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Development Director

Leo Baeck Institute (LBI) works to preserve and promote the history and culture of German-speaking Jews. LBI operates on a $4M annual budget, consisting of an allocation from the German government, bequests and fundraising. Lovingly known to many as “the attic” for German Jewish artifacts, LBI is so much more, with outward facing programs that educate the broader community

Building on decades of loyal support and positioning for the future, LBI seeks a Development Director who will work closely with the leadership team and Board to expand the organization's philanthropic investments, including individual giving, planned giving, and board support. Strong relationship building skills with lay leaders, moves management background, writing skills, and attention to detail are important. The Development Director will report to, and work closely with, the Executive Director.

Core Areas of Responsibility:

Philanthropic Strategy

  • Serve as thought partner to Executive Director on specific strategies for each campaign, and work closely on an ongoing basis to increase impact and revenue yield
  • Develop annual development plan and calendar while ensuring effective interface between the development, communications, and program calendars
  • Support the Development Committee and the Board to maximize their participation in fundraising
  • On a periodic basis, report to the LBI Board on development planning, activity, successes, and challenges
  • Ensure coordination between the work of the Director of Finance & Administration and Administrative Assistant (responsible for CRM) on overall philanthropic processes

Individual Giving

  • Work closely with Executive Director, Board leadership, and Development Committee to expand $10,000+ donor pipeline and assign cultivation and solicitation tasks through moves management
  • Oversee and organize all aspects of development from direct solicitation to acknowledgements and stewardship
  • Build and manage a portfolio of mid-level donors/prospects to meet annual fundraising goals through solicitations and stewardship
  • Develop recognition opportunities including leadership circle for legacy donors
  • Engage in donor research and work with admin staff to develop donor profiles for major donors
  • Plan and manage small to mid-size donor events

Planned Giving

  • Develop and launch a basic planned giving initiative to lay the foundation for a comprehensive future program.
  • Work with the Executive Director and Board leadership to establish initial policies, procedures, and simple legacy giving options (e.g., bequests, beneficiary designations).
  • Identify and engage a small group of loyal, long-term supporters as early prospects for legacy commitments.
  • Create compelling materials and messaging to promote legacy giving opportunities among current loyal donors, emphasizing alignment with LBI’s mission and values.
  • Implement a system for tracking and recognizing planned gifts, ensuring appropriate donor stewardship and acknowledgment.
  • Educate staff and Board members on the value of planned giving and provide them with tools to identify and encourage prospects.
  • Evaluate results and recommend next steps for scaling the program in future years to ensure it becomes an integral component of LBI’s development strategy.

Foundation Giving

  • Work with Executive Director to develop relationships with established foundation partnerships, and identify new foundations to approach; work closely with Executive Director on strategy development to guide grant proposal development.

Board Development

  • Work closely with Executive Director and Development Chair to strategically develop cultivation events on the development calendar.
  • Engage potential new donors and candidates for Board pipeline.

Oversight of Development Systems

  • Provide supervision of Administrative Assistant in areas of their work related to the effective use of CRM for all phases of development moves management.
  • Develop agenda for regular development team meetings and lead these meetings.

Additional Areas of Responsibility:

  • Serve as a member of the Leadership Team
  • Ability to motivate team members and model best practices in development field
  • Education and Experience:
  • 8-10 years of fundraising experience, ideally with record of success in a constituency-building organization
  • Entrepreneurial in spirit
  • Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple development projects simultaneously
  • Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal
  • Experienced in CRM and Microsoft
  • Mission driven and excited about the work of LBI

This is an in-person position, with a 4-day work week. The salary range of $100-120K commensurate with experience. Benefits include health, dental, vision, and life insurance, generous PTO. Periodic travel required.

To apply: Please send a resume, cover letter, and persuasive writing sample to hr@lbi.org.