Senior Director of Development

The Position

The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) seeks a strategic, collaborative, and results-driven Senior Director of Development to lead fundraising strategy and execution across individual, corporate, and organizational donor segments. This leadership role will guide the implementation of multi-channel fundraising efforts, including major gifts, corporate partnerships, direct mail, and digital strategies to fuel NWLC’s mission to advance gender justice.

Reporting to the Vice President for Development, the Senior Director of Development will set vision, manage a high-performing team responsible for a $10M+ portfolio, and strengthen organization-wide fundraising strategy, with a focus on sustaining and expanding support from major donors across constituencies.

The Senior Director of Development will represent the organization with top-level donors, partners, and stakeholders, directly manage a donor portfolio to ensure shared accountability for fundraising success, and generate revenue across NWLC’s full range of entities, including its 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), PAC, and designated legal and advocacy funds.

This is a full-time, exempt position of 37.5 hours per week.

The Organization

The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice — in the courts, in public policy, and in our society — working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls.

We use the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us — especially women of color, LGBTQ people, and low-income women and families.

For more than 50 years, we have been on the leading edge of every major legal and policy victory for women. Find out more at NWLC.org

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and execution of a comprehensive fundraising strategy, both near- and long-term, that advances NWLC and related entities’ $45M+ annual budget, with an emphasis on major gifts;
• Oversee, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team responsible for managing a growing $6-$10M+ portfolio, ensuring strategic growth, operational excellence, and donor engagement;
• Directly manage a portfolio of high-value donors and institutional partners, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding transformational gifts of $250,000+;
• Serve as a trusted thought partner to the Vice President for Development and the Senior Director of Foundation Relations, contributing to department-wide vision and organizational leadership priorities;
• Support the Vice President for Development with Development Committee activities and Board engagement, providing donor insights, materials, and follow-up to strengthen volunteer leadership in fundraising;
• Provide strategic coaching and portfolio management guidance to senior leadership and staff with donor-facing responsibilities;
• Advise and execute NWLC’s four-year $100M comprehensive fundraising campaign, ensuring campaign efforts are integrated with broader development strategies;
• Lead strategy, fundraising, and execution for NWLC’s signature fundraising events, including the annual gala, to maximize revenue and deepen donor engagement;
• Oversee strategy and growth for planned giving and peer-to-peer fundraising, ensuring these programs are aligned with NWLC’s overall development strategy;
• Ensure alignment across fundraising, communications, and program priorities, including donor messaging, campaign strategy, and development of appeals and cases for support;
• Provide strategic insight to forecasting and drive long-term revenue planning;
• Partner with Development Services, Communications, and Finance teams to drive accurate forecasting, campaign tracking, revenue analysis, and donor acknowledgment;
• Serve as a strategic partner to the Senior Director of Strategic Communications to align messaging, outreach, and campaign efforts across all individual donor engagement channels, including direct mail and digital campaigns.;
• Represent NWLC with confidence in donor meetings, fundraising events, and public forums, serving as a senior liaison to the President & CEO, Chief External Affairs Officer, Board members, and top stakeholders; and
• Other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess:

• At minimum 10 years of progressive leadership in development, including significant senior-level experience in multi-channel fundraising, major gifts, and corporate partnerships;
• A proven record of securing six- and seven-figure gifts, with the ability to cultivate and close transformational investments;
• A collegial and collaborative approach to management, and demonstrated success mentoring fundraising teams, with a track record of building high-performing, equity-centered cultures;
• Strategic acumen to shape long-term revenue growth plans, influence executive and board-level decision-making, and advance organizational priorities;
• Superior storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to inspire donors, staff, and external partners;
• Strong project management and organizational skills, adept at managing multiple fast pace priorities with clarity and grace;
• Working knowledge of Raiser’s Edge, digital fundraising platforms, and moves management best practices;
• Deep commitment to gender justice, racial equity, and social justice values, with sound judgment and discretion; and
• Willingness to work a flexible schedule and travel as needed for donor engagement and events.

Additional Preferred Skills and Requirements

• 15 years of relevant experience preferred.

This Role Will Be Great for You If

• You are a visionary fundraiser who thrives on setting bold strategies and inspiring teams to reach ambitious goals.
• You bring executive presence and can represent an organization with confidence in front of senior stakeholders, board members, and top donors.
• You have a track record of securing transformational gifts and building deep, trust-based donor relationships.
• You can move seamlessly between strategy and execution, shaping multi-year revenue growth plans while staying close to the details of donor engagement.
• You have an ability to pivot in an organization that has to rapidly respond to the times.

Key Relations

The Senior Director of Development will report directly to the Vice President for Development and manage a growing team of frontline major gift officers and the potential to hire additional frontline fundraisers. The Senior Director of Development will collaborate closely with the President & CEO, Senior Director of Foundation Engagement, Chief of Staff, Chief of External Affairs, and key colleagues across the Development, Communications, Program, and Finance teams.

Compensation & Benefits

A salary within the range of $172,765-194,605 will be provided to the successful candidate with at least 10 years of experience, consistent with the National Women’s Law Center’s compensation framework. The successful candidate’s salary within this range will be determined by the number years of relevant experience they bring to the role.

The Center offers a comprehensive benefits package, and four weeks of annual vacation.

NWLC is a non-profit organization whose headquarters and staff are based in Washington, D.C. at our new office at 1350 Eye Street N.W. This role is based in D.C. and will be eligible for some telework while also being expected to work in person on a regular basis. The successful candidate will need to live in or relocate to the DMV (broadly defined as DC, Maryland, or Virginia).

The first 90 days of employment will be considered a probationary period.

Classification

This position is a management role and as such is not included in the union-represented bargaining unit, NWLC United, affiliated with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union/IFPTE Local 70.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a resume and a cover letter outlining how your professional background is a good fit for this position. Resumes should include exact start and end dates (month and year) of employment, as well as the average number of hours worked per week in each job. Applications accepted until position is filled.

Applicants will be contacted if selected for an interview. We kindly request that interested parties refrain from calling, emailing, or visiting NWLC’s offices to express interest or check on the status of their application.

The National Women’s Law Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage and seek applications from people with disabilities; people of all genders, gender identities and sexual orientations; people of color; and veterans.

At NWLC, our diversity is our strength, and the variety of lived experiences that connect our teammates to the mission of gender justice is our superpower. We know that members of marginalized groups tend to apply for positions only if they believe they are a 100% match for the role. If you are passionate about NWLC’s mission and think you can be successful in this role, please apply. We’d appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

Reasonable Accommodations

If you require reasonable accommodations during any part of the hiring process, please email NWLCHR@nwlc.org.