Development Director

Overview

81% of DSA’s income is membership dues and 0% foundation grants and we seek a Development Director to work with our National Director and elected National Political Committee to further strengthen our independence by driving our fundraising programs with an emphasis on monthly and annual recurring individual gifts. The Development Director reports to the National Director and will work closely with the senior management team. The Development Director will also provide development support to DSA Fund, our sister 501(c)(3) educational organization.

This is an excellent opportunity for experienced junior level fundraisers looking to expand their responsibilities and experience co-creating fundraising strategy, cultivating recurring donors, high-level donors, and engaging with a passionate and diverse group of supporters to carry out grassroots fundraising among members and maintain a financially independent and stable organization.

Responsibilities

·      Develop an integrated plan across the organization and coordinate staff and volunteers to meet annual objectives and set multi-year fundraising goals

·      Manage the fundraising calendar (direct response letters, digital, phone, events, face to face) in coordination with communications, organizing and other DSA staff

·      Build infrastructure for member to member fundraising and retention at the grassroots level

·      Manage monthly donor program (over 20,000 contributors), including conducting ongoing increase campaigns

·      Manage digital recruitment and email acquisition programs

·      Manage direct mail appeals for internal and external fundraising, including list exchange opportunities

·      Draft and edit fundraising appeals and supporting materials

·       Cultivate and steward the existing donor portfolio for 1:1 solicitations, focused on individual and planned gifts

·      Support board of directors (for 501c3) in moves management and individual major donor fundraising

·      Assess and prioritize current fundraising strategies to increase pipeline of mid-level and major donors

·       Manage vendors, including our digital fundraising consultant, mail house, printer, and phone bankers

·       Work with Data and Tech team on maximizing our database’s potential for timely relationship-management, tracking responses to ensure we hit engagement goals and recording call notes to track moves management

·       Other duties on an as needed basis

Requirements

·       Five to seven years of fundraising experience directly relevant to the responsibilities of the DoD position

·       At least one year of experience supervising at minimum one direct report staff person

·       Experience in developing and driving an individual donor program, alumni, membership or union dues program

·       Experience and comfort working with boards and other volunteers in a complex, multi-faceted organization

·       Experience managing high level volunteers, including training volunteers to fundraise

·       Awareness of current trends in funding and sector-specific opportunities

·       Outstanding written and verbal communication skills for a variety of constituencies and ability to communicate enthusiasm for DSA’s vision of a better world while using active listening to demonstrate understanding of diverse interests

·       Strategic big-picture thinker with attention to detail

·       Excellent project management and multi-tasking skills and an orientation towards problem-solving

·       Demonstrated skill in building, coordinating, and being part of teams

·       Understanding of membership-based organizations and comfort working with members

·       Confidence working with relationship-management databases and making data based decisions

·       Comfort with ambiguity, change, and conflict

·       A firm grasp of the political environment in which DSA operates and a demonstrated commitment to building socialism in our time

This full-time position will likely be based in New York City, but candidates for remote work will be considered.

Work Schedule: Full-time. Work hours will fluctuate according to campaign needs and members’ availability.

Application Deadline: Apply as soon as possible, as interviews begin immediately.

Salary is commensurate with experience, between $60,000 to $75,000.

We offer employer paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their spouse/partner and/or dependent children, and three weeks of vacation in the first year of employment.

To apply, please click here.

No phone calls or recruiters, please.

Democratic Socialists of America is an equal opportunity employer and committed to a staff that reflects the working class. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, DREAMers, as well as members of the LGBTQ communities.