Managing Director of Development
How To Apply
Please send a resume and cover letter to apply@rdi.org. In the subject line, please write “Managing Director of Development” followed by your full name.
The Renew Democracy Initiative is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
About Us
The Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI) is dedicated to pulling American democracy back from the brink and restoring its place as a beacon for global freedom. Led by a diverse, cross-partisan group of leaders, including former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Bob Kerrey, and Pulitzer Prize winners Anne Applebaum and Bret Stephens, we are committed to combating the threats of radicalism. With autocratic movements growing in strength around the globe, we must make a stand in defense of liberal democracy in the US. American leadership is paramount to guiding the free world through its current political, economic, and health crises.
The Role
The Managing Director of Development will be responsible for identifying, engaging, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding current and prospective donors to meet annual revenue targets. We’re at a unique inflection point and need someone who can come on board, ramp up quickly and begin leveraging our incredible network to fundraise. This person would also have the opportunity to build a process-driven, robust development program. This includes building out & managing the CRM, donation processing, and generally making sure that our development program runs smoothly. The Managing Director of Development will also serve as the main point of contact for a number of donors to help deepen their relationship and increase their support for RDI. You will have a particular focus on pipeline development, relationship management, case for support development, proposal writing and submission, shepherding RDI through the RFP process, and including members of the Board of Directors in philanthropy activities as appropriate.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Builds and maintains RDI’s development processes to ensure the best possible experience for donors;
- Ensures that all gifts from donors are received, recorded, acknowledged, and stewarded in accordance with RDI policies and procedures. This may involve auditing & improving these policies and procedures;
- Manages a portfolio of current and prospective donors, with a 7-figure annual fundraising goal including both renewed gifts and new incremental revenue;
- Implements programs and collateral to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors targeted at the $10,000 level or higher;
- Drafts correspondence, conducts research, finalizes solicitation materials, and implements donor cultivation and stewardship activities;
- Eventually, builds out a small-dollar donor program.
Position Requirements
- Demonstrated passion for RDI’s mission;
- Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience) required along with a minimum 7-9 years of development experience;
- Demonstrated track record of successfully cultivating and securing gifts of $10,000 or more from individuals and $100,000 or more from Foundations/Corporations;
- Experience with donor database management and implementation of development systems
- Ability to craft compelling, understandable proposals and targeted, meaningful acknowledgments;
- Able to think strategically and maintain focus while working on many different projects with donors from a diverse array of political, cultural, and geographic backgrounds;
- Spreadsheet and analytic proficiency
Logistics & Benefits
- We offer generous benefits, paid time off, and unique opportunities for ongoing professional development
- Salary ranging from 110-150,000/year dependent on qualifications & experience
- Willing to be flexible on hours for the right candidate
- Ability to work remotely but NYC, DC, Philadelphia, or Boston preferred
- U.S. work authorization required