Director, Development & Communications

District of Columbia Bar•Washington, DC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Pro Bono Center was established in 1978 to help people in the District of Columbia who could not afford a lawyer. Since then, the Pro Bono Center evolved from a lawyer referral service into an organization dedicated to providing free legal services to individuals through pro bono volunteers and our staff in housing, family law, public benefits, consumer law, immigration, and services and trainings to safety-net nonprofit organizations and small businesses. The Pro Bono Center serves more than 20,000 individuals, community-based nonprofits, and disadvantaged small businesses annually through clinics, resource centers at D.C. Superior Court, and other programs. Our clinics and weekday resource centers are free, and the cases we place are for pro bono representation. The Director of Development & Communications serves as a member of the Pro Bono Center’s senior leadership team. The Pro Bono Center has an annual budget of approximately $6.5 million. The Director of Development & Communications leads the Pro Bono Center’s multifaceted fundraising, marketing and communications programs. This role represents the Pro Bono Center among donors, community partners, volunteers, and law firms. The Director is responsible for planning, evaluation, management, and implementation of all development and fundraising efforts, including donor solicitation and stewardship, the annual Presidents Reception, major gifts, workplace giving, grants, direct mail, special events, online fundraising planned giving, corporate sponsorships, special gifts, annual appeals, and other new initiatives. The Director of Development & Communications leads communications and marketing activities to support the Pro Bono Center’s fundraising, programmatic, educational, client outreach and volunteer solicitation efforts. The position also serves as a staff liaison to the Bar’s Marketing and Communications department, the Board of Directors, Pro Bono Committee, the Court, external and internal stakeholders, and serves as the lead for special projects.

Requirements

Experience managing development and communications activities in a nonprofit organization.
Direct managerial experience.
Demonstrated success in creating and implementing development strategies.
Ability to think strategically and willing to explore outside-the-box development ideas.
A demonstrated understanding of development trends.
Broad-based fundraising experience including direct mail, individual donor solicitations, foundation fundraising and grant writing, special events, database management, financial reporting and budgeting.
Experience with Board, committee, and volunteer management.
Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and Salesforce Marketing.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including grammar, editing, proofreading skills, and the ability to craft compelling, client-centered narratives.
Demonstrated commitment or lived experience with economically disadvantaged and marginalized communities.
Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills. Must work well in a team environment and be able to interact with Bar members, volunteers, vendors, the public, and Pro Bono Center and Bar employees, donors, potential donors, law firms, Bar leadership, and other stakeholders.
Must be organized, detail-oriented, deadline driven, able to manage several priorities in a day, and work in a fast-paced environment.
Must be adaptable, creative, and self-motivated.
Proficiency with communications and marketing industry trends and marketing analytics.
Must work well under pressure, possess excellent organizational abilities, and be able to manage several priorities in a day. Ability to work some evenings and weekends for meetings, stewardship and Bar events.
Ability to handle and maintain the confidentiality of highly sensitive information.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.
Experience in a legal or human services setting.

Responsibilities

Provides day-to-day leadership, management, coaching, and mentoring to direct reports.
Recruits and retains a diverse workforce and works to create an inclusive environment for direct reports within the department.
Develops, identifies, and directs fundraising strategies, manages development operations including, but not limited to exploring donor advised funds, corporate giving, planned giving, corporate sponsorships, special gifts, annual appeals, workplace giving (e.g. Combined Federal Campaign), voluntary contributions during D.C. Bar license renewal, and other new initiatives.
Determines annual and long-term income goals and associated metrics.
Advises and coaches Bar leaders, committee members, board members, Pro Bono Center staff, and other volunteers on fundraising solicitations.
Develops and evaluates the budget, reports, fiscal projections, and analyzes results of fundraising activities.
Collaborates with the Pro Bono Center and Bar’s and Communications Department for the Washington Lawyer magazine, Bar-wide, communications, digital marketing and content development for fundraising appeals, events, and projects.
Identifies, solicits, and cultivates major donor prospects and promotes an engaging donor experience.
Directs foundation and grant fundraising efforts and identifies potential sources of grant funding.
Supervises, prepares, writes, and compiles components of grant submissions including development of letters of inquiry, proposals, required metrics, data, and reports.
Oversees grants management, grant funding, and manages foundation relationships.
Works closely with D.C. Bar finance team to support the single audit, track spending of grant funding, submission of programmatic and financial reports, and ensure compliance with donor requirements.
Manages fundraising systems, including a donor database, project management and AMS software.
Directs the solicitation and marketing of the Pro Bono Center to donors and prospects through mailed appeals, social media, email marketing, written correspondence, and public relations efforts.
Directs and manages the work of fundraising consultants, ensuring efficient use of resources.
Manages the annual Presidents Reception, which raises approximately one-third of the overall budget. Coordinates with leadership, the honoree, and Development Committee, manages the fundraising team, including an outside consultant, and oversees production of mailed solicitations, email, and phone call follow-up to potential individual, law firm, and corporate sponsors.
Collaborates with the D.C. Bar IT department and program staff to maintain www.dcbar.org/pro-bono, the Pro Bono Center’s website, and independently creates graphics, flyers, video, and written content for the Pro Bono Center YouTube and social media channels including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.
Drafts speeches, legislative oral and written testimony, talking points, memos and other assets for executive director, Bar leadership, and volunteer leaders.
Coordinates the advocacy efforts including the Access to Justice Initiative and other Pro Bono Center legislative initiatives and coordinating with the Access to Justice Commission, and other stakeholders.
Produces the Pro Bono Center annual report and the Pro Bono Initiative’s annual survey and report.
Manages outreach and review process for D.C. Bar Pro Bono Law Firm and Lawyer of the Year Awards.
Staffs and assists with logistics for Board of Directors, Pro Bono Committee, and staff meetings and events including annual Presidents Reception and external events.
Serves as backup in responding to public inquiries about pro bono opportunities and resources.
Reviews donor communications including thank you notes, appeals, donor newsletters, online fundraising, annual report, and other correspondence.
Participates in meetings of the Pro Bono Committee, Pro Bono Committee subcommittees, Development Committees, Bar leadership, and the Board of Directors.
Performs other duties as assigned.