the existing annual giving program to increase donor retention and upgrade gifts. 
• Formalize the planned giving program, focusing on bequests and deferred gift expectancies. Manage a significant portfolio of planned givers, publicize FreeWill, FFRF’s planned giving partner, and conduct other outreach. Responsible for filing required documents to acquire planned gift funds. 
• Help to manage existing endowments and designated donor projects.

• Operations & Team Management:
• Supervise the Membership Manager to ensure data integrity, gift processing, and the generation of actionable donor insights and analysis and reports that monitor  fundraising success.
• Oversee formal donor recognition and stewardship processes, including timely acknowledgments and impact reporting.
• Develop and manage the development department budget, ensuring efficient use of resources.
• Collaborate with the Director of PR & Marketing to increase membership. 

Qualifications

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of professional fundraising experience, with a proven track record of securing major and planned gifts for charitable organizations.

Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification is a significant plus.

Skills:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms; FFRF uses NeonCRM.
• Strong analytical skills to evaluate effectiveness of fundraising tactics.
• Ability to work independently and as a collaborative partner to executive leadership.
• 501(c)(3) and related 501(c)(4) background/knowledge 

Attributes: An entrepreneurial "self-starter" mindset with the organizational skills to manage a department of one. 

• We are looking for a development director level candidate, but would consider hiring someone with slightly less experience to start at manager level.

Qualifications

• Expertise in Planned Giving and Annual Giving programs
• Experience in philanthropic initiatives and developing strong donor relationships
• Proficiency in Fundraising and Budgeting for nonprofit organizations
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to lead strategic initiatives and meet organizational goals
• Experience with donor management systems and data analysis
• Knowledge of nonprofit compliance and ethical fundraising practices
• Commitment to the mission of promoting nontheism and state/church separation