Major Gifts Officer

Be Part of a Pivotal Moment in History:

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) seeks a Major Gifts Officer. This role is for an experienced professional seeking to join a proven organization that makes profound differences in the lives of people across New Jersey. The ACLU-NJ takes pride in our reputation of over 60 years of fighting for the rights of all New Jerseyans. And now—with ongoing challenges to civil liberties at the national level, the increased need to develop good policy at the local level, the still-evolving impacts of the pandemic on civil rights, and the increased awareness of the impacts of systemic racism on every American institution—this is a pivotal time to join us and make a meaningful, positive, long-term impact on the future of New Jersey and the United States.

The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) position offers an exciting opportunity to serve as a key member of a high performing fundraising team. The MGO will join a team consisting of the Executive Director and Development Director, who both work on major and leadership gifts, and a Development Operations Coordinator, who manages the donor database and supports donor engagement. We work closely with national ACLU colleagues across the spectrum of development roles, from operations to leadership gift solicitation. We seek a professional fundraiser who will build a portfolio of approximately 75-100 major donors, developing meaningful relationships that will help to advance our programmatic goals.

We are committed to approaching our work through an antiracist lens and working to ensure that our fundraising practices are aligned with these values.

This position will report to the Deputy Development Director and will be based in Newark, where we work on a hybrid schedule.

What you’ll do

• Significantly expand the number of major and planned gifts from ACLU supporters in New Jersey.
• Develop and implement identification, qualification, and cultivation strategies for a portfolio of individuals with the capacity to make major and individual gifts (between $10,000 and $500,000), nurturing relationships through personalized communications, meetings, and engagement opportunities in accordance with ACLU-NJ policies, procedures, and funding priorities.
• Lead the solicitation process for major gifts in partnership with the development team, staff members and national ACLU partners on key solicitations, including developing tailored solicitation proposals, presentations, and funding opportunities aligned with donor interests and ACLU-NJ priorities.
• Actively participate in Development team meetings to coordinate prospect review and discuss specific prospect strategies as they relate to prioritized fundraising needs.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor records in the ACLU database, documenting all interactions, proposals, and gift agreements related to major gifts in accordance with ACLU-NJ policies and procedures.
• Collaborate and partner effectively across the organization to build and sustain the culture of philanthropy across ACLU-NJ.
• Serve as an effective and enthusiastic ACLU-NJ spokesperson and representative.
• Maintain working knowledge of local and national programmatic priorities and issues as they occur.
• Maintain strict adherence to all ACLU / ACLU-NJ donor data privacy policies and practices.
• Other duties as necessary.

What you’ll need

• Significant fund development experience with at least two years of Major Gift Officer responsibilities cultivating and soliciting donors to give major and planned gifts of $10,000+.
• Demonstrated experience creating and implementing major donor strategies that motivate donors to increase their investment and support in the work of the ACLU.
• Strong interpersonal skills and enthusiasm for building productive professional relationships with donors, volunteers, staff, and the public.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to speak confidently and compellingly about the potential impact of philanthropic investment in the ACLU.
• The ability to distill complex themes and myriad details into concise talking points, presentations, and case statements, including delivering complex or challenging messages.
• Demonstrated understanding, knowledge of, and commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and the ACLU-NJ’s mission.
• Strong self-motivation with an ability to bring exceptional initiative, ambition, and follow-through to the work. A creative and resilient mindset focused on creating solutions to identified challenges.
• Experience utilizing donor research tools to prepare for meetings.
• Experience working with a donor database or sales CRM is strongly preferred.
• Excellent computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office and Teams.
• The ability to work occasional evenings and weekends and travel within the state as needed.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $90,000 - $115,000 commensurate with experience. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package which currently includes 30 days paid time off, 12 office holidays and 12 health care leave days per year; medical, vision, and dental insurance; life and long-term disability insurance; pre-tax transit benefits; and a 401(k) plan with employer match. This position is full-time, salaried, and exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

TO APPLY

If you’re excited about bringing your experience to the ACLU-NJ, visit www.aclu-nj.org/careers to complete the application and upload a resume and detailed letter of interest. Your letter should explain ways in which you satisfy the skills and qualifications specified above. We also invite applicants to include in their letter information about how their background and/or experiences could contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and advocacy work.

Application materials will also be accepted via postal mail (P.O. Box 32159, Newark, NJ 07102), but electronic filing is strongly preferred. Applications will be reviewed beginning immediately. We will accept applications until the position is filled, at which time the job announcement will be removed from our website. We hope that one of those applications is yours.

The ACLU-NJ is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture of belonging. It is our policy to employ qualified people without regard to race; color; gender, gender identity or expression; religion; sex; national origin or ancestry; age; disability; sexual orientation; veteran’s status; marital status; civil union status; arrest or court record; citizenship; credit history; genetic information; status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking; or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people, women, people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

The ACLU-NJ makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email careers@aclu-nj.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The ACLU-NJ is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest organization, dedicated to defending and enhancing civil rights and civil liberties through litigation, legislative advocacy, organizing, and community education.