Fund for Justice Education - Manager Entity Fundraising

The American Bar Association (ABA) was founded on a commitment to advance the rule of law in the United States and beyond by providing practical resources for legal professionals, conducting law school accreditation, developing model ethics codes and more. Today, the ABA remains a member-based organization that works to ensure access to justice for all, a fair legal process, and respect for the rule of law at home and across the globe.

The ABA is committed to service and refining the standards that guide the legal profession. ABA staff are provided multiple types of continuing education and career development opportunities. Your work will help eliminate bias, enhance diversity, and advance the rule of law throughout the US and around the world.

The ABA recognizes the value staff contribute to our success through a generous benefits package that protects their health and their financial security.  The ABA’s wide array of benefit offerings include 401(k), medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, health spending accounts, supplemental life and disability insurance, prepaid legal programs, and a complimentary membership to the American Bar Association, which offers additional benefits.

Flexible/hybrid work arrangements may be available for residents of CA, DC, IL, IN, IA, MD, MI, MN, TX, VA, and WI.  Residency requirements may apply. ABA employees are eligible to apply for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). 
 

Job Summary/General Purpose of Job

• This job is responsible and principally accountable for developing and facilitating strategies, researching and identifying prospects, and fulfilling the development of funding opportunities for a group of entities or business units within the ABA that are seeking charitable gifts and/or grants to support public service programs.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities (listed in order of importance and/or time spent)

• Responsible and accountable for formulating funding strategies, including outreach to individuals, law firms, corporations, and other potential funding prospects to cultivate and develop funding sources for a group of entities or business units within the ABA.
• Utilize department resources to research and identify new funding prospects.
• Collaborate with entity or business unit leadership to identify public service projects, establish fundraising priorities and goals to garner appropriate funding, and develop and execute a comprehensive development strategy to raise charitable donations.
• Cultivate new and existing funding prospects, and collaboratively develop proposals for major gifts, leadership and member outreach, corporate and law firm campaigns, and foundation outreach.
• Lead the development and submission of high-quality grant proposals to identified prospects.
• Stay current on best practices in charitable fundraising and recommend ways to continuously improve strategic fundraising plans and initiatives to achieve funding requirements for entities or business units.
• Advise members, committees, entities, and/or business units on charitable outreach opportunities and approaches and works directly with ABA leaders and members to secure charitable contributions.
• Ensure high quality communications (including compliance and performance reports) are developed and delivered in a timely manner to all relevant stakeholders.
• Independently provide fundraising guidance, training, and support to ABA entities or business units seeking charitable contributions.
• Maintain a keen awareness of the philanthropic environment and leverage this knowledge to continuously grow the network of gifts and grants.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Required Education, Qualifications, Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university or directly equivalent work experience of 4 years.
• A minimum of 5 years development experience, with demonstrated success in securing funding, developing strategies and identifying prospects to secure funding from individuals, law firms, corporations, foundations, and/or government agencies.
• At least three years’ experience in developing and writing proposals for major gift solicitations, foundation inquiries, corporate outreach, grant applications, and/or annual fundraising programs.
• At least three years’ experience in researching, identifying, cultivating, and maintaining prospect lists.

Preferred Education, Qualifications, Experience

• Previous experience working with volunteers or members of a board or committee to identify and cultivate prospects from various sources and implement appropriate fundraising strategies.
• Knowledge of information systems to support fundraising activities, including strong computer skills in Raisers Edge, Personify or comparable donor or membership software, Oracle (or comparable financial software) and Microsoft Office.

Physical Requirements

• Typical office work environment.

Extent of Travel Required in the Job

• As a normal course of business, this job will typically require travel of less than 15% of the time.