Fund Development Manager
Youth, Rights & Justice, an innovative juvenile law nonprofit based in Portland OR is seeking a Fund Development Manager to join our team. YRJ’s mission is to advance the rights of children, parents, and families through advocacy in the courts, schools, legislature, and community.
Founded in 1975, YRJ is widely recognized as a leader in juvenile law. We provide court-appointed representation of children, youth, and parents involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems—in both the trial and appellate courts. We also represent individual children and youth in school-related enrollment, special education, and disciplinary matters. On a larger scale, we work to improve the systems impacting our clients through education, legislative and administrative advocacy, class action litigation, publications, and training other lawyers and community partners.
YRJ’s vision is a just and equitable society that creates opportunities for children, parents, and families to achieve their goals and aspirations. Our primary focus is on juvenile public defense work, which is financed through a contract with the Oregon Public Defense Commission. YRJ’s court-appointed attorneys represent children in foster care, parents in the child welfare system, and youth in the juvenile court system. We follow a holistic defense model, with attorneys, social workers, and professional staff working as a team to serve clients.
YRJ is committed to addressing systemic injustices and the needs of our service population through innovative programs, policy work, and impact litigation. The Development Manager will be responsible for raising funds for this work. These programs are essential components of YRJ’s holistic approach and aim to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families impacted by unjust systems.
Youth, Rights & Justice offers a competitive benefits package, including 15 days (about 2 weeks) of vacation annually (increases to 20 days (about 3 weeks) after two years); eight hours paid self-care time each month; paid sick and holiday time; 8-week paid sabbatical after 10 years; wellness and cell phone stipends; medical, dental and vision plans; matching 401K retirement benefits; and more.
We encourage diverse applicants and are aware of research indicating that many women and BIPOC individuals hesitate to apply if they don’t fully match all listed qualifications. We encourage you to consider this opportunity holistically and we commit to evaluating candidates for this opportunity holistically.
Status Classification: Regular full-time; exempt (salaried)
Hours: Regular hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm, some evenings and weekends as needed to carry out the responsibilities of the position
Reports to: Executive Director
Salary: $55,100 – $80,466
Summary: The Development Manager is responsible for implementing YRJ’s fundraising strategies and campaigns to grow and diversify the organization’s financial resources. This includes cultivating and soliciting foundation, individual, and corporate gifts. Working within a small team, the Development Manager will collaborate with the Executive Director, Communications Coordinator, Board of Directors, Development Committee, and other staff to develop and maintain a comprehensive fund development plan.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Planning, Evaluation, and Implementation
- Align YRJ’s fundraising efforts with the principles of Community Centric Fundraising and keep YRJ’s values at the center of fundraising efforts.
- Stay current on advancements in development, including emerging technologies.
- Lead a partnership with the Executive Director, Communications Coordinator, Board of Directors, and Development Committee to design and fulfill annual fundraising goals and strategies.
- Set goals and create specific, targeted strategies for growth and success across all areas of fundraising, including the development of an annual fund development plan and calendar.
- Lead evaluation of fundraising outcomes, using data and lessons learned to refine and improve YRJ’s fundraising efforts.
- Monitor fundraising results and consistently report progress to the Executive Director and YRJ Board. Participate in board meetings as requested.
Events
- Oversee the execution of a calendar of special events, including a large annual fundraiser and supporter reception.
- Identify new or one-time events to deepen YRJ’s connection to the community.
- Delegate and provide support to volunteers and board members hosting smaller events and house parties.
Donor Engagement
- Work closely with the Executive Director, development staff, and YRJ Board on developing and implementing a donor engagement strategy.
- Create and oversee direct mail and email solicitations, annual appeals, and donor communications.
- Responsible for managing and maintaining the donor database, processing gift entry and acknowledgements, and ensuring data is accurate and reconciled with finance and accounting systems.
Communications and Marketing
- Work with the Communications Coordinator, Executive Director, board, and staff on a marketing plan, that tells the YRJ story online and in print.
- Oversee design and contract management of print and digital materials, including an annual report, program brochures, newsletters, and mailings.
- Collaboratively author organizational publications, including e-newsletters, blog posts, presentations, and reports. ?
Grants
- Collaborate with the Executive Director and staff to refine grant-seeking strategies, write and/or review proposals.
- Ensure all grant deadlines are met, including timely reporting.
Supervision and Administration
- Serve as a collaborative member of the YRJ management team.
- Provide vision, clarity, and planning to lead the Development Team in all areas of fundraising, including annual fund campaigns, sponsorships, grants, major donor cultivation, ads, and community partnerships.
- Provide support, training, and feedback to the Communications Coordinator and in-house development staff, including monthly check-ins and annual reviews.
- Manage contractor and vendor relationships.
- Seek opportunities to deepen relationships within the communities YRJ serves, including building partnerships with community-based organizations and BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+ and women-owned businesses.
- Collaborate with the finance team to develop budgets, monitor and forecast revenue and expenses, and drive financial results.
Skills and Qualifications:
- 3+ years relevant experience
- Passion for YRJ’s vision, mission, values, and work
- Alignment with YRJ’s values of collaboration, equity, openness, compassion, integrity, and agility
- High degree of initiative and strategic creativity; innovative thinker
- Eager to learn, assume accountability, work enthusiastically across teams, and show flexibility in response to change
- Collaborative problem solver
- Excellent communicator with a variety of audiences, both externally working with partners and funders, as well as internally to succeed in working cross-collaboratively with YRJ colleagues
- Strong public speaking abilities, including meeting facilitation
- Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people
- Strong organizational skills, including attention to detail; ability to manage multiple projects, facilitate interactions between multiple constituents, and meet deadlines
- Quantitative abilities in developing fundraising budgets and development plans
- Team player who can motivate and support board and staff participation in development activities
- Commitment to professional development and strengthening work through a lens of equity and racial justice.
- Knowledge and experience using a donor CRM (Bloomerang, Donor Perfect, etc.).
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite as well as communications platforms, event management software, and project management systems (most used at YRJ are Teams, Zoom, Slack, Auctria, Asana).
Preferred Qualifications:
- Deep understanding of racial justice and social justice, and analysis of how the (in)justice system and child welfare system impact BIPOC and historically marginalized communities.
- Prior management experience.
- Personal lived/living experience with child welfare or juvenile justice system, or of systemic inequity/oppression/or its root causes.
- Associate degree or above in related field.
Work Environment:
- YRJ has a hybrid office model, with the option to work remotely and in our Portland office. This position would be expected to work at least 1-2 days onsite weekly.
To Apply:
- Email resume and cover letter to Ally Hood, Director of Administration: ally.h@youthrightsjustice.org
- Position open until filled. First round of interviews projected to start after October 28.