Development Director - The Benji Project

Job Summary: The Development Director is responsible for leading the organization’s donor relations and fundraising activities with the goal of increasing The Benji Project’s (TBP) visibility, reach, and financial support.

Location: Work from home in or near Port Townsend, WA. Familiarity with the community is required.

Status: Part-time, hourly, independent contractor position. Approximately 15-20 hrs/week, with the potential for growth. 

Compensation: $28-$30/hr, DOE

Proposed Start Date: Position available immediately, preference given to candidates who can begin by July 30.

Instructions: Please send a brief cover letter and resume to info@thebenjiproject.org. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis; priority will be given to candidates who can begin in August. No phone calls, please.

Overview

This position is a rare and rewarding opportunity for an enthusiastic Development Director to lead TBP’s fundraising strategy. We seek a mission-driven, committed individual seeking to contribute their strong skill set and heart to our growing organization. The ideal candidate will have proven success attracting new donors and leading planned giving programs, as well as a broad skillset to innovate and manage our various development initiatives. Our ideal candidate prioritizes relationships, mission, and team. The Development Director will work independently or with support from the Development Committee, Operations Director, and other TBP team members to design and implement bold fundraising strategies for our growing organization.The Benji Project teaches proven mindfulness and self-compassion tools to young people and their families and communities. Through classes, workshops and camps, we build capacity for stress management and emotional resilience. We envision a community in which young people thrive navigating life's ups and downs with resilience. ​​The Benji Project was founded in 2017 in response to the suicide of a cherished Port Townsend teenager. 

Job Responsibilities

Fundraising:

• Embody and enact the organization’s mission, vision, and values to connect with and inspire funders.

• Manage major gift relationships and initiatives to meet fundraising goals.

• Develop and coordinate fundraising and friend-raising events.

• Coordinate the year-end campaign to encourage increased giving (and membership renewals if membership model used).

• Coordinate grant research and proposal efforts. Develop proposal materials.

• Track and communicate grant awards and reporting requirements; write grant reports.

• Coordinate monthly Board Development Committee meetings.

• Engage board members through training and support to motivate their efforts to help meet or exceed organizational fundraising goals, including board members’ personal giving. 

• Explore the development of a membership model in which newsletter content is enhanced and is an incentive for recurring annual or monthly donations.

• Contribute to the budgeting process alongside the Board Chair.

• Oversee use of the donor management database.

• Monitor nonprofit development trends and implement as needed.

Community Engagement:

• Nurture a growing and sustainable donor base through oversight of outreach and communication efforts. Collaborate as needed with operations/communications team members to execute newsletter, social media, and website communications.

• Serve as a public face and the primary relationship builder for potential and existing stakeholders.

• Work with the Program Director to gather quantitative and qualitative data on program effectiveness for fundraising and communication efforts.

• Oversee donor relations and communications, including donor thank you efforts.

• Prepare for, attend, and present at monthly board meetings, as called upon.

• This position is part of TBP Operations Team and participates in and/or oversees strategic and special projects as needed.

Duties may change as business needs dictate. The above list is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, skills and responsibilities.

Keys to Success

• The Development Director will likely have a Bachelor’s degree and several years’ experience in nonprofit organizations or the business world, though other backgrounds and educational paths will be considered. They will have experience with fundraising and donor relations, preferably in a rural community. This individual’s strengths include effective verbal and written communication, meticulous attention to detail, a passion for relationship building and philanthropy, efficient time management, and high productivity with minimal supervision.

• The ideal candidate is passionate about our mission and uses keen communication skills to build meaningful relationships across various communication channels: phone, video calls, email, in-person, and in casual and formal environments. They have a commitment to and familiarity with the local community.

• Experience and excellence with project management: ability to prioritize, meet deadlines, manage multiple tasks, analyze and improve systems, etc.

• Our administration is entirely electronic and cloud-based. Proficiency with technology and the ability to learn new applications are important as performing the job requires using Kindful, our donor management system, Zoom, spreadsheets, G Suite applications, and more. There may be some light data entry into QuickBooks as well as occasional work in Squarespace, MailChimp, Stripe, PayPal, etc. 

• The Benji Project is a lean organization run by volunteers, so we seek someone who is a quick learner and able to problem-solve independently. This role will primarily interact with two other contractors, the board chair, and other board members. This individual must be able to work both collaboratively and independently with a solutions-oriented style. They are willing to take on any job, big or small, that needs doing. Humor and humility are key assets. We love a creative thinker who offers solutions when (or before!) problems arise.

• Physical requirements include prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Work Environment
The Development Director almost always works remotely on a flexible schedule. The hours are largely at the convenience of the individual provided they keep work moving forward efficiently, meet deadlines, and are able to participate in a few key meetings each month. The board currently meets in the evening of the last Monday of the month, and the Development Director attends these. There are also weekly staff meetings which currently occur on a weekday morning.  This is an independent contractor position, working largely independently while managing your own workload, responsibilities, and schedule.

Growth Potential
Once key responsibilities have been mastered, there may be opportunity to take on more strategic functions. This is dependent on the skills and interests of the individual but could include budgeting, research, and more.

The Benji Project Equal Employment Opportunity Policy 

The Benji Project provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. 

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.