Development Director - Texas Bar Foundation

State Bar of Texas; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The State Bar of Texas seeks a proactive Development professional to cultivate and secure major gifts and manage donor relations statewide. This role coordinates with the Fellows Chair, the Development Committee, and district chairs to implement fundraising strategies and oversee volunteering efforts.

Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree, 3+ years in fundraising or membership development, and strong communication skills. Travel across the state is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus three years of professional fundraising or membership development experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, written communication, and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel overnight statewide.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate, solicit, and steward individual and corporate donors.
• Develop and implement fundraising strategies with committees.
• Train and manage volunteer solicitors (200+ volunteers).
• Oversee endowment fundraising and planned giving initiatives.
• Plan and execute fundraising events and annual dinner.
• Maintain donor data and generate tracking reports.
• Represent the Bar Foundation to donors and external stakeholders.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Donor relations

Public speaking

Team supervision

Proposal writing

Education

Bachelor’s degree and 3 years experience

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

MS Word

Excel

Access

Job description

General Description

Reports directly to the Executive Director. Responsibilities to include cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual and corporate sponsorship support for the Texas Bar Foundation. Performs the duties of planning, organizing, directing, and coordinating special development efforts.

Primary Functions

• Works closely with the Fellows Chair, Development Committee, and seventeen district area chairs to develop and implement fundraising strategies, solicit and secure funds, cultivate existing donors, and acquire new donors. Responsible for training and recruiting materials.
• Trains, manages, and stewards volunteer solicitors. Assists in acquiring 200+ volunteers in the 17 districts.
• Oversees the Development Committee and develops and manages endowment fundraising initiatives, including identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors and prospects to secure long-term philanthropic support.
• Develops and oversees planned giving initiatives, including cultivating prospective legacy donors, coordinating planned gift outreach, and stewarding donors who have included the organization in their estate plans.
• Manages achievement award program: supports the selection committees, conducts oral history interviews, produces plaques and mementos, and writes the printed program and presentation scripts.
• Performs duties of planning, organizing, and implementing fundraising events and the annual dinner.
• Maintains accurate and detailed data regarding solicitation activities and creates tracking reports.
• Represents Bar Foundation in communications with donors, volunteers, Board members, and external stakeholders and provides a high level of customer service.
• Adheres to the budget and manages details for development-related events, programs, fundraising initiatives, and vendor relationships.
• Assists with committee and Board meeting minutes and quarterly Board dinners and meetings and works with Board members to support development and fundraising initiatives.
• Responsible for updating donor information in Raisers Edge, and coordinates with Marketing and Communications Coordinator to produce and distribute memorial certificates, Life Fellow plaques, new Fellow certificates, and press releases. Directs and monitors vendors and mass mailings.
• Uses data strategically to produce accurate documents and reports. Requires proficiency in merge documents, database queries, and exports.
• Other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

The ideal candidate will have an entrepreneurial and strategic approach to fundraising. Bachelor’s degree plus three years of professional experience required, preferably in fundraising or membership development with a nonprofit organization. Supervisory experience preferred. Excellent interpersonal, written communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to take initiative and work independently and as part of a team. Experience and demonstrated success with annual giving, major donor programs, and/or individual and corporate solicitation preferred. Active membership in the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and/or other professional associations preferred. Knowledge of MS Word, Excel, and Access required; Raiser’s Edge preferred. Requires strong attention to detail, professionalism, and discretion. Position requires frequent overnight travel statewide.