Development Director
PowerSwitch Action
Remote/Regular Travel
About PowerSwitch Action
PowerSwitch Action is a national network organizing to realize and build multi-racial feminist democracies in our cities, towns, and regions. Together with our 21 affiliates and one regional project we are driving an agenda to bring the billions of dollars in local public investments under the oversight of the communities most impacted, to expand decision making and power to more of the residents in our regions, to support the building and growth of member- based organizations, and to fight, when necessary, corporate actors who use their power to extract and cause harm to our communities.
PowerSwitch Action’s network (https://www.powerswitchaction.org/affiliates) currently includes 21 grassroots organizations pioneering innovative policy and organizing approaches in cities, counties, and states around the US. Our affiliates weave strategic alliances and alignments amongst labor, neighborhood, housing, racial justice, faith, ethnic-based, and environmental groups to organize communities, advocate for policy change, and shift power from corporations to the people whose labor has been exploited and voices excluded.
Opportunity for Impact
Leaders of our network and national staff recently completed our long term agenda (https://www.powerswitchaction.org/about/long-term-agenda) on our path to collective liberation and towards a multiracial, feminist democracy that is powered by abundance, freedom and self-determination, radical inclusion, and meaningful work that is valued. Our long-term agenda is guided by four interwoven core strategies:
• Build Authentic Inclusive Democracy, by creating a body of campaigns and programs that develop ways in which to open government to resident voices.
• A People’s Economy, for many not the few. The racial wealth gap, the gender gap, the rampant racism, and human exploitation are in the design of the machine. We need a new apparatus that is accountable to people, to the many.
• Grow Civic Organizations: Labor, Tenants, Borrowers, Ethnic. An organized citizenry is best able to take on questionable or corrupt practices. We need to dramatically increase the numbers of people organized in order to effectively contest capital, stave off authoritarianism, and bring out the democracies that we envision.
• Rein in Corporate Power. If our ultimate goal is to develop the capacity of people to govern and manage democracy and the economy, then they must experience their power to bring corporations to heel. We can prove to the American people that it’s possible to reclaim public goods from corporate capture, reject extreme exploitation of workers, and beat back corporate overreach — all while fighting for our collective liberation.
For more information on PowerSwitch Action please visit our website: https://www.powerswitchaction.org
The Position
The Development Director is a new position, reporting to the Chief of Staff, and will serve as a key thought partner to the Executive Director, Program staff and members of the Leadership Team. They will be responsible for the strategy, oversight, and execution of our development plans and maximizing the backend systems to ensure we have the resources and long-term financial sustainability needed to achieve our mission. The Development Director will also manage a grant writing firm who is responsible for writing grant proposals, reports, and other key grant-related documents.
The Development Director is a seasoned development professional with a track record of setting and meeting ambitious fundraising goals, who can meaningfully uplift our mission, long-term agenda, and solicit potential funders, ensuring that our values are at the forefront. The Development Director is adept at partnering with the Executive Director, Chief of Staff, and other team members to execute our fundraising plans and steward donor relationships with regular updates and touch points. The Director of Development will collaborate across the organization to ensure there is a cohesive strategy for revenue diversification, donor stewardship and grants tracking. All Directors are required to be both strategic leaders and hands-on in executing strategies and digging into the details. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to be part of growing a mature organization who has gone through a strategic pivot. The ideal candidate is relationships-oriented with a strong acumen as a collaborator, problem-solver, systems builder, and a clear and concise communicator.
Development strategy, planning, and execution:
• Serve as a key ally and strategic partner to the Executive Director and Chief of Staff and build a culture of philanthropy with staff and the Board of Directors.
• Create annual development goals and plans that align with our mission, manage the execution of the plan, and ensure goals are met.
• Diversify the revenue stream by:
○ Creating the vision, strategy, and plan for a robust individual donor program.
○ Strategizing how to grow online giving and streamline donor acknowledgment.
○ Identifying potential new major institutional donors.
• Create and manage clear success metrics, holding yourself and others accountable for achieving those goals, and develop periodic reports on progress.
• Manage and oversee the relationship with an external grant writing firm which is responsible for prospecting, grant writing, reporting and submission of proposals.
• Develop and steward relationships with funding partners, in collaboration with the Executive Director and program staff.
• Engage with Board members on fundraising initiatives and present fundraising reports at regular Board meetings.
Cross Departmental and Cross Network Collaboration
• Strategize with the Executive Director, Leadership Team, and program staff to identify, qualify and prioritize prospects and funders and facilitate relationship development through regular communications and a calendar of touchpoints.
• Stay abreast of campaigns, program initiatives and affiliate successes.
• Collaborate with the Communications team to craft compelling periodic appeals and communications with potential donors.
• Oversee the management of the awards and reporting process for PowerSwitch Action’s subgrants to affiliates.
• With the Executive Director, monitor fundraising opportunities for affiliates (not responsible for direct fundraising for affiliates).
Systems and Infrastructure
• Assess fundraising systems requirements and evaluate existing fundraising database to either maximize system capabilities or lead the effort to evaluate other options to support a best-in-class back-end infrastructure.
• Establish policies, systems, and procedures related to fundraising and supervise the appropriate use of them, including training staff.
• Oversee the development of a fundraising “calendar” of activities, including project/task management and follow up with staff on their to-dos.
• Maintain funder, donor, foundation, and grants records in the fundraising database.
• Develop protocols and templates for creating periodic fundraising reports.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have the following professional competencies:
• Proven Fundraiser: You have a demonstrated track record of meeting ambitious fundraising goals. You have the ability to develop and execute a multi-pronged fundraising plan and experience and familiarity with individual donor and foundation fundraising strategies, tactics, and donor management systems/platforms. You have a commitment to professional ethics in working with confidential, sensitive information.
• Vision, ownership, and a drive to achieve results: You develop your vision and plan and take it upon yourself to figure out how to get it done, including finding alternative paths when challenges and problems inevitably arise. You do what you need to do to ensure you achieve the goals in your realm, including being open with your manager about where you need help, anticipating problems, brainstorming solutions, driving work forward, and course-correcting where needed. While you lean on your own manager for support, you don’t require super-hands-on supervision to keep the work moving forward. You don’t leave a meeting without ensuring to-dos are captured with names and timelines. You communicate expectations and changes in a timely manner.
• Relationship Builder: You build authentic relationships with others (colleagues, funders, external partners, and other stakeholders) based on aligned values, mutual trust, and respect. You can do so across lines of difference (such as race, ethnicity, status, sexual orientation, ability, or gender identity).
• Systems builder with attention to detail and follow through: You have a love for building out systems that ensure high quality and efficient use of work, especially grants databases/CRMs. You have your personal systems for staying on top of a high level of detail and can build those systems for staff to easily use. You can identify and implement creative solutions, even when things are hectic. You hold a high bar for your work and do what it takes to ensure grant parameters and deadlines are met.
• Mission alignment: Committed to the vision outlined in our long term agenda (https://www.powerswitchaction.org/about/long-term-agenda), including building a path to collective liberation and towards a multiracial, feminist democracy that is powered by abundance, freedom and self-determination, radical inclusion, and meaningful work that is valued.
Compensation & Benefits
This is a full-time, exempt position and reports to the Chief of Staff. We offer a competitive starting salary between $91,000-114,000 (based on experience) and generous benefits, including:
• 401(k) with 5% employer contribution.
• 100% of health, dental, and vision premiums for employees and their family members (spouse/domestic partner and children).
• Life insurance for employees.
• Flexible Spending Account: Employees may contribute up to $5,000 a year for childcare expenses and up to $2,500 a year for medical expenses (no employer contribution).
• 12 days of vacation increasing with tenure up to 20 days.
• 12 days of sick leave per year.
• 6-week sabbatical for full time employees after five years of employment.
Location
The position will ideally be located in a city in which one of PowerSwitch Action’s 21 affiliates (https://www.powerswitchaction.org/affiliates) is located, but we will consider exceptional candidates who are located in other cities and major media markets. The Development Director will travel at least four times per year for donor visits and staff retreats; travel expectation is up to 20%.
Please note that PowerSwitch Action requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless a medical or religious accommodation is needed.
To Apply
Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile: https://apptrkr.com/5040138 and submitting a letter of interest and resume. In addition, please submit a work sample relevant to the work of the Development Director or anything else that will give us a better sense for how you think and operate. Feel free to anonymize information or remove names and details that you're not comfortable sharing.
Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Karen Yetman Rea and Nikki Lynch of Koya Partners are leading the search. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
PowerSwitch Action is an equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strongly encourage and seek applications from gender oppressed (women, transgender, and gender non-binary) people, people of color including bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and broader queer communities. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender/gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.