The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania (ACLU-PA) is seeking a full-time philanthropic engagement specialist in the Philadelphia or Pittsburgh region 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 fundraising professional dedicated to social justice to join Pennsylvania’s premier defender of civil liberties. We are a passionate, highly motivated group of attorneys, public policy and legislative advocates, communications experts, community organizers, administrators, and fundraisers, and we are looking for exceptional talent to join our team.

The philanthropic engagement specialist, alongside the director of philanthropy, assistant director of philanthropy, development operations specialist, major gifts officer, and executive director, will serve as a key member of our five-person fundraising team. The philanthropic engagement specialist supports the ACLU of Pennsylvania’s goals to build meaningful relationships with individuals interested in supporting its mission. This role will aid the development team in advancing its work through donor events and communications. The philanthropic engagement specialist will plan and ensure the smooth execution of virtual and in-person events, handle logistics and coordinate with external vendors, assist in creating donor communications and marketing content, and provide general administrative support. This position reports to the director of philanthropy and partners with other ACLU-PA teams to achieve project objectives. 

The philanthropic engagement specialist will be positioned to significantly impact the development program of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position based in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh and presents an exciting opportunity for a professional who has a desire to strengthen a development program and a deep passion for civil liberties work. Please note that this position is hybrid, with a suggested two days a week in office. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Donor Communications Support 

Donor Cultivation, Retention, and Stewardship

• Assist in the portfolio management of assigned donors and prospects, helping the development team to cultivate, solicit, and steward their support through the creation of donor materials. 
• Design one-page concept papers for specific priority issue areas of work. 
• Assist in the creation of proposals. 
• Gather donor and volunteer stories and statistics to build the case for support and inspire giving.
• Contribute to the ambitious organizational goal of expanding unrestricted fundraising from major donors by 10% over the next year.

Fundraising Appeals

• Work with the Director of Philanthropy to conceptualize and create digital and direct mail appeals to reach current donors across multiple platforms.
• Target compelling communication and content strategically for unique stakeholder groups.
• Build on the strengths of the existing fundraising program to develop an expanded approach in support of ambitious annual goals.

Event Planning and Management

• Plan and manage (in conjunction with staff) an annual calendar of development events that complement and achieve fundraising and donor engagement goals and build member loyalty and retention.
• Events include webinars, small group boutique in-person events, insider briefings, and panel discussions. 
• Event management duties include, but are not limited to, event planning and budgeting, identifying and working with venues and external vendors, coordinating volunteers, assisting in program development, guest list management and recording of attendees in the database, and managing event-day logistics. 

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Expressed commitment to the ACLU-PA’s mission and core priorities, including criminal legal reform, voting rights, First Amendment rights, immigrants’ rights, TLGBQIA+ equality, privacy and security, and racial justice, and experience centering those directly impacted by these issues.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstances.
• Strong dedication to ethical fundraising through a racial justice lens, including an emphasis on centering the voices of directly impacted individuals and a resistance to using tokenism or white savior narratives in fundraising work.
• Execute other projects and tasks as assigned by the director of philanthropy.
• Provide general logistical support to the director of philanthropy.
• Act as a liaison between departments and coordinate joint project logistics. 
• Demonstrated commitment to working collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of three years’ professional experience in event execution, communications, marketing, development, or related fields.  
• Skilled in and enthusiastic about small project administration, logistics, and event planning coordination. 
• Keen attention to detail and high-quality output. 
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills. 
• Proven ability to multitask and coordinate across multiple projects simultaneously. 
• Creative, highly organized, with the ability to prioritize, work well under pressure, and meet daily deadlines. 
• A track record of working well with colleagues and stakeholders at all organizational levels. 
• Ability to accommodate work during evenings and weekends when warranted. 
• Strong belief in the ACLU’s mission and work to defend and strengthen civil rights and civil liberties. 
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion. Respect differences in race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability, and socio-economic background. 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The ACLU-PA offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and competitive with public interest salaries. The annual salary for the position is $60,000. Benefits include 11 paid holidays along with generous vacation (including two paid shutdown weeks a calendar year) and sick leave; half-day Fridays; individual/family employer-provided health insurance; life insurance and long-term disability; and a defined contribution plan with employer match. This position is full-time, salaried, and exempt.

ACLU-PA has a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and candidates receiving a job offer will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to commencing employment. Exemptions to this requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable law.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references (please include email, phone, and relationship to you) via our career page https://aclupahr.applytojob.com/apply. No phone calls please. All applications are treated confidentially.

Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled, at which time this announcement will be removed from our website. 

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

ACLU-PA’s hiring process will comply with Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Standards (“Ban the Box”) ordinance.

This job posting provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. ACLU-PA reserves the right to change the description and/or posting at any time without advance notice.

ABOUT ACLU-PA

The ACLU-PA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest organization, dedicated to defending and enhancing personal freedoms protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights through litigation, legislative advocacy, and community education. It is a fast-paced environment that addresses headline-making issues with powerful personal stories and dynamic, precedent-setting solutions. The ACLU-PA has three offices, ten volunteer chapters, over 40,000 members and donors, 35 employees, and a $5.3 million operating budget.

The ACLU-PA comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union (the “Union”) of Pennsylvania and the ACLU Foundation (the “Foundation”) of Pennsylvania. The Union is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, and ACLU membership dues fund its lobbying work. Donations to the Union are not tax-deductible. The ACLU Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Foundation funds support litigation and public education efforts. Donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible. The Major Gifts Officer is an employee of the ACLU Foundation of Pennsylvania. 

Both the ACLU of Pennsylvania and the ACLU Foundation of Pennsylvania have the same overall mission, and share office space, employees, and the same board of directors. The two entities are jointly known by the term “ACLU-Pennsylvania.” 

To learn more about the work of ACLU-PA, please visit www.aclupa.org.