Director Of External Relations

Summary

Join Ballotpedia as their full-time, 100% remote Director of External Relations! Lead the External Relations department in building and growing donor relationships to support Ballotpedia's mission of providing comprehensive election information. You will drive strategy, manage personnel, and collaborate with leadership. This role emphasizes donor engagement, cultivation, and solicitation while supporting revenue and partnership goals. The Director reports to the COO and serves on the leadership team. The position offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits stipend.

Requirements

• Deep passion for voter education, civic engagement, and Ballotpedia’s mission to provide comprehensive coverage of all elections
• 5+ years of progressive experience in donor relations and fundraising, including experience meeting with donors and closing gifts, and at least 2+ years of team management experience
• Demonstrated success in managing multiple donor-related revenue streams, including individual giving, foundation support, and online fundraising
• Proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams, with a focus on mentoring and professional development
• Strong interest in working at an organization prioritizing growth, and understanding of the resultant expectations that places on revenue growth
• High level of organization, attention to detail, follow-through, and the ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously with success and accuracy
• A track record of developing effective donor engagement strategies, with strong relationship-building skills
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling proposals and presentations
• Strong analytical mindset, with proficiency in leveraging data to inform strategic decisions, with the ability to flex between strategic and tactical responsibilities
• High proficiency with donor CRMs (Salesforce preferred) and digital collaboration tools (e.g., Google Suite, Slack, Asana)
• Experience working in sales or fundraising and managing staff from a virtual office
• Availability to travel as needed (approximately 20-25%)

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategic revenue plan to meet annual donor-focused revenue goals
• Lead, mentor, and manage the growing External Relations team, providing coaching and fostering professional growth
• Regularly evaluate and refine department systems, processes, and structures to enhance efficiency and effectiveness
• Build and maintain tools to track department metrics, including progress toward KPIs and donor revenue goals
• Create and manage the department’s annual business plan and budget
• Prepare and present performance reports to internal and external stakeholders
• Lead the development of moves management plans for current donors and top prospects, focusing on matching donors with projects and products that meet their goals and interests
• Supervise the creation and management of donor pipelines, ensuring a robust prospect pool
• Draft and review funding proposals, grant reports, and donor materials
• Manage a portfolio of major donors and oversee the execution of tailored cultivation and stewardship plans
• Collaborate with data sales and non-donor revenue staff to align efforts on donor-funded initiatives and partnerships
• Develop Ballotpedia’s non-revenue outreach plan, including maintaining key relationships and identifying new partnership opportunities
• Partner with executive leadership and other department heads to align on cross-department initiatives and goals
• Represent Ballotpedia at conferences and trade shows, as needed

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with 7-Figure Fundraising methods and experience building robust moves management plans are highly desired

Benefits

• 100% remote work
• Flexible work environment (BP Flex), unlimited vacation and flexibility in scheduling
• Annual benefits stipend equivalent to $8,000, usable for health, vision, and dental insurance; retirement accounts; and more
• Pay range: $90,000-130,000, commensurate with experience