Director of Development - Work for Immigrants Rights

Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) is the country’s first and only fellowship program dedicated to meeting the unprecedented need for high-quality legal assistance for immigrants seeking citizenship, other lawful status, and fighting deportation. IJC mobilizes the country’s most talented law school and college graduates to provide high quality representation to low- income immigrants. 

IJC’s two-year fellowship programs connects Fellows to the best legal services providers and community-based institutions nationwide.  The program fosters a culture of creative thinking that engenders new strategies to reduce the justice gap for immigrant families, ensuring that immigration status is no longer a barrier to social and economic opportunity. Since its founding in 2014, IJC has trained 200+ fellows who have effectively assisted over 80,000 immigrants and family members with a 92% success rate on completed cases.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT

 IJC is committed to protecting the human rights of immigrants by increasing the quality and quantity of representation.  In fulfilling its mission, IJC is committed to fostering diversity at all levels of the organization.  We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our staff and Fellows, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs.  In striving always to achieve those goals, IJC embraces justice, equity, diversity and inclusion as core values and is steadfast in our commitment to: (1) ensuring that IJC management and staff members represent a broad range of human difference and experience; (2) providing a work climate that is respectful and that supports success; and (3) promoting the dignity and well-being of all staff and Fellows.  IJC’s leadership is responsible for ensuring excellence, diversity, and inclusion. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on all of our efforts.

THE OPPORTUNITY

At a time of strategic growth, IJC seeks a mission driven Director of Development to build upon our fundraising success and leverage a strong donor base to secure the revenue needed to scale and replicate our programming. This position will serve as a key thought partner to the Executive Director, work alongside a highly engaged Board of Directors and staff, and ultimately contribute to making a significant impact on the immigration field. Specifically, the Director of Development will:

Design, implement, and lead fundraising strategies that drive growth and sustainability

• In close partnership with the Executive Director, develop forward-thinking strategies to 1) raise approximately $9 million annually, 2) retain and increase support of existing major donors, and 3) identify and acquire new donors with the capacity to make major annual and multi-year gifts.
• Manage a portfolio of existing major foundation and individual funders, leveraging the Executive Director and board in donor stewardship and retention. Take ownership of developing donor-specific strategies, meeting preparation and follow-up, etc. 
• Create a vision and plan for individual giving, including deepening engagement of monthly and annual supporters through thoughtful relationship building and stewardship.
• Oversee the research, qualification, and cultivation of donor pipelines, from grassroots giving campaigns to major donor cultivation.
• With support from an external consultant, serve as “chief grant writer,” taking ownership of IJC’s letters of inquiry, proposals, and reports, and tightly manage a fundraising calendar to ensure that proposals, renewals, and reports are submitted on time.
• In partnership with the Communications Manager, create effective and timely donor communications, pitch decks, reports, written appeals, and other materials. Leverage data, impact stories, and insights on immigration issues in communications.
• Oversee and optimize development operations with the support of a Development/Communications Associate, inclusive of data entry and management, gift processing and acknowledgement, and overall usage of the Salesforce database.

Serve as a senior leader, collaborative team member, and champion for IJC’s mission

• As a member of the senior management team, contributes to development of IJC’s yearly goals and annual operating budget.
• Build out a development team and ensure that staff work as a collaborative and supportive team in partnership with the rest of the organization.
• Work closely with the Development Committee, the Governance Committee and the overall Board of Directors to ensure Board efforts remain aligned with IJC’s fundraising and growth goals.
• Become a knowledgeable ambassador for IJC with an understanding of the funding, legal, policy, and political landscape that impacts immigration.

WHO YOU ARE

• A passionate advocate committed to IJC’s mission and values. You bring a strong commitment to social justice and the rights of immigrants. You thrive in an organization that values candor, trust, open communications, kindness, accountability, and a commitment to learning and growth. 
• A versatile and well-rounded fund development professional. You bring at least 8 years of work experience in fundraising, with a track record of qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding institutional and individual supporters. You enjoy both the behind-the-scenes and donor-facing aspects of fundraising, and are knowledgeable about fundraising systems, processes, and best practices.
• A “big picture” thinker with the ability to implement tactically. You approach challenges and opportunities through an analytical lens and take a hands-on approach to translating strategy into tangible activities and goals. You integrate fundraising best practices with new thinking and approaches.
• An exceptional writer, storyteller, and communicator. You are skilled in analyzing, breaking down, and communicating complex ideas in ways that inspire others to action. You demonstrate an understanding of the context surrounding an issue area and create logical arguments that clearly articulate the “why” behind an organization’s mission and impact. Extensive grant writing experience is required; experience in marketing and public relations is a plus.
• A thoughtful relationship builder who develops rapport easily and fosters long-term connections. You have a warm, energetic, and authentic personality that translates to building lasting relationships both internally and externally. You are a deep and attentive listener and can  work with a variety of personalities.
• A tech-savvy and well-organized project manager. You are experienced in leading multiple projects with concurrent deadlines. You are skilled at building processes and systems, and strategically use limited resources to create the biggest impact. You are proficient in donor relationship management and research programs and utilize technology to track people, resources, and programs.
• A flexible, resourceful, and willing team member. You thrive in a lean nonprofit setting with the ability to stay focused and nimble in the face of growth and change. You possess a “get it done” attitude, with the ability to drive innovation, solve problems, and maintain a high degree of flexibility and creativity in a dynamic environment.