Organizational Background

For over 25 years, the National Council for Research on Women has helped shape the future for women and girls.  The Council is a network of 109 member research and policy centers and more than 2,000 top-level researchers.  We provide the information and research needed to foster more equitable futures for women and girls.  While women have made progress on many fronts, much remains to be done.  Our network’s evidence-based research provides hard data to inform new policy and legislation that can make long-lasting differences in women’s and girls lives.  We put women’s needs, perspectives, and solutions on the radar screen and make them part of the public debate.

We believe that women and girls should have full and equal participation in society.  We are not there yet. Without women’s full participation, children, families, and communities suffer, and half the world’s talents are squandered.  We know that behind every great force for change is the information and research that drives it forward.  When we understand an unmet need or an injustice, we can address it and resolve it.  Women and societies need accurate data and analysis in order to chart their futures.

The key to the Council’s past and future success is highly-focused, accessible, timely research. Through Research-Action groups organized around urgent issue areas, rapid-response communications campaigns, and a website that features the research, expertise, and information produced by our network, the Council delivers the facts, promotes informed activism, and ensures positive change. 

Position Description

The Council has set in place an ambitious agenda for growth.  Achieving this growth will require a Director of Development who will develop and implement the strategic vision and direction of the Council’s grantseeking strategies and initiatives in collaboration with the President and Board of Directors. The Director needs to be a high energy fund-raising professional with leadership ability and a demonstrated track record of success who will broaden the scope and scale of giving from individuals, corporations and foundations; create a fund-raising plan to raise and expand our annual budget of $1.5 million annually, and expand the council’s strategic partnerships.

The Director also will share responsibility for providing vision and strategic direction for the Council’s programs, and for ensuring the organization’s fiscal health through fund-raising.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced, strategic thinker who has experience in the stewardship of major donors, the knowledge of when to leverage the President’s time and energy and the strength to create and close substantial partnership deals with donors in order to substantially expand our revenue streams and achieve a new level of fiscal success.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and implement short and long term action plans for major gifts, planned giving prospects, and corporate and  foundation giving, including research, identification, solicitation, cultivation and proposal development;
• Work with the Board to build their fund raising skills and enlist them in identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors; manage relations with board fund-raising and board member development committees;
• Organize and direct major donor cultivation events, including the Council’s  Annual Women Who Make a Difference Awards Dinner in which we honor awardees who are change-makers from the business, arts, international, public service and corporate arenas, including Gloria Steinem, Teresa Heinz and Eve Ensler;
• Manage expansion of Council’s Corporate and university and college Presidents Circles, a group of over 20 progressive corporations, and over 40 progressive presidents committed to diversity;
• Actively participate in the development of annual budgets and income projections and regularly review the Development department’s revenue and expenses, track department-wide progress to goals; regularly update the President on progress;  prepare reports to the Board;
• Work closely with the senior management team to ensure the effective flow of communication within the Council;
• Provide guidance and direction to Development staff, volunteers, and consultants; develop and motivate, delegating appropriately and ensuring strong internal communication and coordination; evaluate performance; enhance opportunities for personal and professional development;
• Oversee donor, member, and prospect database ensuring accuracy and confidentiality of the data.

Ideal Experience and Qualifications

The Director of Development should have at least 7 years hands-on experience with individual gifts, and a strong track record with obtaining major gifts and grants from institutional donors, and qualifications as follow:

• Experience with implementing and managing strategic plans;
• Ability to develop budgets, analyze financial reports, and create income projections;
• Collaborative and energetic work style, superior people skills, and ability to motivate and delegate;
• Exemplary communication skills, including the ability to speak and write about Council programs;
• Dependability and outstanding organizational ability with focused attention to detail and follow-through;
• Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office & Internet), information management skills particularly Donor Perfect donor tracking software;
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities and responsibilities;
• Experience with planned giving and the development of business partnerships would be a plus.

Personal Characteristics

• Sound judgment, excellent interpersonal and communications skills, a strong work ethic, attention to detail, and the ability to think strategically;  
• A strong commitment to the Council’s values, mission, goals, and program; an appreciation of the value of research, and particularly feminist research, to influence public agendas and policy;
• Intelligence and inspiration to anticipate, conceive, express and create opportunities;
• Independence and self-confidence to act decisively and, at the same time, an ability to receive and integrate others’ ideas and suggestions;
• Flexibility and ability to work collaboratively and productively in a dynamic, change-driven office environment;
• Comfort with managing multiple tasks simultaneously and hands-on work;
• Equal parts humor, compassion, and sensibility necessary to address the practicalities and desires of an entrepreneurial non-profit.
• Ability to travel approximately 10% of the time to Washington, DC and to select US cities.

Applications are will be reviewed as received.  Applications should be sent to jobs@ncrw.org and will be reviewed only if they include a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, your resume (in Word format), a short writing sample, three references, and salary history.  In order to expedite the internal sorting and reviewing process, please write Director of Development in the subject line of your e-mail. Given the anticipated interest in this position, it will be possible to respond only to those candidates who best match our needs.

The National Council for Research on Women is committed to women's full and equal participation in a just and inclusive world.  The Council works to advance women's leadership across professional sectors and encourage the development of young women leaders, both in the US and globally. The Council reaches out assertively to diverse constituencies to promote human rights and international cooperation and understanding among women across differences of generation, race, ethnicity, nation, sexual orientation and perspective.  The Council embraces the principle of women's rights as human rights and works with diverse organizations to project that understanding on the national and global landscape. The Council works affirmatively to maintain a diverse staff and Board.

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© 2006 National Council for Research on Women
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212.785.7335 | Info: ncrw@ncrw.org