Senior Development Manager 

Higher Heights Leadership Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, and its sister organization, Higher Heights for America (Higher Heights) are the leading national organizations providing Black women with a political home exclusively dedicated to harnessing their power to expand Black women’s elected representation and voting participation and advance progressive policies. 

Higher Heights was founded by Black women for Black women’s political growth and equity, with a winning plan for building collective political power and expanding Black women’s elected leadership. Higher Heights’ mission includes: 

• Investing in the next generation of political leaders.
• Organizing and mobilizing the power of Black women voters through its #BlackWomenVote campaign.
• Creating an environment for Black women to vote, run, win, and lead, through online training, research, cultural-shifting communications work, and digital campaigns.
• Higher Heights is comprised of two sister organizations working to create transformational change. 

THE ROLE: 

The Senior Development Manager will work closely with the Vice President of Institutional Development, as well as other cross-departmental executives, to build a team and fundraising/membership strategy that focuses on achieving the organization’s fundraising and membership goals to advance the mission of Higher Heights.
You will support the Vice President in the major donor fundraising efforts by identifying, cultivating, and stewarding relationships with major donors who are giving gifts of $1000 /year. Also, you will help grow the organization’s membership as our network expands through Black women’s increased levels of political participation and leadership. 
The ideal candidate will be deeply passionate about politics and hold the belief that Black women’s representation is paramount to democracy and will make a difference in politics. This person must have the ability to see the whole picture and be a forward thinker in a growing organization. Think compassionate fundraiser! This role will report to the Vice President of Institutional Development. 
This is a remote, full-time position that requires some travel as needed to work in one of Higher Heights' offices in the New York City or Washington, D.C. (DMV) metropolitan areas and other locations as needed. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO: 

• Support and manage a team of 2-4 people who are a combination of institutional development staff, interns, and fellows 
• Identify, cultivate, and steward relationships with a group of major donors who are giving gifts of $1000 /year 
• Actively solicit gifts via various channels such as phone, email, etc. 
• Develop and implement fundraising campaigns and strategies to engage supporters and increase donor participation; 
• Work with our vendors to optimize how we’re communicating with these donors and managing the relationships with these vendors 
• Write scripts, templates, and other engagement-related protocols for donor outreach across channels
• Facilitate vetting processes for donors and surrogates 
• Refund contributions when requested 
• Assist in the management of the team’s NGP account and act as a resource for specific NGP needs and challenges. 
• Assisting with outreach and events for a rapidly growing membership, such as events, activations and correspondence 
• Perform duties as assigned to support the department and the Higher Height’s mission 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in related field (or equivalent experience). 
• 5-7 years of experience in political or non-profit fundraising 
• Strong understanding of fundraising principles, techniques, and best practices. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; you love speaking with supporters on the phone. 
• You’re able to sift through data and are comfortable with donor databases. 
• Demonstrated ability in building and maintaining relationships with donors on a 1:1 basis. 
• The ideal candidate will be a team player, fast learner, and self-starter; you are willing to work hard to get the job done. 
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects in a deadline-driven environment. 
• Proficient in writing, editing, and proofreading skills; you should have an eagle-eye for typos and errors. 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills. 

ADDITIONAL USEFUL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Experience with 501(c)3, 501(c)4 organization structure 
• Experience with building memberships, coalition building, or membership-based organizations 
• Experience with prospecting and securing grants

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS: 

The salary range for this exempt role is $65,000-$90,000 and is offered with a competitive benefits package. The final base salary will be determined by various factors, including individual qualifications and internal parity, which will be objectively assessed during the interview process. 

Higher Heights is an equal-opportunity employer. Higher Heights prohibits unlawful discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, genetic characteristics, disability, status as a special disabled veteran or veteran, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual identity, or any other basis prohibited by law.