Free the Slaves: Development Director

From Idealist:

Free the Slaves: Development Director

Education: Bachelor (BA, BS, etc.)
Location: Washington, District of Columbia, 20036, United States
Posted by: Free the Slaves
Job Category: Fundraising & Development
Sector: Nonprofit
Last day to apply: November 2, 2010
Last updated: September 3, 2010
Type: Full time
Language(s): English
Job posted on: September 3, 2010
Area of Focus: Economic Development, Foundations, Fundraising, and Philanthropy, Human Rights and Civil Liberties

Description:
Free the Slaves is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to ending modern slavery worldwide. Founded in 2000, Free the Slaves is a dynamic, fast-growing organization that has its headquarters in Washington, DC and satellite offices in Los Angeles, Delhi, Accra and Kathmandu. It has programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Brazil, Ghana, Haiti, India, Nepal, Sudan and Uganda in addition to its work in the United States. Free the Slaves is regularly sought after by governments, civil society organizations, and national and international media to lend its expertise. The organization’s revenue has grown an average of about 40% each year over the past five years.

Free the Slaves is currently seeking a strong, creative leader to serve in the role of Development Director to lead all aspects of the development / fundraising function and take advantage of expanding opportunities. This position is ideal for an experienced development professional seeking to make a significant difference in an entrepreneurial organization. The Development Director will be able to see the tangible effect of their efforts through individuals being freed from slavery and systems being dismantled that allow slavery to exist.

In partnership with the CEO and Development Team—including the Major Gifts Director, the Development Associate and a cadre of organizational leaders and volunteers who are enthusiastic about raising funds—the Development Director will develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan which may include major gifts, annual fund, on-line fundraising, foundations, government grants, special events, product sales and other components.

The Development Director will report to the CEO and will lead and manage the Development team. He or she will also work closely with the Executive Producer/Communications Director and the Communications team to integrate consistent fundraising messaging throughout the organization’s external communications. This position will be based in the DC headquarters of Free the Slaves. Flexible scheduling is possible. Domestic and some limited international travel will be required.

Responsibilities:
- Collaborating with Development Team, build and implement a comprehensive multi-year development plan including major gifts, annual fund, online fundraising, foundations, government grants, product sales and other components
- Lead and manage Development team of staff, organizational leaders and volunteers
- Serve as a key representative of the organization
- Manage relationships with institutional donors and work closely with the Major Gifts Director to manage relationships with major individual donors
- Design and write grant proposals and reports, working closely with other staff
- Manage fundraising aspects of special events
- Keep abreast of all programmatic initiatives to effectively communicate them verbally and in writing to a wide variety of constituents

Requirements:
• Demonstrated experience in identifying the uniqueness of an organization and its culture and creating a fundraising program tailored to that organization
• Is inspired by the challenge of working in a fast-growing organization
• Strong ethical background that values long-term relationships with donors
• Ability to successfully initiate and cultivate relationships with a wide variety of constituents in a number of geographical regions and cultures
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant development experience, including at least 3 years of experience in writing grant proposals and reports
• Demonstrated success in designing and executing successful fundraising strategies
• Experience managing a team of people, staff and volunteers, from a variety backgrounds
• Passion for ending slavery
• Experience in fundraising internationally a plus
• Enthusiasm for base-building, especially incorporating internet and social media strategies into development activities
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills
• Strong computer skills; experience with Raiser’s Edge a plus
• Ability to work in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment while maintaining a sense of humor
• Bachelor’s Degree, or equivalent experience

Benefits:
In order to attract and retain professionals at the top of their fields, Free the Slaves provides a generous compensation package, including competitive salaries, vacation, personal time and employer-paid health insurance for employees.
How to Apply:
Applicants should send a cover letter, resume and two writing samples (preferably fundraising-related, each under 3pp) to careers@freetheslaves.net with ‘Development Director Search’ in the subject line.

Free the Slaves is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer committed to workplace diversity.