Individual Giving Officer

The Opportunity

The ACLU of Northern California (ACLU NorCal) seeks an Individual Giving Officer to join our 15-person development department. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a team that is mobilizing resources to advance the work of ACLU NorCal and build stronger social justice movements regionally and nationwide.

The Individual Giving Officer is supervised by the Deputy Director of Development overseeing the Major and Leadership Gifts Unit.

This position is based in the San Francisco office. This full-time position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, working from their ACLU NorCal home office a minimum of one day per week and telecommuting for the remainder of the work week. Travel to in-person donor visits to the extent possible, and within COVID safety precautions, is required.  

The Approach

Our work is guided by the principles of freedom, equality, and justice enumerated in the Constitution. However, we know that because of historic and systemic racism and other forms of oppression, these principles are not equitably applied to all. In an ideal world, everyone would have equal access to justice and equal protection under the law. Unfortunately, neither our world nor our country is ideal. Our work involves hard subject matters that can be emotionally draining.  As a mission driven organization, we strive to make the world a better place, but recognize the road is long and hard. At the same time, we understand the importance of self-care, and do our best to reflect that in our practices and values.

The Position

The Individual Giving Officer (IGO) is responsible for deepening relationships with a small portfolio of existing donors and qualifying new prospects to build a full portfolio. The IGO will participate in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding annual, special, and planned gifts from donors/prospects in the portfolio. A significant amount of the IGO’s time will be spent in direct interaction with donors, both in and out of the office, providing opportunities for donors to advance justice through their giving to the ACLU. In furtherance of the development department’s equity goals and commitments, the IGO also uses their unique position to support donors’ political journeys through donor education and by connecting donors to action opportunities within and beyond ACLU.

This position is represented by IFPTE Local 20.

About the Organization

The ACLU of Northern California is an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, a nationwide, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the defense and expansion of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of Northern California (ACLU NorCal) is comprised of two distinct corporations, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California (the “Foundation”, a 501c3) and the ACLU of Northern California (the “Union”, a 501c4). The incumbent is a joint employee of both corporations. For most of the last century, ACLU Nor Cal has been part of many of the most major – and sometimes controversial – struggles for civil liberties and civil rights in our state.

Our mission is to ensure that constitutional rights don’t just exist on paper but are protected in practice. As we move into a new era, we face dangerous policies that threaten our civil rights and civil liberties, we must use our decades of experience in impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and fearless organizing to fight these policies and protect our most cherished rights and freedoms. At the same time, ACLU NorCal is committed to advancing proactive and positive change to transform laws and institutions to advance our values. We are committed to fostering an anti-racist work culture and to anti-racist principles and learning.

COVID-19 Prevention

The ACLU NorCal physical offices are open. Vaccination against COVID-19 is required as a condition of employment unless an exemption is requested and approved. Masking is required for in-person work at this time.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Build and manage a portfolio of 100-125 major donors ($10K+), requiring direct donor engagement for qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Develop and implement engagement strategies including, but not limited to, telephone outreach, email/mail outreach, personal visits, and small group activities.
• Develop solicitation goals, cultivation strategies, and stewardship plans in a way that donors are respected, retained, and inspired to increase their support.
• Ensure electronic donor records are current in the development database, including tracking of moves for those within the major gifts portfolio
• Work with the Deputy Director of Development and other ACLU NorCal development staff, as well as colleagues at the national ACLU, to develop a pipeline of renewal and upgrade prospects, and to facilitate the flow of donors between giving programs.
• Prepare for and participate in Major and Leadership Gifts unit, Staff Portfolio Management, Development Department, and other team meetings and activities; collaborate with ACLU National development staff; participate in and consult on donor cultivation and stewardship events and communications.
• Other duties as assigned to advance the ACLU mission.

Qualifications:

Education / Experience:

A minimum of 2 years of experience with development programs, including experience with individual giving campaigns and direct responsibility for donor relationship development.

We welcome you to include any other relevant or lived experience you are comfortable sharing in your cover letter or an additional attachment.

Required Skills / Competencies:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to represent the organization and its work to donors as well as interface with a rich diversity of donors, volunteers, and staff while maintaining tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality.
• Ability to understand and follow many different areas of civil rights and civil liberties work, and to describe many different areas of work in a way that is concise, compelling, and easy to understand for donors and prospective donors.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, stay organized, and complete work under deadlines.
• Ability to work as a team member as well as independently.
• A commitment to a workplace that values and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstances; ability (or desire to learn how) to contribute to the ongoing work to build and sustain an anti-racist work culture.
• Passionate about social justice, the work of the ACLU, and the movements of which the organization is a part.
• Must be available for travel for donor visits within Northern California.

Preferred Skills/Competencies:

• Demonstrated experience developing relationships with an organization's constituents that resulted in deeper engagement over time (e.g., as evidenced by renewed and increased financial support, volunteerism, and other indicators of investment in the organization and its mission)
• Understanding of community-centric fundraising principles

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency with office technology and information systems (including Word, Excel, and Outlook) and donor databases, preferably Salesforce.

A Note to Potential Candidates: We recognize that potential candidates with identities that have been historically excluded from the fundraising field may be less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every one of the qualifications as described in the job description. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.

Total Compensation

We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse workforce through equity initiatives, which includes equitable pay practices. Competitive compensation is commensurate with experience. Starting salary range for this position is $ 85,617.90 - $99,887.55 annually.

We understand how vital our work is and at the same time understand the toll engaged activism can take. Our goal is to retain staff and we believe that having a robust benefit offering is vital in meeting that goal. Our benefits include four weeks paid vacation in addition to 14 office holidays; fully employer-paid medical, vision, and dental insurance for staff members, their dependents, and spouse or domestic partner; life and long-term disability insurance; and 401(k) plan with employer match. We have a robust Employee Assistance Program and emerging Employee Resource Groups.

To Apply

Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we will be evaluating applications on a rolling basis.  Applications must include:

• a resume
• a brief cover letter that includes:
  • an example from your past work experience that illustrates the specific skills and knowledge that you would bring to this role;
  • how you would contribute to the work culture of a team with diverse life experiences;
  • at least one other specific way you would be an excellent addition to the ACLU NorCal development department
  • a list of three references.
  • Applicants concurrently applying to any other position with the ACLU should state what other position they are applying for.

Please submit your application online at: Job Application for Individual Giving Officer at ACLU of Northern California (greenhouse.io)

For selected candidates, we anticipate the full hiring process including:

• Screening call with Human Resources Staff (no more than 30 mins)
• Video interview with the Hiring Manager (no more than 30 mins)
• Request for time-limited, take-home skills assessment or work sample from existing portfolio
• Video interview with Hiring Manager and select staff (no more than one hour)
• Reference checks and offer

The ACLU NorCal is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail hr@aclunc.org.  If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process. 

The ACLU of Northern California advances equity and inclusion in the workplace by providing equal employment opportunity to support a work environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (over 40), sexual orientation, military and veteran status, and any other basis prohibited by law. The organization also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. This equal employment opportunity policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, advancement, training, problem resolution, and separation from employment. Through this policy, the ACLU NorCal strives to establish and maintain an equitable and accessible work environment that is free from discrimination and supportive of a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of our communities and the people we serve.  ACLU NorCal will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).