The ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties (ACLUF-SDIC) seeks a Philanthropy Manager.

The Philanthropy Manager plays a pivotal role within the External Affairs (EA Team) in cultivating and stewarding relationships with donors and grant funders to ensure sustained support for the organization's mission and programs. This position requires a blend of relationship-building skills, strategic thinking and project management. The Philanthropy Manager serves as a key liaison between the organization and its supporters, ensuring that donors feel connected to the ACLU's national and local work.

The ACLUF-SDIC is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) civil liberties and civil rights organization. working to advance equality, freedom and justice through public education and litigation. Together with the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, the 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that does our legislative lobbying work, we are a prominent force for the protection and expansion of fundamental rights in California’s second-most populous county (San Diego) and the county with the highest per capita Latina/o population (Imperial).

While there are more than 50 ACLU affiliates nationwide, our work covers the length of California’s border with Mexico. We work collaboratively with the National ACLU and with ACLU affiliates in California, on the U.S-Mexico border and throughout the United States. In addition, we value partnerships and collaboration with community organizations and groups across the state and throughout the binational border region.

The ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties and ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties (known collectively as ACLU-SDIC) have a proven track record of success combining impact litigation, policy advocacy, legislation, research and analysis, public education, strategic communications and community organizing to achieve meaningful social change. We are dedicated to confronting issues that threaten our most cherished civil rights and freedoms and defending the progress the ACLU has made over its 100-year history.

Deciding to apply for any position is an investment of your time and energy. We are providing the detail below to help you decide if exploring this opportunity feels right to you. To learn more about us and have a small peek into our organizational work, please watch the videos linked below.

Videos: Why we do this work | Hope for the Future

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
Portfolio Management: Carries a portfolio of donors and grant funders with focus on sustaining and increasing giving level through meaningful and strategic cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activities.

• Create individual goals and a comprehensive plan based on research for each person in the portfolio. Perform donor and prospect research.
• Utilize research, strategic engagement and relationship building efforts to sustain and upgrade giving for a portfolio of ~50 mid-level supporters. This will require regular in-person solicitation of donations.
• Meet portfolio goals including number of donor meetings and meaningful, monthly personalized donor contacts.
• Oversee ACLU-SDIC's grants portfolio (~10 grants), including owning the execution of grant applications and grant reports with multiple internal stakeholders involved. This will include some grant writing and editing.
• Maintain up-to-date and accurate database records for assigned donors, recording all interactions including detailed meeting reports.

Donor Relations & Communications:

• Design and implement process for stewarding donors who are not in portfolios (calls after gifts, support with production of mass emails, etc.).
• Assist in the production of the department’s annual appeal and cultivation calendar.
• Assist with supporter engagement events (3rd party fundraisers) as needed.
• Support the production of events for all donors throughout the year, varying in topics/staff and location to match interests, and maximize outreach.
• Work with the appropriate staff to create donor engagement collateral, including one-pagers, case for support and more.
• Lead the team’s customer service response to donors and members.
• Assist the department in stewardship of major and leadership donors identify articles and other materials to send donors, reinforcing the importance of their support and our appreciation of their commitment to the ACLU, and share with other staff.
• Participate in National ACLU Development Resources offerings including weekly meetings, and opportunities to engage with development colleagues nationwide. Stay well-versed in National Development calendar to ensure coordination.
• Stay well-versed in the current work of the ACLU, locally and nationally, and be an effective representative of the organization.

Other:

• Take part in designing the process for incorporating community-centric fundraising values into fundraising communications and educational opportunities.
• Serve as a representative of the organization at external events and meetings, as needed.
• Prioritizes professional development and meaningful rest.

 

Our Must Haves:

Our ideal Philanthropy Manager possesses the following qualities:

• You love meeting new people, showing off your excellent people skills, and want to develop partnerships with both internal and external stakeholders.
• You appreciate the big picture, but you sweat the details. You manage projects fluidly, prioritize, and track timelines, data, and information in an organized and systematic fashion. You don't drop balls, miss deadlines, or forget to respond to someone's inquiry.
• You are excited by the opportunity to organize and convene people for a common cause or strategic program.
• You want to join an organization that aspires to adopt an abolitionist framework and a philanthropy team that is committed to the values of Community Centric Fundraising.
• You thrive on a small team, where you can be self-motivated and work independently.
• You are a go-getter and see opportunity at every turn. You also know how to roll with the punches and have a quick bounce-back time after a setback.
• You bring tact and diplomacy to build trusting relationships and advance the best ideas.
• You’re high impact, low-ego, and kind to yourself and others. You understand that this work is for the long-haul and you take good care of yourself.

 

Qualifications:

• Minimum of four years of experience working in the nonprofit industry, with at least two years of frontline fundraising experience OR experience building external relationships and making asks of any kind.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication and presentation skills.
• Interest in and ability to understand and follow many different areas of civil rights work, and ability to describe many different areas of work in a way that is concise, compelling, and easy to understand for donors and prospective donors.
• Strong organizational skills. Ability to develop long-term plans, set objectives, and track progress towards achieving objectives.
• Personal initiative, curiosity about people, and a sense of humor. Friendly, outgoing, and collaborative approach and a strong team-oriented style.
• You are a strategic thinker who is also a proactive self-starter.
• Proven track record of organizing and/or convening people toward a common goal or purpose.
• You have proven success collaborating with tact and discernment across different experiences, power dynamics, and interests.
• You have a demonstrable commitment to civil liberties and civil rights.
• You have a demonstrable commitment to race equity, dismantling white supremacy and incorporating a structural power analysis into work, with knowledge and understanding of how power is manifested in matters of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, ability and socio-economic circumstances.

 

It’s a bonus if you have:

• Experience in a frontline fundraising position with proven record of securing visits with prospective donors, and soliciting, closing, and stewarding mid and major gifts over $10K+.
• Grant writing experience.
• Familiarity with the concepts of moves management.
• Experience qualifying and disqualifying prospects using research and instincts.
• Knowledge and understanding of Community Centric Fundraising Principles.
• Experience with Asana project management software and fundraising databases like Salesforce.
• Prior experience fundraising in a social justice organization- especially those focused on immigrants’ rights, the criminal legal system and advancing racial and economic justice.

 

Cultural Competencies:

Demonstrated awareness of one’s own cultural identity, views about differences, and the ability to learn and build on varying cultural and community norms. A complex understanding of racial justice and the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity. Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture. Proven track record of working across lines of race, immigration status, ethnicity, language, class, gender and other identities and experiences including record of arrest or conviction. Courage and impeccable integrity.

 

Physical Requirements:

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to exchange accurate information, detect/identify documents and the information contained in them, move between areas in and out of the office to complete their role. The employee may need to move various equipment including computer to their work location.

 

Hybrid Working:

The ACLUF-SDIC is headquartered in San Diego, California, though employees have hybrid schedules that allow for remote work.

 

Travel Requirements:

Valid automobile driver’s license and working vehicle required; this position will involve travel throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties. Must be able to accommodate a variable work schedule including nights and weekends.

 

Compensation:

The classification salary range for this position is $71,000 to $105,000 and the anticipated hiring range is: $85,000-95,000. Salary will be determined by a variety of factors, including the knowledge, skills, and experience of the individual selected.

Excellent benefits include four weeks paid vacation; 17 office holidays; 100% medical, vision and dental insurance for staff members and their families; life and long-term disability insurance; gender affirming care, flexible spending accounts, EAP support, and 401(k) plan with employer match and immediate vesting of the employer match.

Our benefits represents a significant additional financial investment beyond base salary — and reflects our belief that people are our most important asset.

 

What Now?

Please submit the required application documents:

• Cover Letter - explaining your interest in and qualifications for the position as detailed in this announcement
• Current Resume
• Writing Sample – please submit a writing sample that demonstrates your writing abilities and is relevant to the responsibilities of this role. Applicants are encouraged to use their judgement in selecting the most appropriate example.
• 3 References – name, email, phone number and position title of three professional references (including as least one supervisor)

 

Anticipated Recruitment Timeline:

We are committed to providing a transparent and timely recruitment process. Below is our anticipated hiring timeline, including key interview stages and dates. While we intend to adhere to this schedule, unforeseen circumstances may require adjustments. If any changes occur, we will communicate them as promptly as possible.

• HR Phone Screens (Phone Call): 7/16-7/29/26
• First Round Interviews (In-Person): 7/29-8/12/26
• Second Round Interviews (Virtual): 8/12-8/19/26
• Final Interview (TBD): 8/19-8/26

Candidates who advance through the process will receive updates from Human Resources throughout each stage. Applications are welcome at any time while the position remains posted, though we encourage interested candidates to apply as early as possible for full consideration.

 

Electronic Applications Preferred. To submit your application, please click here.

 

However, hard-copy applications can be mailed to:

Chief Operating Officer
ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties
P.O. Box 87131
San Diego, CA 92138-7131

 

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, veterans, and people with arrest records and/or convictions.