Director of Development - Secure Community Network

We are Secure Community Network (SCN), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) serving as the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America. Here at SCN, we deeply value the team of people who work diligently to commit their lives to action for a better tomorrow, and we are excited to add a Director of Development to our organization. Our headquarters are located in Chicago, however if you are outside the Chicago area, remote opportunities are available.

The Director of Development is responsible for overseeing diverse initiatives aimed at elevating our fundraising efforts. This includes cultivating individual major donors, creating stewardship and leadership giving strategies to support major gift fundraising, and creating the structure for an annual campaign to build SCN's base of support.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Fundraising:

• Develop and implement appropriate fundraising strategies to increase both restricted and unrestricted philanthropic revenue employing a variety of fundraising techniques that include face-to-face solicitations, fundraising events, calling sessions, and written communications.
• Create an annual campaign structure and retention strategy which maintains and grows donors giving between $1 and $50,000 annually.
• Manage a core portfolio of Major Donors at the $10,000 - 50,000 level.
• Identify and meet with potential donors to increase involvement and support for the Secure Community Network and its fundraising initiatives.
• Create new funding proposals based on emerging organizational needs.
• Manage solicitation process including recruitment and follow-up with team leaders and team members; prospect selection; creation and maintenance of various solicitation lists and training tools; personal solicitation; and follow-up with donor issues.

Stewardship:

• Design a leadership giving communications strategy which appropriately stewards $10,000+ donors and creates avenues of engagement for deeper cultivation and assist in overall campaign strategy.
• Work with the CDO to identify and steward prospects for planned-giving and endowment opportunities.
• Oversee gift entry and acknowledgement processes, customizing where needed.

Board Management:

• Support Board recruitment and lay leadership engagement by identifying and building new platforms which promote a culture of philanthropy.
• Work closely with SCN Governance to build and manage committees and opportunities to deepen lay leader engagement.
• Serve as the primary professional partner to internal leadership bodies of SCN's Board of Directors working to advance various fundraising initiatives. Support the Chief Development Officer in convening and managing the Development Committee of the Board.

External Outreach & Engagement:

• In partnership with the CDO and local partner fundraising and development teams, create strategic plans of engagement for each SCN community to engage local donors in local security initiatives and identify opportunities for deeper engagement nationally where appropriate. Oversee outreach to all communities with security programs who liaise with SCN to support their fundraising efforts where possible.
• Identify natural partners, develop relationships, and steward gift development both independently and in partnership with the SCN team and other national Jewish organizations and movements.
• With the CDO, lead special projects to include event management and deploying SCN leadership to support fundraising.
• Identify opportunities to engage lay leaders in furthering campaign goals.
• Oversee planning of campaign-focused events including leadership enlistment and management, marketing and attendee recruitment, and follow-up to ensure donor investment in SCN.
• Oversee the organization of and recruitment for outreach/appreciation events to increase knowledge of SCN's work nationally.

Internal Leadership:

• Work with and advise Executive Leadership Team on their opportunities to assist in solicitations and stewardship.
• Provide support to co-workers to facilitate fundraising activities.
• Promote the mission of SCN at all times through superior customer service to all and through the efficient use and care of resources.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of 7-10 years' experience in fundraising/ financial resource development, including donor cultivation and stewardship, unrestricted annual support, major gift and planned giving.
• A demonstrated track record of closing meaningful commitments and creating and executing successful philanthropic initiatives to support the organization.
• Familiar with various fundraising models, with an understanding of both unrestricted and restricted giving strategies in order to match individual philanthropic passions to projects.
• Experience working with volunteer leadership and supporting peer solicitation efforts when appropriate.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, work independently and be detail oriented. Must be a self-starter who can build new programs which do not currently exist and manage the follow-up needed to support their success.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills for building strong donor, volunteer and community relationships, including the ability to meet, greet, and educate people with confidence and poise.
• Ability to organize, monitor, and track numerous ongoing and one-time activities, events and projects, in order to accurately and successfully complete assignments according to defined timelines, in cooperation with co-workers and volunteers to achieve the fundraising goals.
• Demonstrated integrity, transparency, a collaborative spirit, and the ability to engage effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Experience working across departments to create and write funding proposals and stewardship reports.
• Proficiency in all Microsoft Office products and Salesforce database.
• Ability to logically solve problems with minimal supervision.
• Discretion handling and communicating sensitive information.
• Ability to work under pressure and multi-task in a dynamic environment.
• A positive attitude and willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
• Sensitivity to Jewish culture and traditions.
• Ability to travel and work in off-site settings on a regular basis. Ability to work evenings, weekends, or irregular hours as necessary to interact with donors and prospects and attend relevant meetings and events.

ABOUT SCN

The Secure Community Network (SCN), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the official homeland safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America. Founded in 2004 under the auspices of The Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, SCN serves as the central organization dedicated exclusively to the safety and security of the American Jewish community, working across 146 federations, 50 partner organizations, over 300 independent communities, and other partners in the public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors. SCN is dedicated to ensuring that Jewish organizations, communities, life, and culture can not only exist safely and securely but flourish. Learn more at securecommunitynetwork.org.

Secure Community Network is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, color, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

SCN has long been a committed leader in adopting, modeling, and encouraging adherence to Jewish values, including advocating for approaches that address issues related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). Please review our DEIA statement here.