Vice President of Development Department: Council For A Strong America (CSA) Location: Washington, DC APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS Please email your resume in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt, .rtf, .html, or .ascii format to the address below. If you wish to enclose a cover letter, please include it in the body of your email message. Email Your Resume or Apply With LinkedIn The Opportunity Council for a Strong America seeks a highly-skilled Vice President of Development to lead a talented fundraising team. Reporting to the President, serving on the organization's executive team, and working closely with the Board of Directors, the Vice President of Development will be responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to secure and diversify financial support for the organization. The organization's advocacy work at the federal and state levels is now primarily supported by private foundations. Council for a Strong America seeks to broaden its donor base to include more individuals, corporations, and corporate foundations grants to sustain and grow its work. Specific responsibilities include: Fundraising Strategy * Oversee a fundraising program that currently raises $10M in annual revenue while establishing ambitious but achievable growth goals and meeting annual and long-term revenue projections. * Develop and execute strategic plans to expand and diversify the organization's funder base, with an emphasis on unrestricted funds. * Serve as the chief fundraising advisor and partner to CSA's President, offering expert guidance that effectively combines best practices, customization, and innovation. * Direct all pipeline development and portfolio management activities, including identifying opportunities and prospecting, implementing targeted strategies for each opportunity, and soliciting and stewarding donors. * Help shape the creation of external materials created primarily for use with donors and prospects and the development of all written reports to funders, ensuring they are compelling, accurate, and timely. * Prepare and monitor CSA's annual fundraising plan, budget, and revenue forecasts. Organizational Leadership * Provide leadership, direction, and management for the development team, strategically growing it from three to six staff members and fostering an environment of respect, accountability, productivity, and professional growth. * Create internal processes that foster the development team's efficiency and success. * Work in close collaboration with Council for a Strong America's Board of Directors and program staff on fundraising initiatives. * Provide accurate projections for budgetary and financial reports and monitor and report on performance against the plan and budget. * Represent CSA at meetings and speaking engagements as needed. The Candidate The ideal Vice President of Development will have a sophisticated understanding of opportunities and challenges related to fundraising for an advocacy organization and a demonstrated record of success communicating the unique ways that non-profit advocacy organizations shape and advance public policy. Background * At least 10 years of senior management experience, with extensive experience in foundation grants. * Experience in comprehensive fundraising for children's issues or programs; experience in an advocacy organization and/or advocacy campaigns is preferred. * Background in public policy, early childhood, education, nutrition, or youth issues is preferred. * Bachelor's Degree required; advanced degree preferred. Skills and Experience * Proven track record raising 5-, 6-, and 7- figure donations to support advocacy efforts. * Record of outreach to foundation and individual donors from across the political spectrum, consistent with CSA's bipartisan character and its prioritization of moderate-to-conservative audiences that other, similar advocacy organizations have difficulty reaching. * Significant experience identifying, cultivating relationships with, and soliciting new national and state donors, specifically foundations but also including individual, corporate, and government partners. * Expertise in principles of donor stewardship necessary to renew gifts and increase gift levels. * Knowledge of the principles of effective major giving programs and the ability to steer the design of a program that builds individual and corporate support. * Experience with one or more Council for a Strong America constituencies (law enforcement leaders, retired admirals and generals, business executives, pastors and ministry leaders, and prominent coaches and athletes). * Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively engage Board members and staff in the state and national offices. * Comfort with Macintosh computers, SalesForce, Gmail and G-Suite products, and Microsoft Office. * Ability and willingness to travel approximately 25 percent of the time. Leadership Style * Unfailing humility and an appreciation of its foundational role in collaboration, learning, and wise decision-making. * Proactively collaborative style, with a sincere appreciation for other perspectives and comfort participating forthrightly in shared decision-making processes. * Appetite for sophisticated analysis and creative problem-solving to take an organization to the next level. * Inspirational leadership style and strong management skills, including the ability to foster communication and growth on a development team with diverse levels of expertise. * Willingness to delegate and empower others and to positively challenge a team to solve problems and create solutions. * Optimistic belief in child advocacy and the desire to work tirelessly to put children's futures at the forefront of national policy. Apply through DRi's career page or send questions, resumes, and/or CVs to search@driconsulting.com. The ideal Vice President of Development will have a sophisticated understanding of opportunities and challenges related to fundraising for an advocacy organization and a demonstrated record of success communicating the unique ways that non-profit advocacy organizations shape and advance public policy., * At least 10 years of senior management experience, with extensive experience in foundation grants. * Experience in comprehensive fundraising for children's issues or programs; experience in an advocacy organization and/or advocacy campaigns is preferred. * Background in public policy, early childhood, education, nutrition, or youth issues is preferred. * Bachelor's Degree required; advanced degree preferred. Skills and Experience * Proven track record raising 5-, 6-, and 7- figure donations to support advocacy efforts. * Record of outreach to foundation and individual donors from across the political spectrum, consistent with CSA's bipartisan character and its prioritization of moderate-to-conservative audiences that other, similar advocacy organizations have difficulty reaching. * Significant experience identifying, cultivating relationships with, and soliciting new national and state donors, specifically foundations but also including individual, corporate, and government partners. * Expertise in principles of donor stewardship necessary to renew gifts and increase gift levels. * Knowledge of the principles of effective major giving programs and the ability to steer the design of a program that builds individual and corporate support. * Experience with one or more Council for a Strong America constituencies (law enforcement leaders, retired admirals and generals, business executives, pastors and ministry leaders, and prominent coaches and athletes). * Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively engage Board members and staff in the state and national offices. * Comfort with Macintosh computers, SalesForce, Gmail and G-Suite products, and Microsoft Office. * Ability and willingness to travel approximately 25 percent of the time. Leadership Style * Unfailing humility and an appreciation of its foundational role in collaboration, learning, and wise decision-making. * Proactively collaborative style, with a sincere appreciation for other perspectives and comfort participating forthrightly in shared decision-making processes. * Appetite for sophisticated analysis and creative problem-solving to take an organization to the next level. * Inspirational leadership style and strong management skills, including the ability to foster communication and growth on a development team with diverse levels of expertise. * Willingness to delegate and empower others and to positively challenge a team to solve problems and create solutions. * Optimistic belief in child advocacy and the desire to work tirelessly to put children's futures at the forefront of national policy. Please email your resume in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt, .rtf, .html, or .ascii format to the address below. If you wish to enclose a cover letter, please include it in the body of your email message., Apply through DRi's career page or send questions, resumes, and/or CVs to search@driconsulting.com.