Development Director

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION

Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County, located in Bethesda, MD, a dynamic, growing synagogue of approximately 1,100 households (one of the 20 largest Conservative congregations in the nation), is seeking a full-time Development Director to lead its fundraising operations.

The Director of Development is responsible for designing, implementing, and leading a comprehensive development/fundraising program to support Congregation Beth El’s vision and goals for today ensuring its continued financial sustainability in the future. As we reimagine what synagogue life looks like, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with leadership in strategizing and implementing a new development program that will have an impact on our community.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work closely with a lay-led Development Committee to design and implement a strategic advancement and fundraising plan and help nurture a “culture of philanthropy” that will ensure the plan’s success.
• Cultivate deep and meaningful relationships with our members, donors, and partners, ensuring they feel connected, and empowered to make a difference.
• Create a strategic fundraising plan and help manage major development efforts, including the Annual Campaign and capital campaigns; work with lay leaders to conceive and direct new special fundraising programs.
• Help to bolster a sustainable Planned and Legacy Giving Program and help shape a plan to create an endowment fund.
• Provide regular reports and communications to the Board of Directors and help create Board engagement opportunities that increase their involvement in philanthropy.
• Recruit and supervise congregant volunteers (e.g., Board members, other committee chairs) for fundraising and outreach to members and help sustain advancement efforts within the congregation.
• Track campaign performance, as well as overall impact (i.e., retention rate, donor acquisition) and utilize analytics to guide individual and overall fundraising strategy.
• Strengthen systems and processes for donor operations and management and ensure timely gift processing.
• Oversee all donor recognition with a focus on making all members of the community feel valued and ensure that ongoing gifts are properly acknowledged.
• Leverage data and institutional knowledge to build a robust pipeline and develop donor-specific strategies for outreach and cultivation.
• Work closely with the other Communication team to help craft compelling donor-facing communications and amplify our message across multiple platforms.
• Seek new grant opportunities, while continuing to build upon existing relationships with family, institutional and government funders.

QUALIFICATONS

• At least five years’ experience in non-profit fundraising, including annual campaigns, major gift solicitations, capital campaigns, and/or planned giving.
• A proven track record of actively cultivating, soliciting, and closing philanthropic gifts.
• Experience motivating staff, boards, and other volunteers around fundraising efforts.
• Ability to collaborate closely with teams while also working independently and maintaining an “entrepreneurial spirit” to take advantage of new opportunities and ideas.
•• Ability to accurately manage numerous details of several simultaneous projects.
• Familiarity with major issues, trends, and strategies in the fundraising field, with the ability to bring these ideas and strategies to Beth El’s fundraising endeavors.
• Familiarity with Jewish traditions and practices around tzedakah.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and CRM systems. Knowledge of Salesforce is a plus.
• Flexible schedule, with the ability to work some evenings and weekends.

Interested applicants should send resume and optional cover letter to Heather Garrett at [email protected]