Development Director
The National Homelessness Law Center (Law Center) seeks a strategic, collaborative, mission-driven thought partner to serve as our Development Director to oversee all fundraising strategy in partnership with a dedicated staff. The Law Center is the legal arm of the national movement to end homelessness and is looking for a leader compelled by the national housing crisis and energized by our vision of housing as a human right and commitment to dismantling structural racism.
OVERVIEW OF POSITION: The Development Director will work collaboratively across the organization to combine their knowledge and Law Center staff expertise to develop and successfully execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy that sustainably maintains the current annual budget of $1.2 million and supports the strategic and financial growth of the organization. The Development Director will collaborate with programmatic leadership to ensure the fundraising strategy is amplifying the programmatic vision and will develop, coach and provide supervision to one full-time Development & Communications VISTA member and additional staff as appropriate. The position reports to the Executive Director. This is an ideal opportunity for a development leader who thrives in a values-aligned organization and has been successful in growing and maintaining a diversified development program. Slightly less than half of the $1.2 million budget is supported by foundations and the remainder is supported in roughly equal parts by individuals and a combination of law firm and corporate donors. The Law Center is financially sound and maintains a reserve. We have built long-term, positive relationships with funders including generous philanthropists, who serve both as thought partners and as funders.
ABOUT THE LAW CENTER: Founded in 1989, the Law Center is the leading national organization using the power of the law to advocate for the millions of people experiencing homelessness and housing instability in the United States. Our work has put unhoused children back in school, won new resources for affordable housing, prevented homelessness for renters, overturned laws that criminalize homelessness, and built support for the human right to housing, now a major component of federal domestic policy. We play a critical role in protecting, defending and promoting the rights of unhoused persons to ensure they can lead national, state and local efforts to end homelessness. Our core conviction is that no one should have to go without safe, affordable housing in a country as wealthy as ours. The Law Center’s work, in partnership with national, state and local partners, is critical more now than ever as the eviction and affordable housing crises, exacerbated by the pandemic, push record numbers of persons into homelessness. People of color, women and members of the LGBTQ+ community are disproportionately and uniquely affected by homelessness, and our work consciously and affirmatively seeks to address these interrelated inequities.
We are proud of our high quality and committed team of 10 staff persons, 20 Board Members and a large corps of volunteer attorneys. Although headquartered in Washington, DC, staff live and work across the country.
In April 2021, the Law Center welcomed its second Executive Director, Antonia Fasanelli. A national leader recognized for her expertise in housing and homelessness law and policy, Antonia believes that it is only through elevating the power and voices of persons with lived expertise that systems change will occur.
For more information, read our Annual Reports (https://homelesslaw.org/resources/annual-report/) and explore our website at www.homelesslaw.org.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Provide strong, energetic and strategic leadership in collaboration with the Executive Director:
• You will be a strategic thought partner with the Executive Director to pursue fundraising initiatives that reflect our annual objectives and strategies, including engaging in donor cultivation, stewardship and proposal development. • You will set ambitious but attainable goals that will increase annual operating funds and help achieve longer-term priorities.
• You will determine vision, direction, and execution of plans to build and manage a full-scale development program, both near- and long-term.
• You will engage the Board, volunteer leaders, and staff to craft and strengthen an effective system of prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• You will manage the current development team to meet or exceed revenue targets.
• You will provide leadership and direction in developing, instituting and strengthening development operations, systems and protocols.
• You will develop, manage and regularly report progress against your fundraising plan, which includes cultivation and funder relationship management strategies and campaigns for foundations as well as other institutional funders and individuals.
• You will partner with staff to support efforts toward the Law Center becoming an anti-racist organization.
• You will be supported as you continue to build your own competencies as a part of our organization-wide commitment to ongoing professional development. Ensure effective donor outreach, management and stewardship:
• You will use existing tools or direct the implementation of new tools to manage donor engagement, communications, priorities and deadlines. The development team will work closely with the Executive Director on revenue forecasting and tracking, as well as grant budget management and reporting.
• You will partner with the Executive Director and program staff to manage the grant life cycle, share responsibility for producing grant proposals and appeals, and draft grant reports for approximately 10-15 grants.
• You will lead a partnership between your development team, the communications team and our program staff to develop and execute a communications strategy directed toward current and potential donors, raising our visibility, and keeping these key stakeholders informed.
• You will partner with the Executive Director to actively engage the board and build board support, including new board member cultivation. When appropriate, you will engage board members in new donor identification and cultivation initiatives.
WHO YOU ARE:
• You have 10+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in development, some significant portion of which is focused on institutional/foundation giving, with some managerial, supervisory or team leadership experience.
• You have a demonstrated track record of identifying prospective donors and growing and diversifying funding in a strategic, sustainable way.
• You have knowledge of current conversations and opportunities in philanthropy, are actively following development trends and thought leaders and you have familiarity with major institutional funders whose work aligns with the Law Center’s objectives.
• You are a strategic thinker who can manage details of budgeting, planning and reporting and the execution of a fundraising strategy while also seeing the bigger picture of the Law Center’s mission.
• You have a track record of operationalizing a vision to increase organizational success and using evaluation tools and metrics to support accountability.
• You are able to manage multiple tasks and negotiate several priorities simultaneously.
• You have a justice-oriented understanding for how race and power impact relationships, organizational culture and partnerships.
• You are committed to a personal and professional practice around deepening this understanding, through continuous learning, reflection and growth.
• You are a leader who builds relationships that foster trust and transparency across lines of difference by listening deeply, and offers direct, honest feedback with compassion and clarity of purpose. You have a proven record of collaborating, influencing, and encouraging others to shift mindsets to achieve a common goal.
• You are an inspirational leader, with strong interpersonal skills, who fosters a sense of purpose and community; empowering your team to grow and develop professionally. You are a respectful, curious, and self-aware relational leader with high standards for holding yourself and others accountable.
• You have a commitment to building your own competencies and share our organization-wide commitment to ongoing professional development.
• You are an effective, persuasive communicator with strong verbal and non-verbal presentation skills. You convey information clearly and concisely, internally and externally, with high emotional intelligence and professional judgment.
• You have experience in a social justice nonprofit. Any prior work experience in the housing justice and/or homeless-rights fields or relevant life experience is a plus.
SALARY, BENEFITS AND LOCATION: Salary: $120,000-$140,000, depending on experience. Benefits: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Short and Long-term Disability Insurance all fully employer paid and a 403(b) retirement plan. The Law Center provides a leave package of vacation (15 days per year for first 2 years, and 20 days per year thereafter), sick leave (10 days per year), personal leave (5 days per year), and all Federal holidays. The Law Center has a compensatory time policy and flexible work schedule options. Location: The Law Center staff are primarily working remotely due to COVID-19. We are headquartered in Washington, DC, but staff are located around the country. Proximity to DC is not required for this position, though travel to DC would be necessary at least 4-5 times per year, if the candidate did not reside in the mid-Atlantic region.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Send cover letter, resume and salary requirements to HR@nlchp.org with “Development Director, Last Name_First Name” in the subject line. No phone calls, please. In the cover letter, please provide information on the following: how you learned of the position, your qualifications, how you tackled a specific fundraising challenge in your previous work, and your understanding of oppression and structural racism. The Law Center is an equal opportunity employer. The Law Center values an inclusive, diverse workplace and does not unlawfully discriminate on any basis prohibited by law. The Law Center encourages applications from all interested persons of any race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.
APPLICATIONS DEADLINE: We seek to fill this position as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until filled