Chief Development Officer

The Marshall Project is a nonprofit news organization covering
America’s criminal justice system. Our newsroom has been awarded
the Pulitzer Prize twice, and has won most of the country’s top
awards for journalism. We maintain a rigorous independence from the
world of advocacy, but our work has a measurable impact on criminal
justice, rendering the system more fair, effective, transparent and
humane.

The business model for journalism, and for investigative
journalism in particular, faces huge challenges. The Marshall
Project has been successful in building philanthropic support for a
news organization focused on a single, urgent issue of social
justice. We draw support from communities who care about criminal
justice, as well as communities who care about the survival of
independent media and therefore, of democracy itself.

We’ve been growing rapidly every year since our founding ten
years ago, and have ambitious plans to grow further, according to a
strategic plan laid out in 2022:

• We are setting up five local news operations focused on
  criminal justice, and have so far established teams in Cleveland
  and Jackson, Mississippi, with more to come. We’re also launching a
  toolkit for local journalists this summer, to help reporters across
  the country cover criminal justice better.
• We have invested deeply in audiences behind bars, with a
  regular magazine and video series designed especially for
  them.
• Our national newsroom needs to produce more of the top-quality
  investigative journalism that has an impact on criminal justice

 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

We seek a Chief Development Officer who is ambitious,
experienced, and creative. The position will report to the
President and be a thought partner on strategy and execution of the
organization’s fundraising plan. They will be responsible for
guiding the growth and expansion of our funding, through thoughtful
stewardship, aggressive prospecting, and strategic leveraging of
the current network of The Marshall Project. The Chief Development
Officer is a central player in building a sustainable and
successful organization that produces quality journalism, continues
to grow its audience, and has a measurable impact on the system.
This is a job for an entrepreneur

The Chief Development Officer will work with:

• The President, in articulating the case for The Marshall
  Project broadly and building its support base
• The Chief Financial Officer, to build budgets that are both
  ambitious and realistic, and that ensure the smooth financial
  operations of The Marshall Project overall
• The Chief Strategy Officer, to coordinate our efforts in
  marketing and branding and to deploy her talents as a
  representative of the organization in developing our local and
  national networks
• The Publisher of The Marshall Project Inside, to
  build support for our unique journalism products for incarcerated
  and justice-affected audiences
• The Board of Directors, helping them to operate as ambassadors
  for the organization
• The Editor-in-Chief and other editorial staff, to leverage
  their expertise with our donor base and to help them understand the
  operations of a nonprofit media outlet, while respecting the
  division of the business and editorial sides of the house that
  safeguards our journalistic integrity

The Chief Development Officer will lead a team of
high-performing fundraising professionals and must have excellent
management skills. Currently comprising six people plus
consultants, the team must grow in tandem with the growth of The
Marshall Project overall and the Chief Development Officer will be
responsible for scouting new fundraising talent. The team has
responsibilities both for national and local fundraising and must
manage The Marshall Project’s revenue strategy in new
markets. 

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership, Management, and Strategy  

• Guide and direct all fundraising efforts, including major gifts
  from individuals and foundations and a digital membership
  program
• Oversee and develop a team of development professionals
  responsible for major gifts, membership, grant-writing, and
  development operations
• Build a growth plan, engaging both national donors and those
  based in cities and regions where The Marshall Project seeks to
  establish news operations
• Work in coordination with the CFO to set annual budgets and
  fundraising goals
• Guide and oversee an exceptional donor stewardship program,
  including event and committee participation

Board and Donor Relations 

• Work with the President to plan board meetings, work with
  select board committees, build strategy and execute board
  development activities, and deepen board members’ engagement in our
  activities and our mission
• Maintain relationships with top donors and prospects
• Ensure that all deadlines are met, acknowledgements are sent
  and potential supporters are engaged

Marketing and Donor Communications

• Review marketing materials and top-level grant proposals and
  reports, articulating a persuasive case for support

Industry Knowledge

• Collaborate with others in the nonprofit media world to share
  experiences and learning among a dynamic cohort of independent
  journalism organizations
• Attend industry conferences and Marshall Project events across
  the US

 

QUALIFICATIONS

We seek candidates with at least 12 years’ experience in
development and fundraising, including experience managing,
building and supporting teams, especially if geographically
dispersed.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of
identifying, personally soliciting and closing major gifts,
including in the six- and seven-figure categories. S/He should be
familiar with the operations of a successful nonprofit board and
has experience in managing board engagement with the organization
and its mission.

The successful candidate will also bring a creative approach to
the position and the organization. This attribute will be critical
to identifying new potential donors, devising unique approaches to
outreach and engagement, and elevating the work of The Marshall
Project beyond its current audience. Candidates should have at
least a B.A. degree, and familiarity with the tools and systems
commonly used in nonprofit fundraising. Knowledge of and experience
with Salesforce is preferred.

 

WHO WE ARE

The Marshall Project is a nonprofit news organization dedicated
to covering America’s criminal justice system. In 2016 and 2021,
The Marshall Project was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. We have also
been honored with the Goldsmith Prize, multiple National Magazine
Awards, and for General Excellence from the Online Journalism
Awards. We are not advocates—we follow the facts and we do not
pander to any audience—but we have a declared mission: to create and sustain a sense of
urgency about the criminal justice system. We do not generally
cover breaking news (although we curate the reporting of other news
outlets in our morning newsletter). Our work includes
investigative and explanatory projects and shorter pieces aimed at
highlighting stories that other news organizations miss,
underestimate or misunderstand. To assure our work reaches a larger
audience we partner or co-publish with other media outlets on
almost all of our work; we have partnered with more than 200
newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and online sites.

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity. We welcome
qualified applicants of all races, ethnicities, ages, physical
abilities, genders and sexual orientations, including people who
have been incarcerated or otherwise involved with the criminal
justice system.

The Marshall Project works remotely, with physical office space
in New York. Applicants from all regions of the U.S. are welcome to
apply, as long as they are willing to travel. A base in New York or
northern California preferred.

 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This job is full-time, with a competitive salary and benefits
including:

Annual Salary Range: $210,000 to $250,000

100% employer-paid medical, employer subsidized vision and
dental insurance; matching traditional and Roth 401k (immediate
vesting). Voluntary benefits include: Health and Dependent Care
FSA, commuter benefits, pet insurance, short and long term
disability insurance, employee and dependent life insurance, AFLAC
accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness coverage, legal
benefits, personal excess liability insurance, and employee
discount marketplace. We also observe 17 days of paid time off each
year (in addition to office closure between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2),
and provide paid parental leave.

We are headquartered in New York City. This job operates in a
remote working environment, with one retreat per year that is
mandatory for all staff. Other retreats for smaller teams may also
be organized throughout the year. If the director is located in the
New York City region, they will be encouraged to join colleagues in
our midtown Manhattan offices on a regular, but not daily
basis.

 

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, use this form to send a cover letter and resume.

Due to the expected volume of applications, we will follow up
with the most promising candidates, but cannot respond individually
to all applicants. Please know it usually takes us more than a
month to review applications.