Development Director or Senior Development Director

Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official party committee dedicated to electing Democrats to state legislatures. Since 2016, the DLCC and state partners have built eight new majorities and flipped seats from red to blue across the country – paving the way for progress. State legislatures pass the policies that most affect Americans’ day-to-day lives, and flipping chambers from red to blue has an outsized impact on governing and public policy.

Taking back power starts at the local level. The DLCC recruits, trains, and supports local Democrats running for their state legislatures. We provide our candidates with the resources, field support, and data necessary to run smart, winning campaigns. By gaining a foothold in state legislatures, Democrats can engage supporters across the country and prepare for victories in statewide and national elections.

We’re powered by more than 200,000 supporters from all 50 states. Over 98% of our contributions come from grassroots donors (giving an average of $29), who fuel thousands of local Democratic candidates across the country.

Building up Democratic majorities in the states is more important than ever. With right-wing radicals proliferating in state legislatures across the country and key issues like reproductive choice, LGBTQ+ equality, and voting rights being decided in the states, our democracy is on the line. We’re counting on our supporters to get educated, involved, and take action in their communities.

The DLCC compensates employees competitively and provides a very generous benefits package. We believe in work-life balance and understand that every employee has unique circumstances at home. We offer employees significant amounts of time off as well as flexible work options. We’re dedicated to treating one another with respect in the workplace and prioritize racial equity and inclusion (REI) in our work with one another as well as with our stakeholders.

Development Director/Senior Development Director

The Development Director/Senior Development Director is responsible for all aspects of the Major and Mid-Level Gifts fundraising for the DLCC, which includes high- and mid-level individual donors, foundations, and organizational giving. The Development Director/Senior Development Director reports to the Vice President, Finance and works closely with the President to be innovative, creative, risk-tolerant, and results-focused. The major gifts team raises funds ($1,000 and above) through personal solicitation and occasional events.

The DLCC is located in Washington, DC, and our office has taken on a hybrid model for staff effective January 2022. This position would ideally be based in the Eastern or Central time zones, though others may be considered.

The Development Director/Senior Development Director is expected to model the values of the DLCC:

• CREDIBILITY: We are respected and trusted in words and actions.
• INCLUSIVE: The DLCC values the unique experience and perspective of all who work here. We strive to make all contributors feel welcomed, valued, and respected. We focus on outcomes, recognizing different people approach opportunities and challenges differently.
• INITIATIVE: We exhibit high levels of creativity in our work and need all team members to proactively contribute ideas to move our work forward.
• RESULTS DRIVEN: Our team undertakes projects professionally and executes them fully and to completion.
• RISK: We identify opportunities to employ new ideas and tactics, and execute these ideas when we believe the potential reward outweighs the risk. We evaluate, learn, and improve our strategy, both when the risks pay off and when they do not.
• TEAMWORK: We work collaboratively, additively, and in sync with our colleagues. Our individual work considers the needs, capacity, and expertise of those we work alongside.

Responsibilities 

• Develop and manage the national major and mid-level gifts plan and programs, including a major and mid-level gifts fundraising plan, collateral, and call time plan.
• Managing external fundraising consultants.
• Manage in-house major gifts staff with the authority to delegate mid-level gifts.
• Build and maintain relationships with donors and external partners.
• Set and achieve major gift fundraising goals and implement the fundraising plan, project revenue, and budget for expenses.
• Manage major and mid-level donor prospecting and research efforts.
• Implement a systematic plan for follow-up and donor cultivation.
• Develop and manage the role of the DLCC Board of Directors, other state legislators, and surrogates in major gifts fundraising as needed.
• Advise Vice President, Finance on organizational priorities, including Board of Directors recruitment, organizational goals, and departmental staffing needs.

Team Management

• Supervised employees: Associate Director of Major Gifts, Associate Director of Mid-Level Gifts, and Call Time Assistant.
• Ensure cross-departmental information necessary for direct reports to meet objectives is shared and understood. 
• Regularly attend training and pursue continued education in supervision skills.
• Uphold DLCC expectations for supervisors.
• Act with integrity and awareness of one’s power as a leader.
• Maintain a harassment-free and inclusive workplace for team members.
• Cultivate and guide the professional growth of the team by establishing and maintaining thoughtful opportunities to learn, grow, and receive constructive feedback.
• Ensure work is aligned and prioritized based on DLCC’s organizational strategy, coordinated-side political strategy, and priorities within a given state, chamber, and/or target.

Additional Responsibilities for Senior Development Director

• Represent the DLCC externally at conferences and events.
• Advise Vice President on DLCC communications and messaging as they relate to fundraising.
• Provide departmental leadership in the absence of the Vice President.

Outcomes

• DLCC’s major gifts program grows, increasing the number of donors in the program and the overall revenue raised. 
• DLCC’s major gift donors are actively engaged through emails, calls, and meetings.  
• Direct reports are efficiently managed and well mentored in career.
• Staff perform to a high standard, continuously improve, and have high
• satisfaction levels.

Qualifications for Development Director

• Minimum six years of experience in fundraising and development for political or advocacy goals, including Democratic political campaigns and/or organizations with an advocacy mission.
• Proven success in identifying new major donor prospects and cultivating, maintaining, and expanding an organization's relationships with major donors.
• Communicate effectively in both writing and verbally.
• Experience managing both staff and consultants.
• Entrepreneurial, adaptable, and both innovative and risk-taking approach to program development and strategic planning.
• Experience in a highly collaborative environment and ability to work collaboratively across departments.
• High energy, results-focused, and a passion for the mission of the DLCC.

Qualifications for Senior Development Director

• Minimum eight years of experience in fundraising and development for political or advocacy goals, including Democratic political campaigns and/or organizations with an advocacy mission.
• Proven success in identifying new major donor prospects and cultivating, maintaining, and expanding an organization's relationships with major donors.
• Communicate effectively in both writing and verbally.
• Experience managing both staff and consultants.
• Entrepreneurial, adaptable, and both innovative and risk-taking approach to program development and strategic planning.
• Experience in a highly collaborative environment and ability to work collaboratively across departments.
• High energy, results-focused, and a passion for the mission of the DLCC.

Physical Requirements

The DLCC is committed to supporting employees of varying abilities and to providing reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to thrive at the DLCC. 

The requirements of this role, related to its physical demands, described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. 

All DLCC employees must be able to operate a computer and use a cell phone. For roles at the DLCC that include frequent business travel expectations, we can discuss reasonable alternatives to travel in some instances. Most roles also require communicating with key external stakeholders of the organization in person, via the telephone, or via email. Applicants with questions about accommodations may request to speak with our ADA liaison, John Skic.

Essential functions of the role include:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to communicate using the telephone, email, and in person with stakeholders. 
• This position requires the employee to travel to donor meetings up to 30% of the time to attend events, meetings, and conferences offsite, hosted by key collaborators in a variety of physical settings. 

How to Apply

The salary for the Development Director position is $125,000-$140,000, and the salary for the Senior Development Director is $140,000-$165,000 on an annualized basis, commensurate with experience and qualifications. The DLCC offers a generous benefits package, including:

• More than 25 days of paid time off, including for Federal holidays, time off around Federal holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year, vacation, sick, and personal days.
• Fully paid health/vision/dental insurance for the employee + spouse/partner + dependents.
• Up to 6% retirement employer contribution.
• Employer contribution of $500 to employee’s Flexible Spending Account and opportunity to withhold pre-tax income for Dependent Care Account.
• Up to $5,000 employer-paid Health Reimbursement Account for IVF-related costs or Adoption Assistance, and up to $2,500 for employer-paid Health Reimbursement Account for out-of-pocket dental and orthodontic expenses. 
• Monthly $100 student loan payment benefit.
• Monthly $100 mobile phone reimbursement.
• Monthly $50 supplies reimbursement. 
• and more. 

To apply for this position, please complete an electronic application at https://www.dlcc.org/careers by November 30, 2022. The DLCC may review applications after this deadline in limited circumstances, but this is not a guarantee that your application will be considered if it is not submitted by November 30, 2022. Only complete applications through the application portal will be accepted. You must also include a resume, cover letter, and three professional references to be considered for this position. When an applicant with a disability needs accommodation to have an equal opportunity to compete for this position, they may request it in writing by emailing jobs(at)dlcc.org. No calls, please. Applicants will be screened on a rolling basis.

The DLCC is committed to an inclusive and equitable environment and diversity among its staff and recognizes that its continued success requires the highest commitment to obtaining and retaining a diverse staff that provides the best quality services to supporters and constituents. The DLCC is an equal opportunity employer, and it is our policy to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer any and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, personal appearance, marital status, family responsibilities, genetic information, or any other legally protected basis. The DLCC will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination, and any such conduct is strictly prohibited.