Job description
About New America: New America is a think tank and civic enterprise committed to renewing American politics, prosperity, and purpose in the Digital Age. We generate big ideas, bridge the gap between technology and policy, and curate broad public conversation. Structurally, we combine the best of a policy research institute, technology laboratory, public forum, media platform, and a venture capital fund for ideas. We are a distinctive community of thinkers, writers, researchers, technologists, and community activists who believe deeply in the possibility of American renewal. Located in Washington, DC, New America currently has over 150 staff members and fellows.
About Development at New America: The Development Department works with New America leadership and programs to ensure the organization’s long-term sustainability. Our team stewards and collaborates with the organization’s Board, partners, councils, and circles of donors, who represent an active and intergenerational group of private sector and philanthropic leaders who guide the organization forward on many initiatives.
Primary Function: The Director of Development is responsible for growing New America’s fundraising efforts, including corporate, foundation, and individual partnerships. Reporting to the VP for Development & Partnerships and working closely with the Co-Director of Development, they oversee fundraising strategies, manage development staff, and provide guidance to program staff. This role plays a central part in increasing revenue to support our priorities and collaborates with the organization’s leadership team.
Responsibilities:
Fundraising and Portfolio Management:
- Support the VP of Development & Partnerships and Co-Director of Development in developing and executing ambitious but achievable, annual, and long-term corporate, individual, and foundation giving plans across the organization
- Prospect, manage, and grow corporate foundation portfolio and select high-level institutional foundation relationships with an annual individual fundraising goal of $1M
- Grow portfolio by prospecting at networking events, public-facing organization-led events, conferences, meetings with funders and prospects, and by serving as a spokesperson on behalf of the organization
- Develop strategies for top funders and establish measurable goals and objectives to meet organizational goals in cooperation with senior leadership
Management and Development Team:
- Alongside the VP of Development & Partnerships and Co-Director of Development, lead the development team and create an environment of respect, accountability, motivation, professional growth, and high productivity
- Responsible for leadership, direction, and management of the foundation team
Partner with the Executive Office, Senior Leadership and Board of Directors
- Work closely with the Executive Office to prospect and manage high-level ($100K+) fundraising portfolios
- Provide quarterly updates on fundraising progress to the board of directors
- Work with the Executive Office and board of directors to identify new solicitation prospects and cultivate relationships
Partner with Programs:
- Coordinate with the program directors and Development team to provide expertise in identifying and cultivating strategic fundraising opportunities and partnerships
Administrative:
- Co-manage administrative-related departmental functions including but not limited to approving employee time cards, approving PTO, drafting and approving budgets, setting meeting agendas, engaging with directors across the organization
- Work closely with HR to recruit, hire and onboard new Development employees.
- As the lead liaison between communications and development, work closely with the New America communications team to ensure the mission alignment of development-related content, communications, and events.
- Any other duties deemed necessary for this position.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree, advanced degree preferred.
- At least 10-12 years of related work experience in the development field with a significant focus on corporate, individual and foundation fundraising.
- Proven track record of securing major gifts.
- Strong background working with and communicating to external audiences as an organization representative.
- Successful experience in making cold calls, as well as developing cultivation and solicitation strategies.
- Innovation, creativity, and willingness to try novel approaches and tactics.
- Knowledgeable of philanthropic giving and multinational corporations.
- Track record of managing and developing high-performing teams.
- Keen understanding of how to leverage technology to create and disseminate tailored messages to targeted audiences, members, and donors.
Skills and Competencies:
- Commitment to New America’s mission and program strategy.
- Excellent written, verbal, and analytic skills and the ability to write and edit persuasively.
- Highly energetic with superior interpersonal skills, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Ability to manage up and down.
- Experience using prospect research tools and database platforms. Salesforce experience preferred.
- Attention to detail and highly organized.
- Able to work in a fast-paced environment and on multiple projects simultaneously.
- Commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Goal-oriented and outcome-focused.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Experience engaging with c-suite executives, high-profile boards, foundations heads, high-net worth individuals and public figures.
- Educate funders and prospective funders about the mission, vision and programmatic work of New America.
- Proactively collaborates with and influences senior-level stakeholders across the organization to support fundraising strategies and ensure alignment of objectives, priorities, and resources.
Compensation and Benefits: This is a full-time role with benefits. The annual salary will be between $133,00.00 and $150,000.00, depending on experience.
New America offers a highly competitive benefits package that includes health care, dental, and vision coverage; a generous retirement plan; paid time off; observes all federal holidays; and an office-wide closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Location: This is a hybrid position with presence in a physical New America Washington, DC office environment approximately 2-3 days per week.
Travel: Willingness to travel. Some travel to HUB or other locations and occasional international travel may be required.
Application Process: Please submit a resume and cover letter. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
No phone calls or emails will be answered
Physical Environment:
- This position is hybrid, working from home and in an office environment and sits at a desk for extended periods of time and requires dexterity to operate general office equipment;
- The person in this position will frequently communicate with peers, management, company partners/vendors, and the general public and must be able to exchange accurate and timely information verbally and in writing and
- This position may require walking, bending, kneeling, and standing and will require sitting for extended periods of time.
Work Environment:
- The work environment is in an indoor office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets
Originality and Transparency: At New America, we value authentic voices and intellectual property rights. All application materials, including cover letters, writing samples, and any other submissions, must be solely your own original work. The use of AI text generation tools like ChatGPT, language models, or other artificial intelligence writing assistants is strictly prohibited for any part of your job application. Submissions found to contain AI-generated content will be immediately disqualified from consideration. Applicants have a responsibility to be fully transparent about authorship and any tools or resources utilized. We celebrate human ingenuity and want to hear your genuine thoughts and experiences
New America is an equal-opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce at all levels of the organization thereby creating a culture that allows us to better serve our clientele, our employees, and our communities. We value and encourage the contributions of our employees and strive to create an environment where everyone can reach their full potential and drive outstanding results. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. This policy applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination.
