Director of Development - Democracy Leagues

Unify America is looking for a relationship-oriented fundraising professional who can identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and institutional funders for our Democracy League division. As our pilot program takes off in Akron, OH, we are building a team of mission-driven, entrepreneurial leaders to lay the groundwork for the future success of Democracy Leagues in Ohio and beyond. If you have proven experience raising money (especially in the state of Ohio), and are yearning for an opportunity to help our democracy better serve all Americans, this might be the perfect opportunity for you to make a difference.

About Unify America

Founded in 2020, Unify America is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission to replace political fighting with collaborative problem-solving. Yeah, we know it sounds audacious. It is. But we’re doing it—by creating civic experiences that reduce polarization, teach essential civic skills, and invite Americans to use their differences to better solve common problems together. Our programs include civic engagement opportunities through local Democracy Leagues and practice grounds like the Civic Gym, which has engaged more than 30,000 college students across the U.S. in meaningful conversations across the aisle.

What’s a Democracy League?? We’re glad you asked. A Democracy League is a locally rooted network of people and organizations working together to make their local civic life more participatory, trusted, and effective. It serves as a hub to bring residents together across differences, train local leaders in facilitation and engagement, and create structures like Civic Assemblies where representative residents can help shape public decisions.

As we continue to grow the first Democracy League pilot, we’re attracting attention from other towns and cities across the country (and especially in Ohio) who want to bring Civic Assembly opportunities to their residents through their own Democracy Leagues, and we need someone with a strong network of relationships and a wealth of experience fundraising to grow our access to financial resources so we can scale our impact.

Position Overview

As our pilot program in Akron takes off (the topic for the first Civic Assembly in Akron was just selected and approved), the Director of Development will help us build the robust and sustainable fundraising pipeline necessary for Unify Akron to hire dedicated staff, run additional Civic Assemblies, and track and report on the impact of the Akron Democracy League. You will also identify state-wide funding sources to help us establish Democracy Leagues in the many additional Ohio towns and cities that have expressed interest in mirroring our success. We are looking for someone eager to build relationships with individuals, organizations, and foundations who might invest in Democracy Leagues, create events and other opportunities for engagement, and meet and exceed the fundraising goals you’ll set in collaboration with our existing Leadership team.

You won’t be starting from scratch. We have working capital and have secured funding from a handful of organizations and individuals to support our work in Akron. But we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of support available for this important work, and the right candidate will be energized by the challenge of establishing a comprehensive fundraising strategy in their first 90 days for Akron, the state of Ohio, and beyond. We’re building the fundraising engine for a democracy movement. The Democracy Leagues Director of Development will ensure Akron thrives as a flagship, secure funding to expand the model across Ohio, and engage national funders who want to see it spread across the country. We’ve got some ideas of timing and fundraising goals for this effort, but we’ll look to you for the expertise to guide us on how quickly we can move and how large a state-wide fund can reasonably be established in the next few years.

The Director of Development will report directly to the Chief of U.S. Democracy Leagues, and will have the support of our Creative and Tech teams for campaign assets and online giving. You’ll also become a part of the team of dedicated Akron residents, politicians, volunteers and contractors we’ve partnered with to build the pilot program in Akron. The ideal candidate will be an excellent storyteller and an organized, tenacious self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, startup environment. As this movement spreads through Ohio, this role will play a critical part in shaping the future of Democracy Leagues across the country.

Responsibilities:

Fundraising Program Leadership: Develop and implement a comprehensive major gifts program and annual fundraising plan, including establishing major gift tiers, processes, and a donor lifecycle from identification to stewardship. In collaboration with our Founder and Chief of U.S. Democracy Leagues, develop creative approaches to diversify revenue streams and drive sustainable financial growth for Unify Akron and other Democracy Leagues soon to be formed.

Donor Engagement: Work closely with the Founder and Chief of U.S. Democracy Leagues to identify and cultivate relationships with key donors and funding partners through:

• Prospect Research and Strategy: Partner with the Founder and advisors to engage their networks and leverage their relationships for fundraising efforts. Implement and lead prospect research efforts to identify new funding sources. Develop personalized cultivation strategies for each prospect.
• Donor Portfolio Management: Build and manage a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals, family foundations, and corporate prospects in Ohio and beyond with the capacity and affinity to make significant gifts ($10,000+).
• Solicitation and Closing: Create and deliver compelling, donor-centric proposals and effectively solicit major gifts. Demonstrate a strong ability to close gifts and meet or exceed ambitious annual fundraising goals, pulling in the Founder and Chief of U.S. Democracy Leagues as needed.
• Stewardship: Nurture authentic and long-term relationships with donors and prospects through strategic communication and in-person meetings. Develop a stewardship plan that effectively communicates the impact of their contributions and fosters continued engagement.

Grant Writing and Management: Research, identify, and pursue grant opportunities from foundations, government agencies, and other sources. Prepare compelling grant proposals, manage the grant application process, and ensure compliance with grant reporting requirements. Collaborate with Unify’s Founder, President, and Chief of U.S. Democracy Leagues on strategic grant-seeking efforts.

Data and Reporting: Manage and optimize donor data in our CRM database. Track all donor activity, and report on performance metrics and progress toward fundraising goals.

Qualifications:

• Deep understanding of the philanthropic landscape in Ohio and proven experience (8-10 years) in nonprofit fundraising, development, and/or growth strategy. We’re looking for someone with a track record of achieving ambitious revenue goals from Ohio-based donors or for Ohio-based programs, with deep knowledge of fundraising techniques, and donor cultivation and stewardship practices.
• Experience in grant writing, grant management, and reporting, which has equipped you with the knowledge of how to build relationships with donors and foundations so our applications have the best chance of being funded.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, with a knack for telling a compelling story and the ability to build rapport and trust with a diverse range of individuals.
• But you can’t just be a great talker - we also need someone who is highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage a pipeline of prospects at different stages.
• Demonstrated resilience and a high comfort level with cold outreach and rejection.
• Strong leadership abilities, with experience in leading campaigns and managing teams (at first you’ll be a team of 1, but we’ve got ambitious goals!)
• Proficiency with fundraising database software/CRMs and donor research tools.
• And on a personal level we are looking for someone with:
  • an entrepreneurial spirit - you don’t need a ton of direction, take the initiative as a matter of course, and can work collaboratively within a small, dynamic team;
  • passion for Unify America’s mission and a commitment to driving social impact - you care deeply about the plight of democracy and want be a leader in the movement to solve our nation’s problems through collaborative decision making rather than partisan fighting;
  • the willingness to commit to embracing radical non-partisanship because we need people and organizations from all kinds of backgrounds and ideologies to make our movement a success;
  • and finally, a sense of humor - fixing how our democracy works isn’t going to happen by next Tuesday. We’re running an ultra-ultra-marathon here and we want to have a good time along the way. Having fun is key to our strategy for building a movement.

Where is the role based?

This role will initially be based in Ohio. This will be a full-time role, reporting to the Chief of U.S. Democracy Leagues, who is located in Akron. Much of the work will be done from your home office, but frequent in-person meetings will be required in Akron and other locations. Since this position requires relationship building, travel to meet potential funders is part of the gig, and occasional evening and weekend work will also be required.