Open until filled

The ACLU of Arizona—a leader in the fight against mass incarceration, voter suppression, discrimination in public education, and threats to LGBTQ equality and immigrants’ rights—is seeking a full-time Major Gifts Officer to help expand our organization’s fund development program to sustain our presence and programmatic impact across the state. This is a fantastic opportunity for a professional passionate about social justice to join Arizona’s premier defender of civil liberties. We are a passionate, highly motivated group of attorneys, public policy and legislative advocates, communications experts, community organizers, and fundraisers, and we’re looking for exceptional talent to join our team.

The Major Gifts Officer, alongside the Director of Philanthropy and Operations, Development Associate, and Executive Director, will serve as a key member of our four-person fundraising team. The Major Gifts Officer will help us raise transformative gifts that will expand, enhance, and sustain our programmatic goals. Under the direction and guidance of the Director of Philanthropy and Operations, the Major Gifts Officer will play a key role in managing relationships with existing donors, as well as identifying and securing new sources of funding that will enable longstanding, tangible civil liberties victories. The Major Gifts Officer will be responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of 125 donors/prospects and creating and maintaining strategies for high-level donor stewardship.

The Major Gifts Officer will be positioned to significantly impact the development program of the ACLU of Arizona. This is a full-time, exempt position based in Phoenix and presents an exciting opportunity for a professional who has a desire to strengthen a development program and has a deep passion for civil liberties work.

The Major Gifts Officer will spend most of their time directly interacting with donors – both in and out of the office – while helping donors fulfill their passions and interests through their giving to the ACLU.

• Major and Planned Giving: Expand the number of leadership gifts ($10,000+) and planned giving ACLU supporters in Arizona. Identify, research, and qualify new prospects for assignment to the major gifts portfolio and manage a portfolio of approximately 125 donors/prospects. Develop goals and strategies, cultivation, solicitation, and a stewardship plan for each donor in the portfolio. Engage in face-to-face solicitations with major gift prospects to bring new supporters into the organization. Partner with colleagues from the national ACLU to advance key donor relationships.
• Grants: Partner with senior staff to write grant applications, as directed by the Director of Philanthropy, and prepare grant reports and other communication with funders, based on donor interests and program progress.
• Database: Work within the database to ensure portfolio tracking and accuracy of our donor records. Maintain working knowledge of national programmatic priorities and issues as they occur. Assist with communication to donors about the ACLU-AZ’s mission, activities, and successes in a compelling, inspiring, and motivating way.
• Other duties as necessary.

• At least four years of professional work experience; non-profit development experience, with progressive responsibility is preferred, but other, transferable experience will be considered. Direct work with donors soliciting, closing, and stewarding gifts is ideal;
• Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of and commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and the ACLU of Arizona’s mission;
• Excellent computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office technology (including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint);
• A “people person:” having strong interpersonal skills and enthusiasm for building strong professional relationships with donors, board members, volunteers, staff, and the general public;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to speak comfortably and compellingly with donors about the impact potential of their philanthropic investments in the ACLU;
• Experience working with donor databases and knowledge of Arizona philanthropic community a plus;
• The ability to work occasional evening, weekend, and irregular hours and to travel within the state as needed;
• A commitment to racial equity and inclusion; a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability and socioeconomic circumstance, and able to work with diverse individuals within the organization and broader community.

• Strong self-motivation; ability to bring exceptional initiative, ambition, and follow-through;
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse communities and people;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
• Well-developed sense of humor and compassion; friendly, outgoing and collaborative; and
• Flexibility and willingness to learn new tools, technology, and resources.

The ACLU-AZ offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience, and competitive with public interest salaries. Benefits include three weeks' paid vacation; 100% employer-paid medical and dental insurance, life and long-term disability insurance; 401(k); and twelve paid holidays. This position is full-time, salaried, and exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references including their email, phone and relationship to you. Send electronic materials to Beth Thomson-Gorman, Office Manager at lizabethtg@acluaz.org and please reference “Major Gifts Officer” in the email subject line. You can submit hard copies to ACLU of Arizona, Re: Major Gifts Officer, P.O. Box 17148, Phoenix, AZ 85011. Please also indicate in your cover letter where you heard of this career opportunity. No phone calls or walk-ins, please. The ACLU undertakes affirmative action strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to assure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions. We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact drobinson@acluaz.org. Correspondence sent to this email address that is not related to requests for accommodations will not be reviewed. Applicants should follow the instructions above regarding how to apply.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled, at which time announcement will be removed from our website.

With ACLU affiliate offices in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, the ACLU fights tirelessly in the courts, legislatures, and through community engagement to ensure that all individuals’ rights are protected. We are a passionate, highly motivated group of lawyers, public policy experts, lobbyists, community organizers, and fundraisers, and we’re looking for exceptional talent to join our team.

This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU reserves the right to change the description and/or posting at any time without advance notice. ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction.

The ACLU of Arizona comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and the ACLU Foundation of Arizona. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation of Arizona are statewide organizations with the same overall mission; they share office space and employees. The ACLU of Arizona has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name “ACLU-AZ.” To learn more about the work of the ACLU, please visit www.acluaz.org and www.aclu.org.

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