Director of Development Operations

Minimum Experience/Education: Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) and 8+ years of relevant work experience. Previous experience working collaboratively and effectively with senior leadership required.

Organization Overview: Compass Pro Bono forges lasting ties between local nonprofits and local business professionals to empower thriving, equitable, resilient communities. Compass Pro Bono believes that thriving, equitable, resilient communities are ones in which the local business and local nonprofit sectors are deeply interconnected. We believe that local nonprofits play a critical role in community well-being, and that local business professionals can play a critical role in local nonprofits’ success. We envision a world in which nonprofits consistently have access within their own communities to the business strategy resources they need to thrive, and in which business professionals are empowered to seamlessly leverage their business acumen to sustain the nonprofits serving their communities.

Position Overview: Do you have a keen understanding of nonprofit fundraising best practices and a proven track record in driving development operations for revenue generation? Are you energized by organizing and optimizing people and processes? Are you a proactive problem-solver with the desire to identify problems and opportunities, evaluate alternative approaches, and generate creative solutions? Are you able to constructively manage up to senior leaders and board members with sound judgment, a positive attitude, and a high level of self-direction? Do you possess a mindset oriented toward continuous improvement? Do you have deep knowledge of Salesforce (or a comparable tool) and know how to facilitate successful fundraising moves management? Do you want to work with a fantastic team at a growth-oriented, high-performing social impact organization? If you’re shouting “YES!”, then this is the position for you!

Your mission: be the strategy and support engine that powers Compass Pro Bono’s senior leaders and frontline fundraisers to substantially grow charitable revenue.

This role is not a front-line fundraising position, but rather a systems-oriented fundraising strategist who is part project manager, part researcher, part writer, part frontline fundraiser-whisperer, and part organizational optimizer.

To be successful in this role, you will: have an impressive understanding of fundraising best practices; be an experienced project manager and effective communicator; be able to work independently with little oversight; be comfortable with, and competent at, “managing up” to senior leadership; seamlessly manage multiple projects while collaborating with internal staff; have the proven ability to optimize and implement organizational processes for maximum efficiency and productivity; have a strong attention to detail; and be at ease in, and energized by, a fast-paced, business tech-saturated work environment.

The position may be based in any of Compass Pro Bono’s four metro regions – Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; or Washington, DC. If based in DC, the Director of Development Operations will work 1-2 days per week in-person at the Compass Pro Bono headquarters office and remotely the rest of the time. If based elsewhere, the Director of Development Operations primarily will work remotely but will be required to travel to DC at least 2x/year. The Director of Development Operations is expected to provide occasional evening and weekend support for Compass Pro Bono events throughout the year, with notice. The Director of Development Operations is part of the national operations team, will report to Compass Pro Bono’s CEO, and will oversee the Development Operations Manager. This position will work closely with many staff across Compass Pro Bono, particularly the regional Executive Directors and Managing Directors.

Responsibilities: The Director of Development Operations serves as the strategic engine driving senior leaders’ effective and successful implementation of Compass Pro Bono’s ambitious fundraising strategy. The position has five core “clients” -- the CEO and each of the regional leaders. Specific responsibilities include:

Ensure the successful implementation of short- and long-term development strategies

• Operationalize the annual development plan by creating a detailed work plan with 100 - 150 incremental tasks, assigned leads, and deadlines
• Draft and annually update:
  • National and regional Case for Support fundraising documents
  • National and regional grant proposal templates
  • Email templates and talking points for fundraising outreach
• Conduct annual audits of online and print language to ensure refreshed fundraising messaging
• Create National and regional portfolios of 75 - 100 existing major donors and funders, known supporters with potential, and new prospects from research and screening
• Build the pipeline of prospective supporters by researching and qualifying 200 - 250 major donor and funder prospects per year for staff and Board engagement for short- and long-term needs
• Draft 10 - 15 grant letter inquiries, proposals and reports per year
• Partner with leadership to develop the strategies and donor pipelines for scaling Compass Pro Bono to new communities

Facilitate the full cycle of donor and prospect engagement: cultivation, solicitation, stewardship

• Onboard staff leaders, and ensure their adherence, to the documented optimal fundraising processes, including episodic review of wealth screening and prospect research, weekly charting of moves, plans for solicitation, and follow-through on those plans
• Develop and maintain national and regional prospect engagement dashboards to track weekly progress in personal outreach, calls and meetings, solicitations made, and donations received
• Hold weekly check-ins with each frontline fundraiser to cement proactive fundraising by reviewing dashboard progress, discussing outreach, and strategizing donor asks
• Steer staff leaders’ donor portfolios and provide weekly guidance and support on next moves
• Be responsive to daily calls and emails from staff leaders and ready to draft custom language, conduct research and wealth screening, and strategize and troubleshoot fundraising scenarios
• Co-staff 15 - 20 National and regional Board and Development Committee meetings per year, and provide group and 1-on-1 support for National and regional Board members’ fundraising efforts

Optimize the development systems and infrastructure

• Oversee the Development Operations Manager, who ensures robust, accurate Salesforce use and project manages individual fundraising campaigns
• Document the development workflow for clarity around staff responsibilities and capabilities
• Ensure data-driven revenue pursuit decisions through monthly audits to identify and report on giving and outreach trends, opportunities for increased revenue generation, and improvements needed
• Prepare for annual and growth-related revenue by building the necessary fundraising tech, processes, and infrastructure to support more prospects, more donors, more staff, and more engagement

Characteristics and Qualifications:

• Energized by the mission of Compass Pro Bono.
• Experienced in “managing up” to drive action by senior leaders.
• Keen understanding of development program donor types, activities, and best practices.
• Polished, entrepreneurial, confident, and organized self-starter.
• High attention to detail to ensure tasks are completed thoroughly and correctly.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, ability to listen well and receive feedback.
• Exceptional communication skills, both in writing and verbal.
• Sound judgment and discretion with handling sensitive or confidential information.
• Strong track record of optimizing organizational infrastructure (systems, processes, etc.)
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, business tech-saturated, hybrid work environment focused on growth.
• Expert knowledge of Salesforce (or a comparable tool) required.
• Experience with Google Suite and Slack highly preferred.

Compensation

Starting salary for this full-time* role is $70,000-$90,000, commensurate with experience. Compass Pro Bono’s current benefits package includes: schedule flexibility; a generous paid leave package that includes flexible PTO, federal holidays, sick days, and up to 10 fixed mental health days each year during which the entire organization closes; medical, dental and vision benefits; a 401K plan with a 1% employer contribution; and employer-funded short- and long-term disability insurance.

• For the right candidate, Compass Pro Bono would consider making this position a part-time role, 20-30 hours/week.

Compass Pro Bono Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

At Compass Pro Bono, a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace is one where all employees and volunteers, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, or disability, feel valued and respected. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory culture and provide equal opportunity for employment and advancement. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and are committed to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all. Please view our core values at https://compassprobono.org/mission/

To apply:

Submit a resume along with a brief cover letter (or video or audio recording) explaining your interest in, and fit for, the position to jobs@compassprobono.org