About the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee

The DLCC’s sole mission is to win Democratic majorities and build Democratic power in state legislatures. To grow governing power, we battle to win and hold majorities, build their capacity to be self-sustaining, and expand the map cycle over cycle to shape the future of this country. As the official party committee dedicated to state legislatures, we also represent and elevate our ballot level on the national stage to bring more attention and resources to this ballot level.

Over the last decade, a reimagined and reinvigorated Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee has reversed electoral trends and shifted the competitive state legislative map in this new decade. While fighting from behind due to Republicans’ massive war chest, rigged maps, and focus among Democrats and progressives on the federal level, the DLCC has won back a dozen majorities in the states  – including a historic midterm election cycle in 2022 when Democrats flipped four chambers red to blue, and the President’s party did not lose a single chamber for the first time in modern history. 

The DLCC is an all-of-the-above committee that operates year-round, providing funds for the full scope of campaign work and running significant independent advertising to win races. The data, targeting, organizing, digital, communications and fundraising support, and strategic expertise we provide to states is invaluable. Winning state legislatures doesn’t happen in a single election — they are multi-cycle plays, and the DLCC’s work with our caucuses to lay the groundwork for future Democratic wins. And when the DLCC secures new majorities, Democrats move quickly on an agenda that protects fundamental freedoms and builds an economy for all. 

The DLCC has momentum in our strategy for the decade, and we cannot let up. Extreme MAGA Republicans are showing no signs of slowing down their anti-democratic crusade and there’s a long fight ahead of us that will require more investment, attention, and resources for state legislative races. Every victory at our level of the ballot is a win for the future of the Democratic Party, and this year, we’re capitalizing on our progress so far to defend our ground and keep expanding the map for Democratic power. 

Alongside our mission, we also value our team. We are explicit about our culture and values and how they impact our work and collaboration with others. The DLCC staff, along with our Board of Directors, are committed to holding ourselves to a standard of respect, inclusion, growth, and performance that meets the political and organizational requirements of the future we want to build. 

Senior Director or Director of Major Gifts

The Senior Director or Director of Major Gifts leads all aspects of the Major and Mid-Level Gifts fundraising programs for the DLCC and affiliated organizations, ensuring the highest quality donor experience in Democratic politics, a sustainable and growing donor pipeline, and funding our organizational strategy through the decade. Programs include soliciting contributions of more than $5,000 through significant 7 figure individual and foundational fundraising. 

The Senior Director or Director of Major Gifts reports to the Vice President of Development. This role works closely with DLCC’s President, Board, Development Vertical leads, and leadership team to ensure donors receive the information needed to maximize their engagement and investment in our ballot level. This role will have at least 2 and up to 4 direct reports. 

The DLCC is a hybrid organization located in Washington, DC. This position is eligible for permanent remote work or flexible work arrangements.  This position would ideally be based in the Eastern or Central time zones, though others may be considered.

The Senior Director or Director of Major Gifts is expected to model the values of the DLCC:

• CREDIBILITY: We are respected and trusted in words and actions.

• INCLUSIVE: The DLCC values the unique experience and perspective of all who work here. We strive to make all contributors feel welcomed, valued, and respected. We focus on outcomes, recognizing different people approach opportunities and challenges differently.

• INITIATIVE: We exhibit high levels of creativity in our work and need all team members to proactively contribute ideas to move our work forward.

• RESULTS DRIVEN: Our team undertakes projects professionally and executes them fully and to completion.

• RISK: We identify opportunities to employ new ideas and tactics, and execute these ideas when we believe the potential reward outweighs the risk. We evaluate, learn, and improve our strategy, both when the risks pay off and when they do not.

• TEAMWORK: We work collaboratively, additively, and in sync with our colleagues. Our individual work considers the needs, capacity, and expertise of those we work alongside.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate and maintain a strong understanding of the current Democratic and progressive donor ecosystem, a point of view on how it can grow and evolve, and create plans to achieve goals accordingly. 

• Understand DLCC and our affiliate organizations’ programs and impact. 

• Collaborate with the Marketing & Communications and the Political Departments to ensure they understand our major and mid-level donor audience priorities and needs, and our story is effectively told to those audiences through direct communication and the media. 

• Develop and manage the execution of a national major and mid-level gifts fundraising plan and programming that aligns with our budgets and strategic needs.

• Supervise an in-house major gifts staff in the development and management of their portfolios and projects to meet fundraising goals.

• Communicate clear expectations and support, evaluate, coach, and hold team members accountable to meet personal, project, vertical departmental, and organizational outcomes.

• Provide regular cash flow updates and input, recommendations, and analysis of vertical strategic priorities to meet vertical fundraising goals.

• Actively engage and contribute to departmental and cross-departmental projects, programs, and other collaborative opportunities, with the goal of providing a cohesive, top-tier customer service experience for our donor community.

• Manage external fundraising consultants including hiring, contracting, and managing performance to goals on consulting contracts. 

• Develop strong working relationships with donor advisors by providing attentive support to grow their long-term engagement with the DLCC.

• Build and maintain direct relationships with donors and foundation partners, including the management of a personal, rotating portfolio of 100-200.

• Lead the planning of trips, coordinate donor meetings and events, and manage and participate in call time and other tactics necessary to meet fundraising goals. 

• Ensure strategically aligned and efficient donor prospecting, research, cultivation, and follow-up.

• Develop and manage the role of the DLCC Board of Directors, other state legislators, and surrogates in major gifts fundraising as needed.

• Support the Vice President, Development in building an inclusive workplace culture where people of widely diverse backgrounds and talents can thrive.

• Provide recommendations to the Vice President, Development on organizational priorities, including Board of Directors recruitment, organizational goals, and departmental staffing needs.

Outcomes

• DLCC’s Major Gifts program meets ambitious fundraising goals.

• DLCC’s major and mid-level donors evaluate the donor experience as the best in Democratic politics. 

• Each team member and consultant has clear fundraising goals that they are supported and held accountable to meet.

• DLCC’s staff and consultants understand the work of DLCC and affiliated entities and are consistently able to use that information to expand our donor base.

• DLCC’s donor portfolio grows and our ability to hit fundraising goals is resilient to individual donor priority changes and external political events. 

• DLCC’s major and mid-level vertical staff skills and knowledge grow and develop in alignment with the program's and organization's needs.

• Minimum of eight years of experience in Major and mid-level donor fundraising and development for political or advocacy organizations. 

• Three years of experience managing staff.

• Proven track record managing donor, donor-advisor, and consultant relationships. 

• Experience soliciting contributions of 6-7 figures. 

• Demonstrated success in donor maintenance, identifying prospects, cultivating, and expanding an organization's relationships with major donors.

• Communicate effectively in writing and verbally.

• Entrepreneurial, adaptable, and both innovative and risk-taking approach to program development and strategic planning.

• Experience in a highly collaborative environment and ability to work across verticals and departments.

• High energy, results-focused, bold, future-focused and passionate about the mission of the DLCC.

• Fundraising on behalf of both political and non-profit 501 C4/3 organizations is strongly preferred. 

• Foundation fundraising experience is strongly preferred.

The DLCC is committed to supporting employees of varying abilities and to providing reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to thrive at the DLCC. 

The requirements of this role, related to its physical demands, described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. 

All DLCC employees must be able to operate a computer and use a cell phone. For roles at the DLCC that include frequent business travel expectations, we can discuss reasonable alternatives to travel in some instances. Most roles also require communicating with key external stakeholders of the organization in person, via the telephone, or via email. Applicants with questions about accommodations may request to speak with our ADA liaison, Nytoyia Laughlin.

Essential functions of the role include: 

• Working from a computer for long periods of time.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to communicate using the telephone, email, and in person with stakeholders. 
• This position requires the employee to travel to donor meetings up to 30% of the time to attend events, meetings, and conferences offsite, hosted by key collaborators in a variety of physical settings.