Development & Communications Manager

Apply for Development & Communications Manager, NYAAF

The newly created position of Development and Communications Manager will lead all fundraising activities and related communications.

Reports to: Executive Director (ED)

Direct Reports: Consultants, future Development or Communication hires

Compensation: $100,000 annually

Benefits: Unlimited vacation days, 8 paid holidays, two-week winter closure, monthly phone reimbursement , generous monthly healthcare and benefits stipend. (Note: NYAAF is working on developing a comprehensive benefits plan to be available for all full-time staff in the near future.)

Time commitment: NYAAF observes a 32-hour, 4-day work week (Monday - Thursday) for full-time staff. Our general operating hours are 9-5 pm ET. This position will require some additional evenings or weekend work as needed.

Location: Remote within New York State (applicants in surrounding states, particularly New Jersey, will be considered on a case-by-case basis). This position requires regular travel (anticipated 1-2 times per month), primarily to New York City, for fundraising events and donor cultivation.

About NYAAF

Founded in 2001, the New York Abortion Access Fund supports New Yorkers and people traveling to New York State to access abortion care through financial assistance, case management, and connections to other resources. For twenty years, NYAAF operated as a volunteer collective. In September 2022, we hired our first staff person and we are now a small but mighty team of five made up of people with deep community ties—including people of color, people who have had abortions and used abortion funds, parents, and former abortion fund volunteers.

NYAAF operates a volunteer-managed helpline that fields calls in English and Spanish from people facing barriers to accessing an abortion. Our intake staff and volunteer case managers provide compassionate support to people facing barriers, misinformation, and stigma, and move funds directly to ensure they can access the care they need and deserve.

Following the Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, more people than ever are traveling to New York to access the abortion care they need and deserve. However, more than half of our callers remain resident New Yorkers, because while New York is much more abortion friendly than other states, many barriers still exist. NYAAF directly fills the gaps created by these barriers and has made abortion access a reality for thousands of callers. Since the overturn of Roe in June 2022, NYAAF has supported callers from 37 states (including NY) and 22 countries. In 2023, we pledged 1.8 million dollars to directly pay for abortions—the highest annual amount in our history–and supported 1800 callers from across the country and beyond.

As New York’s only abortion fund, we believe no one should be denied access to an abortion because of where they live or how much money they make. Funding abortion is a radical act of community care.

The New York Abortion Access Fund values a diverse, inclusive workforce and provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws.

Position Overview

The newly created position of Development and Communications Manager will lead all fundraising activities and related communications for the New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF), an organization with a growing $2 million budget. Reporting to and working closely with the Executive Director, this role will focus on developing creative, values-driven fundraising strategies to engage, cultivate, and expand a diverse donor base, including grassroots supporters, individuals, corporations, foundations, and government entities. The Development and Communications Manager will also collaborate closely with the Operations and Finance Manager, part-time Operations Coordinator, and various consultants.

The ideal candidate will be a skilled, experienced, passionate, and values-aligned fundraising professional with strong communications chops, a deep commitment to the reproductive justice movement, and an excitement to bolster the organization’s capacity and build long-term sustainability.

Roles & Responsibilities

This is not a complete list of duties and responsibilities. As the landscape of abortion access continues to evolve and NYAAF adapts to the changing needs of our movement and organization, this job description will be iterative.

Donor Engagement & Cultivation(40%)

Individual Donors

• Lead individual donor solicitation, from grassroots giving to larger-scale donations.
• Deepen relationships with existing donor base and develop strategies for ongoing cultivation.
• Identify and cultivate new and prospective donors.
• Write acknowledgments, appeal letters, emails, and solicitation materials.
• In collaboration with the Operations Coordinator and Operations & Finance Manager, ensure development records are reconciled with accounting records, timely acknowledgments are sent, donor and prospect files are maintained, and donor database (Bloomerang) is regularly updated.

Foundations/Government/Grants

• Manage all grants, supervise the timely submission of proposals and reports, and ensure compliance with grant commitments.
• Lead the identification, research, and evaluation of potential corporate and foundation prospects for solicitation.
• Draft grant proposals.
• Develop and cultivate relationships with funders and other granting sources.
• Attend site visits with prospects and funders.
• In collaboration with the Operations and Finance Manager, support city and state government grants and reporting.

Management and Strategy (25%)

• Develop, execute, and evaluate a comprehensive fundraising strategy, including individual donor outreach, direct mail appeal(s), special events, major gifts, and foundation/corporate/government grant programs.
• Develop and implement a values-aligned gift acceptance policy.
• Train and guide the board, relevant staff, and volunteers to be effective fundraisers.
• Hire and supervise development and communications staff, consultants, and/or interns.
• Monitor NYAAF’s development email account and respond to donor questions and inquiries.

Communications (15%)

• Supervise the planning and production of social media fundraising strategies in collaboration with the Executive Director, Operations Coordinator, and communications consultant.
• Create, draft, and send a monthly or quarterly newsletter to full list-serv.
• Lead the creation of fundraising-related publications, including NYAAF’s annual report/impact statement.
• Serve as a secondary spokesperson for NYAAF to media and fundraising events.
• Work with the Executive Director to develop and update talking points.

Events and Community Engagement (15%)

• Lead the planning, coordination, budgeting, and execution of fundraising events.
• Manage all aspects of NYAAF’s annual fundraising campaign and event, Fund-a-Thon, with support from consultants, the Executive Director, and Operations Coordinator.
• Develop and lead a volunteer fundraising committee/giving circle.
• Attend and table community events on behalf of NYAAF and actively engage new community and advocacy partners, expanding NYAAF’s community presence.

Other (approximately 5%)

• Participate in and support planning regular check-in meetings with the Executive Director, Operations & Finance Manager, Operations Coordinator, and other staff.
• Participate & help lead in-person staff retreats.
• Participate & present at occasional check-ins with the Board of Directors.
• Other tasks as assigned and needed.

Qualifications

As an abortion fund, we first and foremost seek to center and foster the leadership of people who have had abortions, people who have used abortion funds, and people who have experienced difficulty accessing abortion. We also seek to center groups most impacted by reproductive oppression and other intersecting injustices in our leadership. Black, Indigenous peoples, and other people of color, trans and gender nonconforming people, folks from low-income communities, people with disabilities, immigrants, young parents, and people at the intersections of these identities and other marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Required

• Be located in New York State (applicants in surrounding states, particularly New Jersey, will be considered on a case-by-case basis).
• Be committed and able to travel–mostly to New York City– 1-2 times a month for in-person events and meetings, potentially more if based in the NYC area.
• 5-7 years of relevant experience in values-based fundraising, development, and grants management with a proven track record of growing donor base and revenue.
• Experience with and interest in digital communications, media relations, and public speaking.
• Experience working with fundraising software and project management tools
• Demonstrated commitment to reproductive justice and a liberatory framework that centers racial, gender, economic, LGBTQ, and disability justice.
• Strong project management, time management, planning, and problem-solving skills, with a demonstrated ability to take initiative and drive projects forward independently.
• Willingness to support a culture of collective wellness that centers radical kindness, joy, and accountability.

Preferred

• Experience fundraising for small grassroots organizations.
• Experience volunteering or working with a reproductive health, rights, or justice organization.
• Experience working in a fully remote environment.

Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary folks, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building an organization that represents our callers and community, and we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. That candidate may come from a background less traditional to our field of work, and that is okay. We also know that gaps in experience can be filled on the job. We would strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described. We want to hear from you!

Process

• Applications Due: November 15, 2024
• Interviews: November-December
• Offer: December
• Anticipated start date: January 2025

Applications close on November 15. After that date, we will carefully review all applications and be in touch with select applicants about interviews in late November. Due to the large number of applications we receive and our extremely small, mostly-volunteer team, we are not able to respond to every individual and appreciate your understanding. Please refrain from follow-up emails, phone calls, or social media messages.

Salary

$100,000 - $100,000 per year

Apply for Development & Communications Manager, NYAAF