Senior Vice President for Development

Department: Development

Position classification: Exempt, full-time

Summary

The Senior Vice President for Development is the chief development officer for American Progress. This position reports to the President of American Progress and is responsible for leading all aspects of the development for the organization. The SVP is an integral part of the organization’s senior leadership and management team that sets priorities and strategies to advance the organization’s mission and objectives. The SVP is directly responsible for aligning American Progress’s mission and goals with fundraising strategies. The SVP is responsible for the strategic planning, design, implementation, and management of a comprehensive development program.

Principal responsibilities include:

• Leading a team of development professionals who are accountable to annual fundraising goals.
• Staffing, overseeing, and guiding development operations and activities including major gift solicitation and management.
• Formulating plans, directing and overseeing the management and implementation of the master development plan, and establishing and describing immediate and long-term goals and strategy.
• Managing relationships with significant donors to the organization, including institutions.
• Developing new support for the institution.
• Developing strategic cultivation plans for approaching corporation, foundation, and individual donors including negotiating terms of support and appropriate stewardship plans.
• Defining outreach strategies necessary to maintain existing donors and prospect new ones.
• Representing the organization with external constituencies.
• Developing agenda and actions for organization’s major gifts, direct mail fundraising, special events, and donor acknowledgement and recognition.
• Overseeing, planning, and executing an annual fundraising event.
• Advising American Progress staff of appropriate funding sources and the best manner of approaching them, and coordinating efforts with staff and the development office to centralize fundraising.
• Working with staff to develop marketing materials and products to communicate with existing supporters and cultivate new donors.
• Developing and monitoring annual operational budgets for development operations.
• Helping to build systems that can generate accurate reports to the boards and senior management regarding the progress made against fundraising goals.
• Interacting seamlessly with the organization’s financial reporting systems through regular coordination with Finance and Administration.

Qualifications and requirements:

• At least 10 years of successful senior-level experience in directing or managing a fundraising program for a large, highly visible nonprofit organization.
• Demonstrated track record of successful leadership in developing individual, foundation, and corporate gifts.
• Experience developing annual individual giving initiatives, major gift, special events and corporate sponsorship, and resource development information systems.
• Knowledge and experience to develop a strategic communications plan that educates key stakeholders and the public and enhances the visibility of American Progress.
• A strong balance of strategic thinking, management skills, and pragmatic execution.
• Ability to work in a collaborative and entrepreneurial environment.
• Ability to balance multiple and competing priorities.
• An understanding of complex organizational structures.
• Superb oral and written communications skills that are effective across a variety of constituencies, including media, donors, the public, senior management, and board members.
• Ability to coach and train people of diverse backgrounds and experience levels.
• Ability to travel approximately 20 percent to 40 percent of the time.
• Demonstrated management skills.
• Knowledge of progressive funding community.
• 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) fundraising experience preferred.
• Experience in board management.
• Commitment to American Progress’s mission.

Additional Information

American Progress operates two separate nonprofit organizations to maximize our progressive agenda: The Center for American Progress and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name “American Progress.” The Center for American Progress is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) tax-exempt research and educational institute. It undertakes research, public education and a limited amount of lobbying. The Center for American Progress Action Fund is a non-partisan 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization dedicated to achieving progress through action. It works to transform progressive ideas into policy through rapid response communications, legislative action, grassroots organizing, political advocacy and partnerships with other progressive leaders. The organizations share office space and employees.

American Progress is an equal opportunity employer; women, minorities, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

For more information on the Center for American Progress, please go to www.americanprogress.org.

For more information on the Center for American Progress Action Fund, please go to www.americanprogressaaction.org.

To apply, simply e-mail your Word resume and cover letter attachments to: jobs@americanprogress.org.

Or you may write to:
Center for American Progress
1333 H Street, NW, 10th Floor – Development Search
Washington, DC 20005

In your correspondence, please reference the exact title of the job you are applying for in the subject line. This announcement will remain posted until the position is filled. No phone calls please.

Please note that only those individuals whose qualifications match the current needs of this position will be considered applicants and will receive responses from American Progress.

Thank you for your interest in American Progress.