Career Opportunity
Director of Major Gifts [DEVF-40]
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
Development Department

OVERVIEW
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the nation's premier public interest organization devoted to the defense of the Bill of Rights, seeks a full-time Director of Major Gifts for its Development Department in New York City. Since its founding in 1920, the nonprofit, nonpartisan ACLU has grown from a small group of civil liberties activists to an organization of over 500,000 members and supporters, with offices in almost every state.

Based in New York City, the ACLU has 53-staffed affiliates in major cities and a legislative office in Washington, D.C. The ACLU Foundation (ACLUF) is the national tax-deductible, 501(c)(3) arm of the ACLU. Its combined annual budget is approximately $100 million. The ACLU is also in the public phase of a $335 million Campaign to raise funding for a massive expansion of the ACLU's presence at the local level, primarily the heartland.

The ACLU is experiencing historic growth in its fundraising programs. The bulk of the annual and Campaign budget is raised by contributions from individual members plus grants from foundations. The ACLU does not receive any government funding. Eighty percent of the budget directly supports litigation, legislation and public education programs. Fundraising costs average twelve percent of total expenses, and management and administration account for an additional 8 percent. This level of efficiency consistently ranks the ACLU and ACLUF among the nation's best-run charitable organizations, with high approval ratings from industry watchdog groups.

The national office of the American Civil Liberties Union is managed by a staff of nearly 400, including more than 50 development staff.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the Deputy Director of Development, the Director of Major Gifts will be responsible for managing the organization's annual and special Campaign giving of its top individual donors. The Director of Major Gifts will assume the leadership, management, and coordination for the national office's major gifts ($10,000 and greater) as well as principal gifts fundraising efforts (donors and prospects at $100,000 to $1 million and greater.) The Director of Major Gifts works in partnership with the ACLU's affiliates and will manage a dedicated and professional staff of seven.

• Creating and implementing short and long-term strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward individual major donor prospects and donors for annual and special campaign gifts
• Developing an annual business plan - strategic and tactical for the department
• Maintaining fundraising schedules and objectives; ensure that plans are implemented, goals achieved, timely reports generated and information shared; ensure that fundraising is done in the most efficient and cost-effective way
• Utilizing the organization's databases and tracking systems to ensure appropriate donor stewardship and to track, evaluate and report performance.
• Motivating and directing a professional and dedicated staff.
• Hiring for senior positions which will be involved in face-to-face solicitation for principal gifts nationwide; solicit top donors and prospects in conjunction with ACLU affiliates as appropriate; recruit, assign, and support volunteers and coordinate their activities.
• Developing and directing top donor stewardship efforts, including individual donor correspondence and contact; cultivation events; and regular broader communications with major donors.
• Collaborating with the Director of Special Gifts and the Director of Foundation Relations and Donor Communications to ensure that donors are kept well-informed via written and online communications.
• Collaborate with the Planned Giving Department on the coordination of events for top donors and prospects nation-wide.
• Collaborating with other department heads and their staffs to enhance fundraising efforts.

• Bachelor's degree required, and at least eight years of proven experience managing a complex fundraising program in a sophisticated institution or organization with a reputation for quality and excellence
• A strategic thinker, capable of developing and implementing a short and long-term plan for significantly growing income from individuals at the major gift level
• Extensive major gifts expertise; a successful track record of personally identifying, cultivating and soliciting major individual donors for annual and campaign gifts
• A track record as an effective communicator; highly skilled in writing and speaking; adept at crafting proposals, donor correspondence and other kinds of materials
• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage and inspire staff; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to demonstrate grace under pressure
• A team builder, confident and competent, with strong skills in management and leadership; must understand the subtleties of motivating and directing a diverse group of personalities with different work styles
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with and quickly gain the respect and support of various constituencies, including board members and other lay leaders, staff members, potential donors, and foundation and business leaders
• The experience, self-confidence and sophistication to work with a diverse community of ACLU staff, lay leadership and donor base of local and national community and business leaders
• A strategist and visionary who is adept at planning, prioritizing, organizing and following through.
• Outgoing, straightforward and self-possessed; one who shares information readily, listens as well as gives advice and respects the abilities of others; diplomatic
• Decisive, strong and resourceful with the ability to anticipate and act on events and opportunities which may advance the ACLU locally, regionally, and nationally
• Energetic and willing to work hands-on in developing and executing a variety of fundraising activities ranging from the day-to-day to the highly creative and visible; highly organized with exceptional attention to detail
• A catalyst with vision who can create excitement and energy around the ACLU's programs and encourage others to support the organization; persuasive, persistent, and determined in the pursuit of the organization's fundraising goals
• Computer savvy, with experience with donor database management and systems to administer a major gifts program
• Experience in a national organization with an affiliate or chapter structure is desirable
• Willingness to travel as needed
• Committed to and enthusiastic about the mission and programs of ACLU, with a broad appreciation for and a sensitivity to the culture and traditions of the institution

COMPENSATION
The ACLU offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within parameters of the ACLU compensation scale.

HOW TO APPLY
If you are a proactive and resourceful team player with a passion for public interest issues, please send a cover letter (with salary requirements), and resume and writing sample by email to sashton@aclu.org and CC hrjobs@aclu.org Reference [DEVF-40/WACLU] in subject line – or by mail to:

Human Resources
RE: [DEVF-40/WACLU]
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, which will not be before October 6, 2008. Please indicate where you learned of this job posting.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.