Donor Relations Officer

Ballotpedia is a collaborative team of fast learners and creative problem solvers who are eager

to work hard to make the world a better place. We believe the world will be a better place if

every citizen has access to information to make informed decisions about their vote in every

election in which they are eligible to vote: primary, general, and special elections; federal, state,

and local offices.

We work diligently to present the available information about elections, candidates, judges,

ballot measures, policies, and more in a way that enables our readers to vote with confidence

and to act as engaged citizens outside of the polling booth.

Ballotpedia readers, like Ballotpedia staff, are special people.

When we launched in 2007, we did not go out of our way to seek new readers. Starting with our

small team of visionary idealists, nerds, and aspiring political journalists, we just wrote the best

unbiased online articles we could, especially about ballot measures. Readers found those

articles in droves. It turns out there was an unclaimed audience out there—people who wanted

straightforward facts about political issues, and were willing to read at length instead of just

scanning the headlines.

“If you build it, they will come:” our readers came to our neutral oasis in growing numbers; we’ve

had many millions of lifetime pageviews, we reached nearly half of all voters in 2020, and, in the

month surrounding the November 2020 election, we were the 77th most-visited website in the

U.S.

We’ve come to realize that we need to meet our readers where they are. In doing so, over the

past five years, we’ve grown our email newsletter program from infancy to include more than

1,000,000 opt-in subscribers with more than a dozen newsletters to choose from. We are

working in numerous ways to help put our neutral information in front of people at the times

when they most need it, including on mobile phones while you’re standing in the voting booth.

We firmly believe that our readers, and the mindset we help them cultivate, are essential to the

preservation of our great civilization in a world where too many others are fighting to get us all

addicted to sensational posts and the irrational decisions they foster.

If this is a mission you’d be willing to work hard to achieve, and if this is a team you’d be willing

to work hard with—JOIN US.

The Position

Ballotpedia is seeking a full-time, 100% remote Donor Relations Officer to execute its

fundraising and development strategy to grow our annual and major gift program.

Reporting to the Vice President of External Relations and collaborating with the External

Relations team, you will be responsible for managing a growth portfolio of individual donor

prospects, major donor prospects and corporate sponsorship prospects, as well as driving the

growth of Ballotpedia’s Donor Club program.

This is an ideal opportunity for a nonprofit professional with prior development experience who’s

inspired by Ballotpedia’s mission. As the Donor Relations Officer, you will play a critical role in

increasing donor support and serve as an ambassador for Ballotpedia, utilizing your hands-on

experience to grow our donor pipeline.

The role’s primary focus will be securing funds for Ballotpedia by qualifying donors and

providing them with giving opportunities. Your involvement will span donor research, cultivation

and communications.

The Donor Relations Officer will build strong relationships on behalf of Ballotpedia and engage

with prospects through regular in-person meetings and by phone, employing an effective moves

management strategy.

The ideal candidate will be based near a major U.S. airport, and will have past success securing

gifts in the five-figure range. Expected travel is up to 20%.

Responsibilities

As Donor Relations Officer you will:

● Execute and optimize the development plan, securing financial support from individuals

and foundations to meet annual fundraising goals

● Build strong relationships with donors and prospects to increase their engagement with

Ballotpedia

● Secure and manage a roster of 100-125 donors

● Conduct donor prospect research

● Create regular reports on progress toward fundraising goals

● Draft regular and polished communications to support fundraising initiatives, such as

fundraising letters, annual reports, proposals, newsletters and brochures

● Drive growth for the organization’s Donor Clubs and associated events in collaboration

with other team members

Qualifications

The ideal Donor Relations Officer will have:

● A demonstrated passion for Ballotpedia’s mission

● 4-6 years of fundraising experience, including 2 years of working in nonprofit

development or a field with similar skills and 1 year of experience successfully securing

five-figure gifts and qualifying donors

● A bachelor’s degree

● Outstanding written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills

● Excellent organization skills and attention to detail

● Demonstrated ability to work independently, meet deadlines, multitask, and follow

through

● A strong work ethic and positive attitude

● Responsible judgment, honesty, and dependability

● Ability to maintain confidential information

● Knowledge of and familiarity with the Google Workplace products, Slack, and Asana

● Familiarity with current philanthropy software and database programs (Salesforce

experience is highly desired)

Environment

The Donor Relations Officer will work remotely from their home location. All Ballotpedia staff

work remotely. To join Ballotpedia, you must have a computer with internet access. Ballotpedia

uses Google Workplace (e.g., Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive), Slack, and Asana to accomplish

our goals. Some familiarity with the Google Workplace, Slack, Asana, and SalesForce are

helpful.

Ballotpedia has a flexible work environment, BP Flex, in which every employee enjoys unlimited

vacation and flexibility in scheduling. Each employee will be oriented to the principles of

Ballotpedia’s flexible environment during new employee training.

Compensation

The expected starting salary will be $55,000 to $70,000, commensurate with experience, with

additional fundraising performance incentives.

In addition to salary, Ballotpedia offers a $7,000 annual benefits stipend, which can be used to

pay for a full benefits package, including health, vision, and dental insurance; retirement

accounts; and more. If benefits are not elected, the $7,000 stipend is treated as regular income

and added to salary.

To Apply

To apply, click on ‘Apply for this job’ below and fill out the form.

Please attach the following in PDF format:

● R sum 

● Cover letter detailing your interest in Ballotpedia’s mission and your interest in and

qualifications for position

Please ensure that either your r sum  or cover letter include your current address. Applications

without addresses will not be accepted.