Development Director

Location: Remote, Maryland

Summary: Progressive Maryland was founded to empower communities to act for social and economic justice by developing leaders and cultivating allies in order to build a grassroots movement with the power to advance economic, racial, and environmental equity. We are made up of over 125,000 individual members and supporters and dozens of affiliated religious, community and labor organizations statewide.

Development Director: The Development Director will provide strategic leadership in the planning, implementation, integration, and evaluation of Progressive Maryland’s foundation and individual giving fundraising strategies. They will lead in achieving the organization’s revenue goals, increasing income, and educating and engaging more individuals and institutions in the work of Progressive Maryland.

They collaborate with the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director to build Progressive Maryland’s annual development plan and to expand the organization’s donor base. The Development Director supervises the Grants and Development Specialist and supports them in preparing grant proposals and reports for funders, tracking deadlines for RFPs and reports and ensuring timely submission of all materials to funders, conducting research to identify new potential funding partners, and planning fundraising events.

The Development Director also works in concert with our organizing and communications teams to ensure accurate tracking of grant metrics and to gather that data as well as stories of impact, digital content, photos, and other similar material to tell Progressive Maryland’s story to current and prospective funders.

Responsibilities:

● Work closely with the Deputy Executive Director to establish annual fundraising goals, to create annual development plans, and to develop annual organizational and departmental budgets.

• Track proposal and reporting deadlines, ensure that all submitted materials are accurate and comply with any funder requirements. Review and edit materials drafted by the Grants and Development Specialist ahead of submission.

• Research prospective institutional and individual funders and collaborate with executive staff on cultivation and prospecting activity. Ensure the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, and other relevant staff are briefed and prepared ahead of calls with prospective and current funders.

• Develop new connections and steward long-term relationships with prospective individual and foundation donors. Cultivate high-level relationships with program officers and other foundation leaders and individual donors of interest.

• Represent Progressive Maryland at philanthropic meetings and events.

• Work to identify and aggressively pursue opportunities/models to develop non-foundation income streams for the organization (such as earned income, fee-for- service, etc).

● Collaborate with the Grants and Development Specialist to plan and lead our Annual Gala fundraiser, which is geared toward our members, legislators, and other stakeholders.

• Creatively use events to upgrade donors and maintain a diversity of revenue.

• Collaborate with the Communications team to produce high-quality annual reports, digital fundraising appeals, and compelling fundraising materials.

● Work with the Deputy Executive Director to prepare fundraising reports for Progressive Maryland’s Board of Directors.

• Supervise our Grants and Development Specialist, providing on-going guidance, direction, and motivation, delegating appropriately and ensuring strong internal communication and coordination, and evaluating performance and providing opportunities for personal and professional growth.

• Stay abreast of political and philanthropic trends and ensure that executive staff are informed of emerging opportunities as well as changes that might impact giving.

• Support our regional chapters in organizing grassroots fundraising events

● As needed during election years, willingness to engage in direct voter contact at the doors and over the phone.

Qualifications:

● 5 years of experience in non-profit development.

• Proven track record of building or expanding a successful foundation fundraising program.

• Experience as an effective communicator who is clear and persuasive in both speaking and writing; must be adept at crafting materials and making presentations to a variety of audiences.

• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build relationships and work effectively with a broad range of people.

• A clear understanding of 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit structures

● Experience with Candid/Foundation Center

● Strong interest in progressive politics

● Ability to work independently, as a member of a team, and a team lead

● The ability to think, reflect, communicate, challenge the conventional wisdom, make judgments in complicated situations, and show flexibility

● A clear sense of the challenges our communities face, impatience in the face of those wrongs, and a drive to address them

Pluses (but not required)

● Familiarity with Maryland political systems on the city, county, and state level

Travel: All positions require reliable access to a vehicle and a valid driver’s license, laptop, phone, and willingness to travel throughout Maryland as needed.

Salary, Benefits, and Position Details: Salary is commensurate with experience between $75,000-$90,000. Benefits include employer-paid health, vision, and dental insurance, a 403(b) retirement plan with an employer match, 2 weeks paid vacation, 6 personal days, and 3 weeks sick leave per year, as well as paid holidays.

Progressive Maryland is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, People of Color, LGBTQ people, Returning Citizens, and Immigrants are strongly encouraged to apply.