Director of Philanthropy

Job Title: Director of Philanthropy
Location: Remote
Reports To: Executive Director

The Center for Election Science is a completely virtual 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers voters through voting methods that strengthen democracy. Our organization does research and works directly with communities to bring approval voting to cities and states across the country. We fundamentally improve the voting method in US elections so that we have the responsive government we deserve. We are a high-impact organization seeking talented employees to advance progress on this challenging mission.

As an essential member of the executive leadership team, the Director of Philanthropy will manage all fundraising activities and help shape the future strategy of the organization. This person reports to the Executive Director who will also be there for support for major gifts and key relationships.

Responsibilities as follows:

Management

• Manage contractor supporting donor relationships and grants (The contractor will be available for significant support).
• Identify and manage additional contractors as they arise.
• Prioritize automation and delegation wherever possible.

​Donor Portfolio Management

• Ensure prompt and appropriate stewardship of all 300+ donors
• Our expected fundraising for 2021 is over $450K in new donations, but we are positioned to potentially raise much more.
• Develop and manage relationship plans for key donors.
• Coordinate large direct asks with support from contractor and executive director.
• Maintain our donor database (we currently use Salsa but we are open to  changing this and the new Director of Philanthropy will guide this decision in 2021). 
• Support  board members in their personal fundraising (each has committed to a specific give/get for the year). Use wealth screening software to identify larger donors.
• Organize key donor profiles for the Executive Director.

Communications & Outreach

• Donor Communications
• Special Event Organization
• Create and manage bi-annual direct response fundraising campaigns and other smaller campaigns throughout the year.

Grants Portfolio Management

• Organize and identify potential grants
• Cultivate relationships with prospective funders
• Assist contractor in grant writing for the organization
• Write grant reports for acquired grants

Experience/Skills

• Has organized successful fundraising campaigns in the past.
• Has made successful large asks in the past (large is relative to each organization and we realize that. Please don’t avoid applying because you’re worried that your past org’s large asks aren’t relevant here).
• Has written successful grant proposals and reports.
• Feels comfortable working remotely and have experience with or be willing and able to learn new systems including Google Docs, Monday.com, fundraising CRMs, and email marketing platforms. General scientific literacy is strongly preferred.
• Ability to solve problems, prioritize, and minimize multi-tasking.
• Strong e-mail, verbal, and writing skills.

Salary & Benefits

• Starting salary is exactly $61,500; to promote equity, all directors receive the same salary
• Up to $5,250 individual or $10,600 family QSEHRA (maximum allowed) reimbursement for health, vision, and dental insurance and claims
• 401K with 9% employer contribution and immediate vesting [*after 1 year] 
• Unlimited PTO with 21 days annual minimum 
• $50K group term life insurance [*after 6 months] 
• Short and long-term disability insurance [*after 6 months]
• Annual continuing education allotment [*after 3 months] 
• $40/month reimbursement for phone
• $50/month reimbursement for high-speed internet 
• $1,500/year home office reimbursement
• Laptop and office supply allowance based on item type and tenure with company 
• Flexible hours
• Work remotely (always unless traveling at an event or meeting with a donor; we have no physical location)
• Integrated severance package [*starts at 3 months, caps at 1 year]
• Parental leave (6-weeks fully paid, then staggered for remaining 10 weeks) [*after 1 year][*requires waiting period]

Additional Information

• Some moderate travel: ~3+ weeks/ year (in non-pandemic years), including international travel
• Occasional night and weekend availability
• Growth potential if organization continues to be successful (our strategic plan scales up easily)
• Opportunity to interact with leaders in the field of political science and game theory

How You Can Be A Competitive Applicant

• Be familiar with our work. Read up on our blog, look through our articles, and see what we’re up to through social media.
• Love what we do. What we do requires a lot of effort. Passion will make that effort easier to sustain.
• Be able to provide evidence that you’re an overachiever. This position is broad and requires someone who is capable of handling versatile and complex projects. This demands intelligence, interpersonal skills, organization, and the desire to overdeliver. You can show this by evidencing prior work and through high performance in the work product section of the application process.
• Be open, honest, and follow directions.

What You Can Expect In the Application Process

• We attempt to blind ourselves to your name as long as possible to avoid bias on sex and ethnicity. Please use only your three-letter initials in attachments. You are encouraged to use a throwaway email that does not reveal your name and an account that does not preview your image.
• We will actually tell you whether you advance in the process. If you don’t, we’ll notify you either way as a courtesy. As you can imagine, we do not have the capacity to provide each applicant a rationale for our decision.
• Our process has four rounds: (1) resume & cover letter, (2) evidence-based questions and work product, (3) interview, and (4) accuracy confirmation and background check. If you do not feel comfortable with performing the labor of a related work sample, then please do not apply. We do, however, promise that this work sample will not take advantage of you. It is truly an attempt to see your skills at work; not to steal your ideas. 
• Please do not mislead us on your application. If you do, then we will remove your application from current and future consideration.
• We care about our employees. You can tell from our benefits that this translates across the board. Our premise here is that if you are a happy employee, then you will be more enthusiastic about your work and inclined to stay. We believe that CES is a place that you can be truly proud of and happy to work for.

We are committed to providing an equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veterans status.
 
What You Can Expect Working with Us
Be prepared to change the world. You will be joining three other full-time employees along with contractors; collectively, we are a highly motivated and intelligent staff.
 
Let me show you what we mean.
 
Within the first year of the organization having staff, we helped bring approval voting to its first US city of Fargo with 130,000 people. Now in our third year, we are working to bring approval voting to St. Louis with over 300,000 people. We now have chapters in cities across the country waiting to be next given proper organization and funding support. Further, we collaborate on research with some of the best academics in the world on voting methods. We have an incredibly high ceiling for the amount of funding that we can efficiently absorb. Our current annual budget is $1M, which we intend to grow.
 
Our first Director of Philanthropy has set you up for success as our funding has gone up 4-6 fold since the Director of Philanthropy position was created. We have a portfolio of prospective and existing donors waiting for further opportunities to make an impact with their gifts.
 
We have a culture of teamwork. We treat each other with empathy and compassion. We value transparency. We are outcome-oriented. Your skills and intelligence are valued. You have the space to lead, and we will do everything in our power to help you be successful.
 
How To Apply
Send your tailored CV/resume and cover letter in a single PDF file to caitlyn@electionscience.org no later than November 29. Your cover letter must at minimum address (1) why you want to work for us, (2) why you are qualified, and (3) what you have done that shows how you’re qualified. Please limit your cover letter to no more than two pages and your cv/resume to be as compact and tailored as possible. Do not include your name on the document.
 
For your single attachment, do not include any personally-identifying information other than your three-letter initials (two if no middle name). Your PDF attachment should be named: “DP_App_R1_XYZ” where “XYZ” are your initials. E-mail subject: “DP Application R1”. If you make a mistake here, your application may not be reviewed. Position open until filled. You are encouraged to use an email that does not include your name or have a photograph. We will use an intermediary to avoid the main reviewer from seeing accidental identifying information. We do this blind review to avoid any implicit bias during the application process. Although we're a small team, we take hiring seriously and are methodical about it.
 
Applications Due November 29. Late applications may not be reviewed.