Director of Development and Communications

Maryland Nonprofits; Towson (MD); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Group health benefits

HSA

Paid leave

Retirement plan

Life insurance

Long-term disability

12 paid holidays

Hybrid work Towson office

Job summary

ICJS seeks a Senior Director for Development and Communications to build capacity for interreligious dialogue and public life. You will lead fundraising, campaigns, online giving, and grants while supervising communications and marketing.

You’ll report to the Executive Director and work with the Leadership Team and Board to advance ICJS’s mission from Towson, MD. You’ll oversee donor stewardship, cultivate major gifts, and ensure ethical fundraising aligned with AFP standards, guiding a

Qualifications

• Demonstrated interest and commitment to ICJS mission and values.
• Successful track record in fundraising via grants, annual giving, and major donors.
• Ability to articulate religious diversity and public life issues.
• Strong writing, editing, and relationship-building skills.
• Admin experience in complex settings with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead organization-wide fundraising plan aligned with goals.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and report grants from funders.
• Cultivate and steward major donors; match funders to opportunities.
• Develop multiple giving channels (online, monthly, stocks, planned giving).
• Ensure accurate, secure development data and reports.
• Manage vendor relationships and contracts for the team.
• Represent ICJS in the community and engage trustees.
• Design donor stewardship and ongoing communication strategies.

Skills

Fundraising

Grant writing

Donor relations

Strategic planning

Leadership

Communication

Storytelling

Project management

Tools

CRM software

Job description

ICJS seeks a hopeful, creative, and courageous individual who is interested in growing institutional capacity for addressing religious diversity and public life. ICJS is an independent, educational nonprofit advancing interreligious dialogue and understanding to build and sustain a multireligious democracy in the United States. To fulfill that promise, we seek to engage and dialogue across religious difference, including with people who identify as non-religious.

• ICJS Vision: An interreligious society in which dialogue replaces division, friendship overcomes fear, and education eradicates ignorance.
• ICJS Mission: To dismantle religious bias and bigotry, ICJS builds learning communities where religious difference becomes a powerful force for good.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Director for Development and Communications(Senior Director) is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing all short- and long-term philanthropic efforts for the ICJS. The Senior Director works closely with the Executive Director to encourage an organizational culture of philanthropy at ICJS by building and nurturing relationships at all levels of the organization and throughout the community.

The Senior Director plans and implements best practices in all channels of fundraising, including major donors, annual campaign, online giving, corporate and foundation giving, institutional grants, and planned giving. By collaborating with the full ICJS staff and board, the Senior Director connects funders and prospective funders to the work and mission of ICJS. The Senior Director oversees the communication and marketing efforts of the organization to ensure consistent, mission-oriented messaging to all internal and external audiences.

The Senior Director is a member of the Leadership Team and the Executive Team and reports to the Executive Director. The Senior Director supervises the Director of Communications and Marketing and the Development Manager.

POSITION DETAILS

Fundraising

• Lead the organization-wide commitment to practice ethical and effective fundraising as described by the AFP Code of Ethical Standards.
• Create and implement a development plan focused on annual goals that align with multi-year organizational needs.
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit grants from corporate, foundation and institutional funders; produce timely and accurate reports to grant funders.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors by actively building relationships and matching these donors with ICJS funding opportunities
• Develop, maintain, and promote multiple ways to give, including: online, monthly donations, stock gifts, Donor Advised Funds, IRA contributions, and planned giving.
• Ensure that all development data, including all gift records and grant documentation, is accurate and secure.
• Manage all vendor relationships and contracts for the team.

Relationship Building

• Effectively represent ICJS in the larger community, when needed, to organizations or individuals..
• Ensure that all trustees understand and contribute to the development work of ICJS.
• Provide a satisfying and fulfilling giving experience to ICJS donors, ensuring accurate and timely thanks, and transparent and interesting communication and reporting.
• Design and lead activities related to donor stewardship, cultivation, and solicitation.

Communications and Marketing Team Oversight:

• Offer overall strategic direction for the work of the Communications and Marketing Team.
• Supervise the head of the Communications and Marketing Team.
• Coach and support the head of that team in developing their own management and supervisory skills.
• Inspire innovative thinking about how to use communications and marketing to bring our mission forward.
• Ensure that all communications and marketing activities operate consistently and ethically within the mission and values of the ICJS.
• Instill a sense of accountability.

Organizational Leadership

• Serve on the executive leadership team, contributing to the strategic direction, mission focus, and team culture of ICJS.
• Staff the Development Committee of the Board.
• Provide regular and accurate reports to the Executive Director, Board of Trustees, and Development Committee, benchmarking progress based on funding plan goals.
• Develop annual revenue goals for the annual budget; create and oversee the expense budget for the Development Team.
• Provide leadership and orientation to the board on development activities, expectations, and culture at ICJS.
• Contribute to building a culture of respect, learning, and support amongst staff, volunteers, board, attendees, and partners.
• Serve as a collaborative staff member, able and willing to complete other duties as needed or assigned.

QUALITICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrated interest and commitment to the mission and vision of ICJS.
• Commitment to embracing the ICJS values of difference, equity, dialogue, learning, and community.
• Successful track record in fundraising through a range of vehicles including large donor solicitations, annual giving, and grants.
• Capacity for nuanced communication about religious diversity, pluralism, and religion in public life.
• Administrative experience in complex settings, including excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Transparency, reliability, humility, and gratitude in leadership; an ability to instill trust and confidence among others.
• Strong writing and editing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong working knowledge of digital platforms including CRM software .
• 10+ years experience in development.
• 5+ years experience in management & supervision.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

• $115-125,000 full-time annual salary
• Group health benefits (Medical, dental, vision)
• Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HSA)
• Paid leave (vacation, sick, personal, religious, and parental)
• Retirement plan (with employer contribution)
• Basic life insurance
• Long-term disability insurance
• 12 paid holidays
• Onsite office expectations: Minimum of at least 15 hours/week in our Towson, Maryland office; remote work offered for remaining hours with in-person availability, as needed

START DATE: January 1, 2027

If much of this posting describes you, we encourage you to apply. At ICJS, we acknowledge the research which shows that women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications and recognize that it is highly unlikely that any applicant meets 100% of the qualifications.

ICJS is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a space of belonging for all employees. See our ICJS values for more.