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Ella Baker Center for Human Rights

Development Manager

Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Oakland, California, United States, 94616


JOB DESCRIPTION

October 2024

Development Manager

ELLA BAKER CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS OAKLAND, CA

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (EBC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California, organizing to shift resources away from prisons and punishment towards opportunities that make our communities safe, healthy, and strong. Named after civil rights hero Ella Baker, we mobilize Black, Brown, and low-income people to build power in our communities. For over 25 years, we have worked from the community to the legislative level to free our people from state violence. We are currently working to end mass incarceration and mass criminalization in the United States through Truth and Reinvestment-moving resources away from failed criminal legal policies and into creating opportunities, also known as "books not bars, jobs not jails, healthcare not handcuffs." Through our programs, such as successful organizing in Alameda County, a robust state policy platform, and national leadership in the movement to end mass incarceration, EBC is building a culture of care to replace cages and cops.

The Ella Baker Center Action Fund (EBCAF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization and a separate but affiliated organization with the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. EBCAF mobilizes our communities - current and formerly incarcerated people, their loved ones, people who are low income, and Black and Brown communities - to exercise their full political power and hold institutions accountable. Like our namesake Ella Baker, we understand that true power lies within the people. EBCAF was born out of the vision to further build power amongst those most impacted by incarceration and criminalization. We mobilize these communities to ensure that our elected officials are focused on addressing the root causes of harm in our communities, instead of investing in failing institutions, such as prisons and policing, that exacerbate that harm.

OUR VALUES

At Ella Baker Center, we win by doing our liberation work in alignment with and guided by our core values:

Prioritize people most impacted by policing and prisonsAccountabilityBlack LiberationInterconnectionTransformationCulture of Care and HealingSelf-Determination

The ideal candidate at EBC understands that our work uplifts the leadership and strategies of those most impacted by the criminal system: working-class people of color. Our primary aspiration is Black liberation, as these communities are the most harmed by policing and prisons. We practice accountability to our communities and each other by giving and receiving feedback, communicating directly, and building a culture of restorative justice.

We seek staff who are looking to not only transform the world but are themselves excited to be personally transformed by organizing for liberation while caring for ourselves or each other. Transformation means that we do not turn anyone away who seeks our advocacy or support based on what the state has charged them with. Inherent in collective liberation work - we ask our staff to do the personal work of organizing to dismantle white supremacy and cisheteropatriarchy, and practice anti-oppression in everyday relationships. Our values mean we are building a leaderful movement, with an emphasis on those who have been systematically denied leadership and power.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights seeks a leader for its Development team. The Development Manager will lead EBC's institutional fundraising efforts. The Development Manager will be responsible for the strategic direction and coordination of the institutional funding portfolio for the organization, leveraging their knowledge of the field to inspire funder support and supporting the team to expand our budget to exceed $5M. This role incorporates both fundraising and organizing skills, with an emphasis on supporting and mobilizing funders to collaborate on funder convenings and larger discussions within the movement about wealth redistribution and philanthropy. The successful applicant will possess at least 5+ years of professional experience in fundraising, be a collaborative thinker, and is politically committed to the movement for liberation. This role will also be encouraged to support partner organizations in building fundraising capacity and engage in collaborative fundraising when opportunities emerge. This role primarily focuses on institutional giving for EBC's 501(c)3 entity and will spend a limited number of hours stewarding gifts towards EBC Action Fund, our 501(c4) entity. This is a full-time salaried position supervised by the Director of Development.

PRIMARY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Development Strategy and ImplementationBuild and maintain strong relationships between leadership-level institutional funders and EBC leadership.Manage relationships directly with current and prospective mid-level funders, who comprise the majority of our institutional funding.Manage grant agreements and monitor compliance with grant agreements, including performing ongoing reconciliation of foundation income.Maintain a strong understanding of the financial position of the organization, and develop budgets and financial narratives as needed for transparency and accountability to our funding partners.Develop, implement, and manage campaign strategy for Development projects.Keeping up to date on programmatic goals and strategies across EBC's impact areas, organize and mobilize both new and existing funders to support EBC's impact, and engage in critical conversations around redistributing wealth to build power in systems-impacted communities.Leverage excellent writing skills to craft, support, and edit grant proposals, letters of intent, and reports for foundations following funding guidelines, parameters, and procedures.Establish multi-year funding plans to meet growing annual budget goals.Seek out articles and participate in training to stay current with trends, best practices, strategies, and industry standards.Prospect Research and Outreach

Partner with colleagues to identify prospects and align strategies.Research, identify, and qualify new relationships with institutional funders through Foundation Online Directory and other tools.In collaboration with the Director of Development and Executive Director, develop and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies that facilitate increased funder engagement and institutional revenue.Prepare reports on foundation funding, including both past and prospective funding.Represent EBC at relevant community events.Development Operations

Serve as the Development Team's database lead and, in partnership with the Director of Development and the Digital Communications Manager, design and implement changes to improve EBC's Salesforce database. This includes improving and managing the overall structure of the database, improving prospect planning and coordination capabilities, and ongoing data hygiene.Develop protocols for data management and revenue reporting in Salesforce. In partnership with the Development Assistant and Senior Development Associate, maintain foundation records and database for long-term data integrity.Develop data visualization and evaluation tools (dashboards, reports, etc.) to support the team's individual giving campaigns and institutional gifts work.Proactively collaborate with the Director of Development and other members of the team to resolve discrepancies, outstanding tasks, and other irregularities in donor and/or funder data.Lead the Development Team's work to successfully manage and integrate various platforms into team workflows (Salesforce, BOX, Google Drive, etc.)Screen and evaluate potential new products and platforms, and serve as the primary point of contact for external sales representatives.Supervision of Development Staff

Supervise Senior Development Associate, offering support in their role. Work with Senior Development Associate to create and meet their professional development goals, and build their leadership. Conduct supervision and evaluations to foster a relationship of mutual feedback.Support the Development Assistant in implementing gift acknowledgment procedures, as well as collaborating on foundation stewardship as needed.Create opportunities for continued political education within the team and encourage those supervised to pursue external political education outside of the department.REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.Outstanding interpersonal skills and adept at building a positive team culture.5 or more years of experience in fundraising, with demonstrable experience implementing strategic institutional giving programs.3 or more years of formal or informal mentorship experience, can be in a supervisory role or other relevant experience.Proven track record in writing successful grant proposals for grants of $25,000 to $2 million or above.Strong understanding and analysis of the criminal justice foundation landscape locally, statewide, and nationally. Backgrounds in other foundation landscapes are also welcome, with a strong analysis of how these intersect with the criminal justice reform movement and how to diversify funding pipelines.Proficiency in budget and revenue tracking towards revenue goals.History of working collaboratively with stakeholders (board members, volunteers, etc.) and coworkers while exercising individual leadership in meeting core job responsibilities.Project management and/or campaign experience, including proven ability to successfully manage multiple time-sensitive projects.History of using CRM/database tools to successfully support funder engagement. Experience with Salesforce is preferred, with interest and aptitude for database development.Aptitude for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of fundraising programs.Commitment to racial, economic, and gender justice, and respect for people of all gender identities.PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

Familiarity with the criminal justice landscape in California and/or the Bay Area.Bilingual Spanish and English preferred.REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

This is a salaried, exempt, on-site, full-time, non-bargaining unit position. There will be times when the position will be required to work in the evenings, on weekends, and participate in outward-facing community events. The Development Manager reports to the Director of Development. This position supervises the Senior Development Associate.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary range: $90,000-$100,000 depending on professional and lived experience. The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights offers a competitive benefits package to its full-time employees, which includes employee health, vision, dental, chiropractor, acupuncture, LTD, life insurance, EAP, paid holidays, vacation and sick time, and the option to enroll in a 401K program. We cover 100% of the employee-only premiums for all medical coverage. Medical coverage begins the 1st of the month, after the date of hire.

EVERYONE WELCOME

The Ella Baker Center is an equal-opportunity employer. Individuals of color, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, individuals with past involvement in the criminal legal system, or who have loved ones currently or formerly impacted by the criminal legal system are strongly encouraged to apply. We do not require candidates to have a degree and we welcome candidates with nontraditional backgrounds. We believe in both the necessity in building a broad, diverse movement to effectuate change and the importance of centering the experiences and leadership of those most impacted by the legal system. We are committed to investing in the leadership of people of color and formerly incarcerated people. If you are wondering if you are qualified to apply, please do.

HOW TO APPLY

Ella Baker Center Website Careers

Resume or summary of relevant experience.Submit a thoughtful cover letter about your interest in the position.A writing sample that demonstrates your ability to convey programmatic impact to funders (3-5 pages max).

Should a candidate advance in the interview process, they may be asked to participate in a brief skills evaluation exercise and submit a portfolio or work samples. Application open until filled. Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as interviews will be offered on a rolling basis.

COVID-19 VACCINATION

The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights recommends vaccinations to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Fully vaccinated is determined two weeks after completing a primary vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine, with, if applicable, at least the minimum recommended interval between doses. All newly hired employees are requested to report their vaccination status and to provide proof of vaccination. The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights requires all employees to wear a mask when working within the building and at EBC-sponsored gatherings. Employees may be legally entitled to a reasonable accommodation if they cannot be vaccinated and/or wear a face covering (as otherwise required by this policy) because of a disability, or if the provisions in this policy for vaccination, and/or testing for COVID-19, and/or wearing a face covering conflicts with a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.

START DATE

January 2025

Nothing in this job description restricts Ella Baker Center's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.