Director of Philanthropy Operations

Job Description

Job Description

Program Description

The Development team builds and sustains the philanthropic partnerships that advance Children’s Law Center’s mission and long-term impact. Through individual, institutional, corporate and community giving, the team connects supporters with opportunities to improve outcomes for children and families across the District. The team is also leading the $15 million Tenacity and Transformation Campaign, a comprehensive effort to strengthen Children’s Law Center’s capacity, reach and lasting impact.

Job Summary 

The Director of Philanthropy Operations leads the operational infrastructure that supports Children’s Law Center’s development program, including annual fund execution, event operations, development communications production, gift processing standards, data integrity and reporting. The Director ensures that fundraising activity is accurately coded, consistently tracked and reported in ways that leadership can use with confidence.

This role is grounded in execution excellence. The Director translates fundraising goals into reliable systems, clear workflows and accurate reports; strengthens existing tools and processes; and supervises and develops the philanthropy operations team. Fundraising strategy, frontline solicitation and appeal strategy remain the responsibility of the Chief Development Officer and fundraising team.

Supervisory Responsibilities  

• Supervise the Manager of Philanthropy Operations, Development Associate and Development and Executive Support Specialist, including assigning work, ensuring quality and supporting professional development.
• Provide tools, resources and training so direct reports understand and meet role expectations, supervisory obligations and program requirements.
• Provide timely coaching, appreciation, constructive feedback and performance evaluation.
• Support direct reports’ professional development, growth goals and promotion readiness.
• Partner with the Chief Development Officer and HR when progressive discipline, accommodations or deviations from standard performance expectations may be needed.
• Escalate staff conflicts, requests to modify job functions or potential deviations from organizational policy to the Chief Development Officer and HR as appropriate.
• Keep the Chief Development Officer informed about high-performing staff, promotion readiness, performance concerns and team capacity needs.
• Identify and elevate trends related to morale, culture, workload, program operations and organizational effectiveness.
• Model and support a positive, accountable and collaborative work culture.

Role Responsibilities 

Annual Fund, Events, and Communications Operations (40%)

• Execute the operational components of annual fund campaigns, including segmentation, list pulls, mail file preparation, mailhouse and vendor coordination, and results tracking. The fundraising team sets appeal strategy; this role ensures that campaigns run accurately and on schedule.

• Coordinate production and scheduling for development communications, including appeals, acknowledgments, newsletters and stewardship touchpoints; manage calendars, workflows and handoffs from draft through delivery.
• Manage event operations, including registration setup, RSVP tracking, guest lists, vendor coordination and post-event gift entry coordination.
• Lead operational planning for new fundraising initiatives by determining how activity will be coded, tracked, reported and maintained.

Systems, Data, and Reporting Oversight (25%)

• Oversee DonorPerfect and integrated platforms; govern campaign, solicitation and financial coding frameworks, including the Source Code Map and Gift Coding Decision Tree.
• Prepare reports and dashboards that leadership uses to track revenue, pipeline and portfolio activity; translate data into clear insights for the Chief Development Officer and, as needed, the board.
• Oversee online giving infrastructure and related automations; manage vendor relationships and evaluate tools, integrations and AI-assisted workflows that expand team capacity.

Data Governance and Documentation (20%)

• Set and maintain standards for gift processing, coding integrity and data quality across the development program.
• Oversee financial reconciliation by designing and enforcing audit practices, coding integrity checks and data maintenance routines; serve as the final reviewer for development data accuracy.
• Own the Development Operations Playbook as a living institutional resource; ensure processes are documented, current and transferable.

Other duties as assigned. 

Required Skills

• Experience managing annual fund logistics, mail or email production, and event operations, ideally in coordination with vendors and internal teams.
• Advanced proficiency with at least one fundraising CRM; DonorPerfect experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to own a function by setting standards, documenting processes and being accountable for data that others rely on.
• Supervisory experience with demonstrated success developing, coaching and holding staff accountable.
• Sound judgment about when to improve systems and when to protect effective existing processes.
• Experience in a nonprofit of comparable scale; legal services, advocacy or human services experience is a plus.

• Excellent organization, project management and follow-through, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to use data, judgment and collaboration to evaluate progress, solve problems and support sound decision-making.
• Experience working with a constituent relationship management database and maintaining accurate, timely records.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams.
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend donor events and time-sensitive projects.

Experience

• Seven or more years of progressive experience in nonprofit development operations, advancement services, or fundraising systems management
• Experience working with a constituent relationship management database and maintaining accurate, timely records.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams.
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend donor events and time-sensitive projects.

Organizational Competencies

• Cultural Humility - Demonstrates openness to self-reflection and to understanding and respecting different cultural experiences and points of view, recognizing individuals as experts in their own cultures and experiences.
• Giving and Receiving Feedback - Engages in self-reflection and gives and receives appreciative, coaching, constructive, interpersonal and evaluative feedback.
• Conflict Management - Recognizes conflict, identifies relevant facts and perspectives, develops equitable solutions, and supports implementation and learning.

Salary and Benefits

The salary for this position ranges from $80,000 - $110,000 annually based on relevant experience. Children’s Law Center offers a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and short- and long-term disability insurance; employer-provided retirement contributions; flexible spending plans; and vacation, sick, holiday, family and medical leave. You can find more details about Children’s Law Center’s comprehensive benefits package at - involved/careers/employee -benefits/.