Finance Director-Boston
harrison farnsworth
ROLE: Finance Director (full-time or part time)
LOCATION: Boston, MA
START DATE: Flexible
ABOUT DEMOCRATS FOR EDUCATION REFORM
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) was founded in 2007 by a group of Democrats who felt their party needed to do more to address achievement gaps in America’s public schools. The DFER Massachusetts Independent Expenditure PAC (DFER IEPAC) was formed in Massachusetts in 2013 to support candidates aligned with the education policy positions favored by the Obama Administration: high standards, accountability, and - in the words of the 2012 Democratic National Committee platform - expanding public school options for low-income youth. Over the past five years, DFER IEPAC has spent more than $2 million supporting dozens of municipal, state legislative, and constitutional candidates in Massachusetts - including the successful campaigns of the only African-American woman and the only Latina woman out of 126 Democrats in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. DFER IEPAC has a large potential base of support - more than 150 individuals donated in our first eight months - and requires dedicated staffing to build the sustainable donor base that will enable DFER IEPAC to continue leveling the playing field for courageous candidates in Massachusetts. Please note that, like other advocacy and political organizations with similar names, we have no formal affiliation with the state Democratic Party.
ABOUT THE FINANCE DIRECTOR ROLE
As the first Finance Director of the DFER IEPAC, you will play a critical role in ensuring that courageous Democratic candidates throughout Massachusetts are supported in their campaigns for municipal, legislative, and constitutional office. Reporting to the Chair of the IEPAC, the Finance Director is responsible for managing a budget, achieving fundraising goals, running events, and communicating with prospects and donors to build a sustainable fundraising operation. The Finance Director will also work with the IEPAC Treasurer, consultants, and lawyers as necessary to ensure compliance with all relevant state and federal laws and regulations. A successful Finance Director will be entrepreneurial and self-starting, with the energy to build an ambitious individual fundraising program and a passion for DFER’s mission to make that energy contagious.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Independent Expenditure PAC Fundraising
● Develop and execute development strategy with Chair
● Prospect potential donors, schedule meetings, prepare advance documents, and ensure follow-up
● Write fundraising communications, such as list emails and letters to individual donors
● Execute communications with donors
● Organize and execute fundraising events for the IEPAC
● Develop event strategy and calendar, plan and execute events, and ensure all follow-up
Administrative and Budget
● Lead donor communications, conducting donor research
● Develop events strategy and calendar
● Database management
IS THE FINANCE DIRECTOR ROLE FOR YOU?
● Bachelor’s degree preferred; Fundraising, political, and education experience preferred
● You are an excellent communicator, both verbal and written
● You love to dream big dreams - and also love to make those visions into reality by creating project plans, following through on commitments, and meeting goals
● You enjoy working autonomously and creatively, creating a fast-paced environment while maintaining a strong attention to detail and ability to stay organized
● You are a DFER , not just aligned with DFER’s core policy goals but moved by the unjust inequalities in our society and animated by the belief that we must act boldly to improve our education system, an inherently political system that requires political action
● Your energy is infectious, and your passion can motivate others to become politically active
COMPENSATION
Compensation for this position is commensurate with experience.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
Democrats for Education Reform Independent Expenditure PAC seeks individuals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds, genders, and sexualities to apply for this position. We are committed to diversity and inclusion in our organization and in public education.
HOW TO APPLY
Email a resume and cover letter or brief statement of interest to jo...@dfer.org