Director of Developement

Creative Commons is seeking a Director of Development to lead its fundraising strategy and development work on behalf of the organization. We are at the start of our 20th Anniversary Capital Campaign, laying the foundations for the next five years of our work.

As Director of Development, you will work in all three areas of individual, corporate, and grant funding, and have a role to play in organizing donor events and contributing to our campaign-related communications plans. You will be responsible for securing the resources and developing the external relationships necessary to help CC achieve our 2021-2025 strategy, and fulfil our vision of a world where knowledge and culture are equitably shared in ways that serve the public interest.  

The Director of Development will work closely with senior staff, program leads, board members and finance staff to develop and execute plans to fund existing programs, find new and innovative funding sources for new program areas, build sustainable funding for general operations, and build the organization’s long-term financial security

There’s a lot to do — we seek someone who is undaunted by the challenge, who wants to help build and shape a team of driven development colleagues, and who can set strategy as well as dig in and implement it. This role is equal parts planning and doing. Your work will focus on CC’s 20th Anniversary, as well as individual and corporate donations, including sponsorship for our annual CC Summit, and provide a supporting role in seeking grant partnerships and overseeing small dollar donations. 

Responsibilities will include:

Continuing CC’s cultivation, retention, and growth of a sustained base of individual donors Building and maintaining relationships with donors, funders, partners, and other key stakeholders, increasing profile and reputation of the organization. Leading donor identification, acquisition and relationship management efforts, supported by other fundraising staff

• Developing and maintaining a fundraising pipeline with quarterly and annual targets, reporting to the CEO and to the Board for performance against targets.

Tracking progress  and analysis on fundraising initiatives to secure maximum impact for time vested. Working closely with the Director of Finance on budgeting and forecasting revenue based on income generation pipeline Developing and executing CC’s annual fundraising plan, aligned to overall strategy. Leading the work of the 20th Anniversary Capital Campaign and support the established Committee for this purpose Securing corporate gifts and sponsorship for CC Global Summit and other events, ensuring they are cost neutral on organization cash flow Supporting the CEO, program staff, and Board’s relationships with key foundation, corporate, and individual donors and prospects Proactively monitoring the funding landscape, seeking out potential donors suited to our current projects, and supporting program leads in identifying and pursuing these opportunities Working closely with program staff as it relates to program design: to articulate program impact, develop compelling materials, and provide support to team members working to secure new funding opportunities and preparing funding proposals

Managing and supporting members of the development team focused on foundation and institutional grant opportunities, and oversee a predictable small dollar revenue program Managing the fundraising database and systems, including CRM Developing and tracking reports on all aspects of fundraising, including reporting to the Board and development council as necessary

Goals and Targets 

Sustainability and diversification of revenue are our top priorities in development, with a focus on:

Our 20th Anniversary Capital Campaign, which is a comprehensive campaign with a goal of $15M running through May 2022 Annual fundraising, including drawing additional and sustained funding to priority programs like Open GLAM, Open Education Supporting our community with funding for CC’s Global Network and our annual event, the CC Global Summit Developing funding opportunities for new program areas

We have set revenue targets for 2021-2022, and need a strategic partner and skilled director for our organization to achieve them. CC’s annual expenditures are ~$4M USD, but our goal is not just to meet our annual targets, but to think creatively about how to achieve organizational sustainability over the next 5 years.

The successful candidate will show their experience, backed by results, in meeting similar targets, and outline a plan for how they will use their skills and experience to realize this goal, and set targets to meet the organization’s needs.

Qualifications 

We are seeking an accomplished and organized senior professional who can attract, cultivate and manage support for this leading organization that works with communities and partners across the globe.

As the successful candidate, you are someone with a passion for fundraising. This is your profession. Your friends and colleagues describe you as a “doer”. You have:

Experience in the US philanthropy context. This is a must Meaningful nonprofit development experience in a similar role A proven track record of institutional, corporate, and individual fundraising Experience with high-end special events You can close, and you have the numbers to back it up — dollars raised, conversion, retention, etc. (note: please include these in your application) A gift for strategic writing. You can write letters, e-mails, tweets, and subject lines that deliver results and make people act Skills in both online and offline fundraising best practices, and new approaches The ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders A strong network in the government and nonprofit sectors Comfort and ability to present at senior levels — to major donors, foundation staff, board members, and partners A good sense of judgment and diplomacy The ability to work independently and collaboratively with program leads and other staff to drive proposals and projects to successful conclusion An ability to respond flexibly to incoming requests and assignments A familiarity with fundraising/donation/donor management technology (we use Salesforce, Classy, Mailchimp, and Asana) An interest in open knowledge, copyright, innovation and creativity on the Web, and an awareness of the technical and legal challenges associated with copyright and IP The ability to take a mission that is partly or wholly unseen and translate it into donor facing materials that inspire generosity

Other Experience

We are a small team with big ambitions. While not necessary for this role, if you have experience in the following areas, we encourage you to share this with us in your application:

Experience with developing externally facing materials and fundraising communications Experience with donor special events Experience with building revenue generating activities outside of fundraising, such as merchandising, training, workshops, consulting services, etc.

Diversity

We believe that diverse teams build better organizations and better services. Applications from qualified candidates from all backgrounds, including those from under-represented communities, are very welcome. Creative Commons works openly as part of a global community, guided by collaboratively developed codes of conduct and anti-harassment policies.

Work Environment and Location

Creative Commons has been a fully-distributed organization since 2015— we have no central office. This position is in a remote working environment and you can be anywhere in the world as long as you’re available for meetings between 13:00 to 17:00 UTC. You must have reasonable mobility for necessary travel (when travel is permitted), and high-speed broadband access. A laptop and peripherals are supplied.

Salary and Benefits

Creative Commons is a leading non-profit employer. We offer fair, competitive salaries. The salary range for this position is $110,000-$125,000 USD, and we look at factors like your experience to determine our offer, which comes with a comprehensive benefits package, including health and wellness plans, annual retirement contributions, and a positive, supportive work environment.

How to Apply

Please email your cover letter and resume as a single PDF to “jobs@creativecommons.org” with the subject heading of “Director of Development / [Last Name].” No phone calls or emails to other staff, please. No recruiters.