Job Description

Atlanta Legal Aid Society (“Legal Aid”) seeks a Chief Development Officer. 

Founded in 1924, our non-profit law firm represents low-income people in a variety of civil legal matters including family, housing, consumer, public benefits, education and health law in a five-county service area (Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett Counties). Our clients and their legal issues are diverse and numerous. Legal Aid employs over 150 staff and operates five offices and numerous units, programs and projects throughout its service area.

The Chief Development Officer will be a member of the senior leadership team and report to the Executive Director. This is a new position for Legal Aid which will oversee all aspects of our fundraising activities, including grants, annual campaign, events, major gifts, and planned giving. As currently configured, the CDO would manage a staff of four, but we contemplate the CDO in partnership with the Executive Director identifying appropriate staffing levels for the work.

This position offers an opportunity to:

• Be part of a senior leadership team as Legal Aid celebrates its centennial, engages in strategic planning, and pursues transformational change to better serve our clients
• Expand the impact of Legal Aid’s mission on the lives of the clients we serve
• Collaborate with an engaged board and a new development committee
• Develop staff committed to fundraising and innovative development activities

Responsibilities 

• In collaboration with the Executive Director, develop and implement strategy for Legal Aid’s comprehensive development program, including annual campaign, events, board campaign, major gifts, planned giving, and community communications. 
• Develop and monitor the development budget in collaboration with the Executive Director and Director of Finance, including progress toward fundraising goals and strategy to achieve goals.
• Develop, plan, and implement Legal Aid’s major gifts initiative, including analysis of current constituents, prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, to meet the organization’s fundraising goals.
• Develop event plans and activities for cultivation, stewardship, and resource development as a part of a comprehensive development plan.
• In collaboration with the Executive Director, develop and implement cultivation activities and personal visits for major and legacy giving.
• Oversee all foundation, corporate, and community fundraising activities, including grants and grant-related activities.
• Lead Legal Aid’s development team. Recruit, supervise, and develop fundraising staff, contractors, and vendors.
• Work with the development team to design multiple solicitation opportunities for current donors and prospects.
• Manage event planner(s) and development team to ensure adherence to budgets and revenue goals and to maximize the cultivation and stewardship value of events.
• Maintain accurate records of fundraising activities and interaction with prospects and donors using Legal Aid’s donor management software, including recording contact reports for all substantive prospect and donor communication. 
• Collaborate with communications and marketing staff to implement development-related communications and outreach and ensure communications support strategic objectives. Write and/or edit high-level communications, as needed.
• Collaborate with volunteers, program managers, and other staff as appropriate, including planning activities, visits, and meetings.
• Collaborate with program managers and finance team to monitor and report allocation of restricted foundation giving.
• Participate in Legal Aid board meetings and prepare board reports for development.
• Serve as a key member of strategic planning staff leadership.
• Serve as staff liaison to the strategic planning committee in collaboration with the Executive Director.
• Serve as staff liaison to the development committee, planning and organizing meetings and leading reporting.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrated development success in a culture of transformational change
• Enthusiasm for meeting personally with donors and requesting major and leadership gifts 
• Knowledge of Atlanta financial resources and philanthropy helpful
• Outstanding interpersonal, relational, and collaborative skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to adapt to the culture of the organization and staff while promoting positive change, and strong leadership skills
• Ability to work with a diverse constituency and people at all levels 
• Excellent organization and time management skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines independently
• Proficient computer skills, including with Excel, Canva, Sales Force, and Classy; familiarity with Legal Server a plus
• Prior experience working in a large non-profit organization 
• Prior experience working with lawyers and law firms a plus

Salary and Benefits

The salary for this senior leadership position with ten years of experience is $120,000. (The salary offered may increase or decrease depending on the actual, relevant experience of the selected candidate.) Salaries currently increase annually based on a set salary scale. We recently engaged a compensation consultant to review our current structure and make recommendations for improvement. The program provides generous fringe benefits including 18 paid holidays (in 2024), 6 weeks paid time off, 6 weeks parental leave; health, life, and long and short-term disability insurance; partial payment for dependent health insurance; a salary reduction option for a flexible spending account; educational loan reimbursement up to $600 per month (after a set off of other loan reimbursement amounts); and a voluntary tax-sheltered annuity with 3% match. This position may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

Application Requirements

Submit a letter of interest; resume; recent writing sample (letter, memorandum, development plan, or relevant correspondence; official college transcript (a copy is acceptable pending your order of an official transcript); and the names, phone numbers and email addresses of three professional references (preferably individuals who have supervised or managed your work), identifying your connection with each, as one (1) PDF using our online application system at atlantalegalaid.org/jobs . 

Your application will be acknowledged. No phone calls please. For assistance with technical difficulties in submitting your application, please email career@atlantalegalaid.org .

ALAS considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or any other legally protected status.

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