NEC is looking for a Donor Engagement Director to guide our efforts in building a cross-class, multi-racial network of people bringing resources into the Solidarity Economy movement. 

Title: Donor Engagement Director
Location: Remote, U.S.
Compensation: $72,000 – $96,000, plus a generous benefits & PTO package. As a worker self-directed nonprofit, all full-time NEC employees are paid at the same base rate, with adjustments for cost of living, dependents, and past experience.
Time Commitment: Full-time Salaried Position (32 hours per week).
Application Deadline: Tuesday, February 23rd, 2023
Start Date: Ideal start date is April 2023. 

WHO IS NEC?

New Economy Coalition (NEC) is a membership-based organization working to build the power and scale of the solidarity economy movement in the United States. Our network of 200+ member organizations are working to transform the extractive economy and build up community ownership and just transition solutions with a strong intersectional lens. NEC members work across regions and various solidarity economy sectors, including co-ops, community land trusts, participatory budgeting, public banks, credit unions, energy democracy, and more!

NEC is a worker self-directed nonprofit. This means we operate under a peer-management and collective governance framework. Prior experience in these areas is a plus, but not a requirement. The person who fills this role should be interested in learning about and building their collective governance muscles over time!

POSITION SUMMARY

NEC is seeking a full-time (32 hours / week) Donor Engagement Director to join its Resource Mobilization circle. The ideal candidate will have a deep commitment to racial, economic, and environmental justice, and will have skill sets at the intersections of individual giving, major donor giving, campaign management, and communications.

The role’s main objective is to grow a cross-class, multi-racial network of people moving resources towards the solidarity economy movement. Primary responsibilities are two-fold: 

1. Guide the strategy, operations, & growth of NEC’s individual giving & major donor efforts: Key work includes relationship-building, leading campaigns, and growing our base of kickass donors working to transform the economy.   
2. Strengthen NEC’s communications work: This includes leading work within the NEC’s Comms circle to grow our base, create appeal letters and annual reports, and ensuring that inspiring stories from our membership reach current and prospective donors.

Additional key roles include managing gift processing, donor acknowledgment, and maintaining donor records in our database.

The ideal candidate will have previous experience that allows them to self-direct their work and come in ready to assess our current fundraising strategies for strengths and areas of improvement and to implement necessary changes.    

This role will hold responsibilities ranging between a “Development Director” and an “Individual Giving Manager” in other organizations. At NEC, these responsibilities fall under a wider objective of donor organizing: the work of growing a politically-activated, cross-class, multi-racial base to resource the solidarity economy movement. Examples of donor organizing that inspire us can be found here, here, & here.

This is a full-time (32 hrs/week), salaried position, and can be performed remotely from anywhere in the U.S. This position requires someone to be able to perform tasks on a computer for up to 8 hours a day, inclusive of paid breaks. Our work is rigorous, but we prioritize space for joy, for healing, and for connection. The ideal candidate will contribute to the creation of a liberatory work culture in which folks can bring their whole selves to the work. As Southerners on New Ground have said, “we’re looking for people who are looking for us.”

RESPONSIBILITIES

Donor engagement (40%)

• Build & rollout a strategy to grow our network of individual donors, including major donors. This includes researching prospects, developing talking points, building relationships, drafting correspondence, & participating in donor meetings. This also includes supporting NEC staff in cultivating relationships as well.
• Build out new avenues for donor organizing (e.g. political education, peer-fundraising, etc.)
• Coordinate acknowledgement of gifts and pledges
• Collect, maintain, and update donor and prospect information in NEC’s CRM software (Powerbase).

Fundraising campaign management (30%)

• Lead the design and coordination of two fundraising campaigns per year. This includes an end-of-year appeal, and a summer appeal for the Solidarity Circle monthly giving campaign. 
• Support a team of 2-3 staff to execute the campaign, while taking lead on crafting compelling appeal language, integrating political education, and developing segmented mailing lists.
• Track and report results of appeals and special campaigns, adjusting strategies as needed with support from the Resource Development team.
  

Communications work (20%) 

• Work with the Comms circle to Identify and implement ways aligned with our content strategy to grow our email list and establish website and social media conversions.
• Leading the Comms circle to grow our base through tactics including: designing and producing appeal letters, brochures, and annual reports.
• Work with the Communications circle to ensure that inspiring stories from our membership reach current and prospective donors.

Organizational governance responsibilities (10%)

• Participate in weekly staff meetings, monthly Resource Mobilization circle meetings, and Comms Circle meetings, including occasional facilitation and note-taking.
• Assist in creating the annual revenue plan alongside Resource Mobilization circle. 
• Participate in staff-wide trainings, staff study group, and strategic planning processes.
• Attend and support annual NEC Member Gathering.
• When possible, attend virtual membership meetings, including supporting planning and facilitation.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Any combination of formal education, paid work experience, unpaid/volunteer experience, and life experience will be considered to meet the following:

• Strong relationship building skills; listening to and taking an interest in others. 
• Experience with fundraising, individual donor programs, community organizing,  and/or annual giving programs.
• A strong sense of radical narrative strategy; an ability to build campaigns, appeals, and newsletters that represent NEC’s organizing strategy, narratives, and vision. 
• Strong writing and editing experience.
• Commitment to building a culture of self-direction, mutual accountability, liberation, respect, and joy.
• Tech savvy and proficient with Google Workspace, organizing platforms (NEC uses Action Network), CRMs (NEC uses Powerbase).
• Demonstrated ability to encourage, train, and support people as collaborators, fundraisers, and donor organizers.
• Skilled at asking supporters, members, and others for donations of money and time.
• Commitment to solidarity economy values, such as racial, economic, and climate justice; cooperative ownership; democratic governance; and systems change. 
• Strong time management skills: self-motivated with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Desire and ability to work in a remote environment.
• Experience in building networks, whether through fundraising or community organizing. 
• Willing to learn from mistakes, receive feedback, and give feedback to others. 

BENEFITS

Full benefits including healthcare, dental, short and long term disability, retirement fund, employer-provided laptop and home office stipend, flexible schedule, and 12 wellness days, 16 vacation days, 3 floating holidays, and summer and winter office closures (in addition to federal holidays).

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit THIS FORM by February 23, 2023. Be ready to include:

• A resume (PDF)
• A short cover letter about why you are interested in the position, your skillsets, and your stake in the solidarity economy movement (PDF)
• A link to a work sample (instructions in the application form)

We will begin reviewing applications at the end of February, and hope to schedule first round interviews in early March.

NEC aspires to build an inclusive and liberatory organization. We value having a diversity of life experiences, identities and perspectives on our staff. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, disability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by law. People of color, women, working-class, and LGBTQ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.