Close the Gap California: Director of Development

LOCATION

Remote

SALARY

90,000-110,000 / Yearly

COMPANY

Close the Gap California

DEPARTMENT

Finance

EMPLOYMENT TYPE

Non-Profit

CONTACT

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

HOW TO APPLY Please send: Resume, cover letter and three references with the email subject “Director of Development” to [email protected]. In your cover letter, please include a description of how your background and passion aligns with the position and why you are invested in the mission of Close the Gap. Close the Gap may not be able to respond to all applicants. No phone calls, please. We are accepting applications on a rolling basis, and strongly encourage interested applicants to apply by September 6, 2024.

JOB DESCRIPTION

WHO WE ARE

Close the Gap California (CTG) is a 527 non-PAC campaign launched in 2013. By recruiting accomplished, progressive women in targeted districts and preparing them to launch competitive campaigns, we are changing the face of the California State Legislature one cycle at a time.

Twenty CTG Legislators are serving today, 14 of them women of color. CTG Women are committed to reproductive freedom, quality public education, and an end to poverty. Today, California’s legislature stands at a record 42% women, less than a decade after sliding to a 20-year low of just 22%. We are running ahead of CTG’s founding goal to close California’s gender gap by 2028!

As of 2024, CTG is exploring potential expansion of our mission into other states and down ballot in California, via the Power in Parity Initiative (public launch planned for early 2025). The Director of Development will play a central role in raising funds for this budget (527, 501(c)3 and c4), as well as acting as a member of the leadership team overseeing implementation and expansion.

 

DESCRIPTION OF ROLE

Close the Gap’s Director of Development is a mid-level, managerial role that serves as the lead strategist and overseer of the organization’s fundraising and development goals, programs, events and initiatives. 

The top priority of the Director of Development, in coordination and close collaboration with the Executive Director, is to ensure that the organization meets its annual and long-term fundraising goals.  

In the immediate term, the central focus of the Director of Development will be to lead, develop and execute on the organization’s new initiative - Power in Parity - which includes raising a multi-million dollar budget. The Director of Development will accomplish this through various fundraising strategies, including cultivating relationships with existing CTG donors, developing new donor prospects and presenting funding proposals, executing 1:1 and mass outreach through various communications and digital strategies, and expanding donor opportunities through the organization’s new nonprofit entity. 

The Director of Development will also ensure the successful execution of ongoing, year-long and annual fundraising and development events and processes, such as major donor cultivation, annual events (in-person and virtual), end of year giving program, donor correspondence, and more.

 

IDEAL CANDIDATE

You are the ideal candidate if you are mission-driven and aligned with Close the Gap’s vision, have the professional experience (direct and/or transferable) and skills necessary to execute the role, and are enthusiastic about developing relationships  with CTG’s current and potential donors, creative about how we can accomplish our fundraising goals, and strategic in how you approach the work.

You will enjoy being part of the Close the Gap organization if you are inspired by the vision of gender parity in government, enjoy a collaborative work environment, and are not afraid of hard work with the goal of excellence in mind!

 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

  • Fundraising & Donor Engagement 

  • Steward current CTG donors and build relationships with new prospects

  • Ensure the successful execution of annual events (in-person and virtual) and all fundraising events, activities and donor engagement work throughout the year 

  • Attend events and meetings with new and potential donors 

  • Research and apply for grants, develop proposals for individual donors, and seek and secure corporate and organizational sponsorships 

  • Strategy

  • Develop and execute annual fundraising plan 

  • Lead and execute the organization’s fundraising goal within the new Power for Parity initiative 

  • Team Leadership and Management 

  • Co-supervise one staff member, and in close collaboration with the Executive Director, develop a long-term plan to build out the organization’s fundraising team and support functions 

  • Effectively “manage up” to the Executive Director in regards to her donor engagement goals and fundraising priorities 

  • Lead a team approach to fundraising and provide opportunities to the full team to support fundraising and development efforts

  • Fundraising Communications, Materials & Processes Management 

  • Draft, review and oversee communications and social media related to fundraising and donor development, including individual and mass donor correspondence

  • Develop and distribute materials related to fundraising and development efforts 

  • Learn all CTG fundraising administrative and other processes and systems, including the donor database (EveryAction/NGP-VAN), and develop and manage all systems to ensure a strong fundraising infrastructure

 

QUALIFICATIONS

Close the Gap is seeking candidates with at least 5-8 years experience (including 2-3 years of management experience) with some focus on fundraising and development, and/or in a role with transferable skills, ideally in a political, policy-oriented or nonprofit setting. In addition, Close the Gap is seeking the following specific qualifications: 

  • Commitment to racial and social justice, women’s leadership, queer communities, progressive values

  • Familiarity with and mature judgment about politics

  • Experience and ability to develop and create a strategic plan, and guide its implementation with a team 

  • Management experience, including with direct reports, and ability to lead and direct staff and team towards ambitious goals

  • Strong track record of effectively managing a diverse array of teammates in a collaborative, fast-paced environment

  • Experience and enthusiasm in building relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, prospects, organizational partners and allies

  • Solid follow-through with a demonstrated ability to work independently with remote guidance

  • Must be detail-oriented and able to track numerous projects and processes across multiple geographies

  • Familiarity and/or willingness to learn and use virtual office tools, including NGP/EveryAction, Google Drive/Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Gmail, Airtable

 

At Close the Gap, diversity, equity and inclusion are central to our mission and to our daily outlook. It is of utmost importance to us that our team reflects the very leaders we aim to recruit, who in turn reflect the communities they aim to serve. We strongly encourage applications from communities that are underrepresented and from voices that have been traditionally excluded from systems of power.

This includes applications from those who may not meet 100% of the qualifications outlined here. We are not seeking the perfect applicant, we are seeking someone who has the experience, willingness and potential to succeed in this role.

 

POSITION TERMS

  • Reports directly to Executive Director

  • Remote position with moderate travel required

  • Salary Range: $90,000 - $110,000 

  • Benefits: CTG’s benefits package includes premium reimbursement for medical, dental and vision insurance, up to $18,000 per year. We also offer a generous holiday plan, unlimited PTO, and the opportunity to work with a brilliant team of mission-driven people.