Development Strategy and Planning Consultant

The mission of the Peggy Browning Fund is to empower the next generation of workplace justice advocates. Our hallmark program provides fellowships to law students to work for labor unions, union-side law firms, and workers’ rights organizations during the summer.  Founded in 1997, we placed over 100 fellows in the summer of 2022 with 72 mentor organizations.  

Through these fellowships, along with regional workshops and the annual National Law Students Workers Rights conference, PBF provides invaluable education and career opportunities while building meaningful relationships between law students and the labor movement. 

Through the years, we have raised support from labor unions, law firms, labor lawyers, and like-minded individuals and organizations. For over two decades, awards dinners honoring respected labor leaders, lawyers, and others was a primary source of fundraising. 

Our long-serving Development Director retired in early 2023.  We are reviewing all aspects of our development strategy. 

The Peggy Browning Fund is searching for a Development Consultant to help us refine and operationalize improvements to our current fundraising plan for fiscal year 2023, which began in April. We are looking for a systems thinker whose experience can support us in the following areas: 

●     Recruiting more, and more diversified, sponsors for our annual conference (in mid-October). 

●     Assessing our award reception fundraising model and providing recommendations for improvements. 

●     Expanding our Major Giving program, The Leadership Circle, which includes expanding support from the labor bar and our more than 1,300 alumni. 

●     Exploring other Direct Solicitation opportunities. 

●     Initiate Planned Giving strategies. 

●     Development staff capacity analysis. 

Deliverables should include written assessments and recommendations for each of these areas, as well as participation and leadership in collaborative planning sessions to operationalize changes to our current model. Other deliverables may include any necessary training for the staff and/or Board of Directors and writing and/or editing new development materials. Our goal once we’ve reviewed and assessed the various funding streams outlined above, is to conclude the project with a holistic strategy. 

Experience with the following areas is especially helpful: 

●     Higher Education and Law Schools, especially Public Interest law 

●     Law Firms 

●     Unions or Workplace Justice Centers 

The workers’ rights movement intersects both in the workplace and in society with poverty concerns, immigration issues, women’s and reproductive rights, racial equity, and LGBTQIA rights. The law students who receive our fellowships and participate in our programs pursue careers that connect many of these concerns.  Among our core values are diversity and equity, and ideally, our development consultant will bring fresh ideas to the practices of fundraising that center these values. You can read our values statements in our Theory of Change document HERE.  

The consultant will work directly with the Executive Director and collaborate with staff, PBF’s Board, and other strategy consultants as needed. We have recently transitioned to using Raiser's Edge NXT, and familiarity with this CRM platform (or similar ones) will prove helpful, especially in planning and operationalizing phases. 

Our anticipated timeline would have the Consultant’s assessment begin on July 1, 2023, and be completed by December 31, 2023. The budget for this project is $25,000-35,000. Please send proposals to info@peggybrowningfund.org. In your proposal, please address how your experience matches the specifications above and include any major questions you would need answered to develop a full Scope of Work and project plan with us. We will leave this RFP open until we find a good match, but proposals received by June 1, 2023 will receive priority attention.