We are the Maine affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. We fight for equality, justice, and freedom for all people in Maine in the statehouse, in the courthouse, and through public education and engagement. We are active in the areas of criminal legal reform, racial justice, immigrants' rights, reproductive freedom, women's rights, Indigenous justice, LGBTQ equality, voting rights, privacy, and freedom of speech and religion. We are a passionate, highly motivated group, and we are looking for exceptional talent to join our team.

The Director of Development at the ACLU of Maine is responsible for developing and implementing an annual giving strategy that leads to greater financial support for the organization. The Director provides strategic direction and implementation of programs, initiatives, and communications aimed at increasing donor participation, upgrading giving levels, and building a sustainable pipeline for future major gifts. The Director supervises a part-time Development Associate and works closely with other staff to coordinate print and electronic communications, experiences, and volunteer opportunities to deepen donor relationships and build new connections across the ACLU of Maine for increased and sustained giving.

• Develops and executes a comprehensive, strategic, data-driven fundraising program with specific fundraising goals and metrics, with a focus on the acquisition of leadership gifts ($100,000) and major donors ($5,000+)
• Engages in solicitations with major gift prospects, both directly and in partnership with Executive Director and program staff.
• Manages Executive Director’s portfolio of 25-30 donors and own portfolio of 80 donors.
• Creates and implements 12-month strategies for assigned portfolio donors.
• Uses donor database to prepare data for solicitations; identifies prospects; manages portfolio of donors and prospects, and ensures accurate, timely documentation of donor interactions and engagement.
• Supervises part-time Development Associate, who is responsible for data entry, acknowledgements, and administrative support for events, donor relations, and other activities.
• Develops and supports a culture of philanthropy through regular fundraising and department activity reports for Executive Director, board, and staff using data and metrics to assess trends and refine strategies. Attends board meetings as needed and provides regular updates to staff to support their active involvement in stewardship and development activities.
• Collaborates with communications team on a range of donor-related development events and materials.
• Creates and manages Development’s various donor communications such as emails, newsletters, and virtual town hall meetings.
• Maintains active familiarity with the ACLU’s programs and positions; represents the ACLU of Maine in public gatherings as needed.
• Participates in national development training as needed to promote a culture of philanthropy and connect our affiliate to initiatives around the country.

• Minimum of four or more years of relevant development experience in a nonprofit setting.
• Knowledge of principles, tools, tactics and strategies employed in major fundraising campaigns; CFRE preferred.
• Successful track record securing donor commitments for leadership gifts, major gifts, and planned gifts.
• Creative leader who enjoys using data to drive decision-making and collaborating with colleagues.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication and presentation skills. Ability to simplify complex themes and activities into short, compelling presentations or written pieces.
• Excellent organizational and administrative skills and the ability to meet deadlines.
• Proficiency with Office technology (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Google suite), project management tools such as Asana, as well as the ability to become proficient using other specialized software, as may be required.
• Must possess and maintain a current valid driver’s license or be able to access adequate transportation in order to travel to visits with donors throughout the state.
• Ability to manage a work schedule that will occasionally include evening and weekend meetings or events.
• Experience with donor database management and systems that track results; ability to ensure secure, accurate private donor records and commitment to confidentiality of donor information.
• Experience with data segmentation and analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple projects, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Professional demeanor and ability to represent the ACLU in public.

The salary is $90,000-$110,000 depending on experience.

Benefits include 20 days paid time off, 10 paid holidays, individual employer-provided health and dental insurance, life insurance, long-term disability, paid family medical leave, and 401(k) plan with employer match of up to 5.5%.

The ACLU of Maine’s office is based in Portland, Maine. Currently, staff work on a hybrid schedule, with all staff in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday.

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume. Submit materials to [email protected] and include your name and “Director of Development” in the subject line. If you need assistance or accommodation, contact us at [email protected].

Your cover letter should explain ways in which you satisfy the skills and qualifications specified above. We also invite applicants to include information about how their background and/or experiences could contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and advocacy work.

The ACLU of Maine is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU of Maine encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, previous criminal convictions, and veteran status.

Applications are due by January 23. We plan to contact you by January 30 if we are interested in moving your candidacy forward and intend to extend an offer in late February. This position will ideally begin in March.