Development Manager

Overview

The Development Manager is at the heart of SCIJ’s fundraising efforts, fostering relationships with funders and individual donors to grow our mission for immigrant justice. The Development Manager is a core member of the organization who is responsible for SCIJ’s grants, fundraising events, and annual appeal. Working closely with SCIJ’s Executive Director, the Development Manager is crucial to fulfilling SCIJ’s mission by ensuring we have the resources to train students, provide legal support to asylum seekers, and organize for immigrant justice. 

The Development Manager will be joining SCIJ at a pivotal moment as SCIJ seeks to build on the momentum of its successful first five years. Having already established programs at Worcester State University and Brown University (and now expanded to UMass Boston) where SCIJ trained 154 students, provided pro bono representation to 359 asylum seekers, and launched several organizing campaigns, the Development Manager will play a key role in growing SCIJ’s impact. 

About SCIJ

Building on the decades-long rich history of student leadership in the immigrant justice movement, the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice (SCIJ) is a community expanding access to representation by collaborating with immigration service organizations to provide pro bono legal support to asylum seekers and developing a network to advocate for transformative change by engaging students and community members in direct action organizing.

Salary & Benefits

The Development Manager is an exempt position and will be paid an annual salary of $65,000 to $80,000 (commensurate with experience) plus benefits including:

1. Health Insurance with Tufts (100% paid by SCIJ)
2. Dental Insurance with Tufts (100% paid by SCIJ)
3. Matching 401(k) Retirement Plan
4. Paid Family and Medical Leave
5. Professional Development Assistance
6. Travel reimbursement
7. 14 days of paid time off per year, 10 paid days off for federal holidays, 10 days of end-of-year time off, and 1 paid day off to be used within 14 days of your birthday each year
8. 80 hours of paid sick time

This position will require approximately 40 hours of work per week and generally involve working Monday through Friday, with occasional evening and weekend responsibilities as relevant, such as attending/leading workshops and events. The position will involve both remote and in-person work. SCIJ anticipates that over 75% of your workweek will be remote, though this may change with COVID fluctuations and changes in organizational strategy. In-person work will not be in an office but instead involves in-person fundraising events, site visits, and donor meetings. Applicants must have access to a car or other mode of transportation to travel to Worcester, MA, Providence, RI, and Boston, MA.

With the impacts of the US’s punitive immigration system felt most harshly by Latinx, Black, African, and Middle Eastern immigrants, especially LGBTQ , gender-minority, working-class, and disabled immigrants, SCIJ is committed to creating a community within its staff, students, board, and volunteers that reflects this diversity. Two of SCIJ’s core values include Immigrants First and Committed to Anti-Racism, a reflection of SCIJ’s commitment to actively and continuously empower those who are “most impacted by immigration policies, specifically immigrants and first-generation Americans, while also recognizing the multiple ways power and race influence all facets of society.” As an equal opportunity employer, SCIJ is focused on developing a community where people most impacted by immigration policies can thrive and building a staff, board, and volunteer base that reflects this commitment. 

Employment with SCIJ is on an “Employment-At-Will” basis. In other words, you or SCIJ may terminate employment for any reason and at any time, with or without notice. Similarly, the terms of employment outlined in this description are subject to change at any time.

Job Responsibilities

Grant Writing

• Developing and writing grant proposals, concept papers, and letters of inquiry with the goal of securing $349,000 in programmatic and operating support; 
• Developing annual grant revenue goals
• Developing and managing an annual grants strategy and pipeline aligned with organizational fundraising goals
• Ensuring ongoing communication and reporting with funders including but not limited to submitting timely and accurate reports;
• Identifying prospective grant sources (private, corporate, and government) to support SCIJ’s programs, services, and operations;
• Maintaining an accurate grants calendar, scheduling and tracking of all grant activities and deadlines;
• Setting and tracking grant revenue projections, the success rates and renewal strategies
• Overseeing the evaluation process to ensure compliance with the funder's requirements;
• Ensuring that corporate and foundation gifts are entered into SCIJ’s database, and reports are accurate and current;
• Working closely with the Executive Director on the budgetary aspects of grant proposals, and with other staff on program needs, tracking data, and reporting on outcomes;
• In partnership with the Executive Director, generating accurate, meaningful, and timely acknowledgment letters for grants received.

Community Fundraisers

• Developing a theme and messaging for SCIJ’s community fundraisers
• Identifying and securing a location for SCIJ’s 3 community fundraisers (1 in each Worcester, Providence, and Boston)
• Developing an invitation and outreach list
• Contacting potential attendees through Constant Contact and individual forms of outreach to turn out attendance to fundraising events
• Developing content for the events such as PowerPoints, videos, pictures, etc.
• Creating event RSVP forms on Little Green Light and Social Media
• Organizing a host committee of at least 3 people for each community fundraiser
• Use the community fundraisers to cultivate new donors and strengthen relationships with supporter in each location.

Annual Appeal

• Developing a messaging campaign for SCIJ’s annual appeal
• Writing and designing emails, texts, and other forms of communication to invite people to donate as a part of SCIJ’s annual appeal
• Organizing and participating in a phone bank to invite people to donate

Annual Gala

• Developing the theme, agenda, and team needed to make the Gala successful, including:
• Developing a theme and messaging for SCIJ’s Gala
• Creating an agenda for the Gala with engaging activities and clearly defined roles for staff and volunteers
• In collaboration with the Executive Director, organizing a Host Committee of at least 7 people for the Gala
• Organizing the logistical details for SCIJ’s Gala, including:
• Identifying and securing a location
• Identifying and securing a caterer / food plan
• Engaging in fundraising efforts to raise at least $40,000 for SCIJ’s Gala, including:
• Identifying and securing at least $10,000 in sponsorships
• Identifying and securing items for a silent auction
• Outreach, including
• Organizing and participating in a phone bank to invite people to the Gala
• Additional Responsibilities
• Supporting any other duties delegated to further SCIJ’s mission such as general programming, development, and/or operations

Qualifications and Skills

SCIJ is looking for a Development Manager with lived experiences in immigrant communities and a passion for immigrant justice. The ideal candidate should be articulate, thoughtful, enthusiastic, flexible, self-motivated, dependable, responsible, and creative. In addition, the ideal candidate would be someone committed to abolition, who understands the immigration system as a racist structure and is invested in power building. Qualifications and skills include:

• 4 years of development experience, including grant writing (particularly $20k and multi-year grants), event planning, and individual fundraising, preferably as a member of a development/fundraising team
• (Preferred) Knowledge of the New England philanthropic community
• Successful track record securing donations from individual donors
• Experience working in grassroots community groups
• Leadership and coordination experience and skills
• Deeply self-motivated
• Growth mindset and a commitment to reflective practice
• Strong interpersonal skills, including excellent written and verbal communication
• Proven track record of exceptional relationship-building both internally and externally.
• Must have experience with Google Suite (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms)
• If you’re interested in this position but feel that you do not or may not have the experience necessary, we’d still love to chat with you

Physical Requirements

• Needs to be able to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc
• Needs to be able to constantly operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer
• Needs to be able to frequently communicate with students, staff, and community partners. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.

The above information outlines the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this position. It is not designed as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job; nor is it a contract for employment. SCIJ will make reasonable accommodations as they relate to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

How to Apply

To apply, please send your resume to info@SCIJimmigration.org and put “Development Manager - [Your Name]” in the subject line. In addition to including your resume, please also include a list of notable grants you have written and been awarded, and share responses to the following 2 questions (max 200 words each): (1) Why is immigrant justice important to you?; and (2) Why do you want to join SCIJ as the Development Manager?

You may also include a cover letter, however, this is optional. If you have any questions, please contact info@SCIJimmigration.org and put “Development Manager - [Your Name]” in the subject line.