Development Director

UnCommon Law fights to ensure that all people incarcerated for violent crime have access to healing, justice, and effective legal representation. Through our unique, trauma‑informed model of advocacy, we provide the space currently missing in the system for healing, accountability, and safe pathways home from prison. In developing new self‑narratives, the people we serve are able to more effectively disrupt violence inside and outside prison and become leaders who change negative societal narratives about those incarcerated for violent crime. Our groundbreaking approach is changing policy and outcomes, driven by the voices and experiences of system‑impacted communities.

About the Role

The Development Director is a dynamic and strategic leader and team manager responsible for designing and leading UnCommon Law’s comprehensive fundraising efforts to help grow and sustain UnCommon Law’s impact and next phase of growth. This role is responsible for all aspects of resource development, including foundation, corporate, and individual giving; major gifts; donor and funder prospecting and stewardship; grant writing and reporting; and multi‑year campaigns. The Development Director will build and manage systems that strengthen organizational fundraising capacity, including developing a scalable volunteer engagement strategy and pipeline to deepen community investment. As a public‑facing leader, the Development Director will cultivate relationships with donors, partner organizations, policymakers, and other community stakeholders while providing internal leadership, strategy, and accountability for fundraising efforts across the organization. We are seeking an experienced, relationship‑driven leader who brings strategic clarity, effective systems, and strong execution to advance UnCommon Law’s work on behalf of incarcerated people.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Spearhead the development and execution of a comprehensive fundraising strategy to meet short‑ and long‑term revenue goals, including setting priorities, goals, and approaches to grow revenue across individual, foundation, and corporate giving.
• Oversee all aspects of donor and funder engagement to identify, build, and steward relationships that generate sustained support, including major gifts and other strategic opportunities.
• Own and grow a portfolio of major donors and funders, leading relationship strategy and execution while partnering with the Executive Team and Board to support and engage key relationships.
• Strengthen organization‑wide fundraising capacity by developing systems, processes, and tools for donor tracking, engagement, and stewardship.
• Lead grant prospecting, proposal development, and submission, ensuring compelling narratives, alignment with organizational priorities, and compliance with funder requirements.
• Manage the full lifecycle of grants, including maintaining a grant calendar, developing and submitting grant proposals, stewarding funder relationships, and overseeing reporting, deliverables, and impact tracking.
• Develop and manage a volunteer pipeline to support fundraising events and strengthen long‑term community engagement.
• Lead the strategy, planning, and execution of all fundraising events, including the annual UnCommon Heroes gala and other campaigns, aligned with overall development goals.
• Develop and manage the annual fundraising events calendar, including budgets, timelines, performance goals, and success metrics.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Communications and Operations to ensure events are well‑coordinated, effectively promoted, and aligned with organizational priorities.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with sponsors, vendors, and community partners to maximize visibility, engagement, and fundraising outcomes.
• Serve as a spokesperson and representative of the organization at events, engaging donors, partners, and community stakeholders.
• Oversee all event logistics, including coordination with staff, vendors, and volunteers, to ensure seamless execution.
• Provide supervision and day‑to‑day management to development staff, volunteers, and contractors, while fostering strong collaboration across teams and stakeholders.
• Build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders, including policymakers, community members, and directly impacted individuals, to advance fundraising and organizational goals.
• Actively participate as a member of leadership to help shape organizational direction, influence key decisions, and contribute to building a strong and sustainable leadership pipeline.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with other teams, including Communications, Finance, and Operations, to support data‑informed fundraising strategies, grant development and reporting, and organizational financial processes including audits.
• Participate in regular staff meetings, training, team‑building activities, and retreats, contributing to a collaborative and aligned organizational culture.
• Assist in cross‑team initiatives and projects as needed to support broader organizational priorities.

Experience

• 2–7 years of direct experience in a similar role leading fundraising for a growing non‑profit with a budget of at least $5 million.
• Demonstrated experience in grant prospecting and management, ability to research and identify grant opportunities that align with organizational goals, and proven ability to lead the development and submission of grant proposals, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and compelling narratives.
• Experience in development, including identifying potential donors and foundations for partnerships and developing strategies to cultivate and sustain those relationships; experience in managing large‑scale capital campaigns.
• Experience in development and ongoing management of internal systems, including CRM platforms (e.g., EveryAction) and DonorBox, with dedication to meticulously tracking and analyzing interactions with donors (individuals, foundations, and government entities) and the outcomes of fundraising campaigns.
• Strong experience in creating, promoting, and orchestrating large‑scale fundraising events such as galas.
• Experience managing a team and leading cross‑functional collaboration; experience incorporating input as well as setting a vision while being a thought partner and supporting the Executive Director.

Skills and Attributes

• Experience thinking and working strategically; ability to think imaginatively about fundraising and possibilities for storytelling.
• Outcome‑oriented mindset, with a proven ability to develop and successfully implement team strategy with a focus on measurable outcomes.
• Highly organized with attention to detail; ability to work independently and coordinate multiple, diverse projects, set realistic deadlines, and manage a timeline.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to forge meaningful relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Integrates organizational values in day‑to‑day work, including in supervision of other employees.
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and unwavering commitment to the organization’s mission.
• Compassion for incarcerated persons and their family members, and a demonstrated interest in criminal justice reform.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and be self‑motivated.
• Effective and persuasive communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Box, and Slack, or an ability to learn on the job.

Benefits and Support

UnCommon Law offers 100% paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and covers 75% for dependents. Employees receive a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) of $200/month for therapeutic expenses. The organization has a flexible time‑off policy (including a February holiday week), generous family leave, flexible hours, FSA, retirement plans, and regular access to training and clinical support. UnCommon Law also commits to building an equitable culture that is sustainable and joyful, with weekly staff meetings, in‑office lunches, and community gatherings to support mental wellbeing.

UCL is committed to providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. UCL does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or prior contact with the criminal justice system. We strongly encourage applications from people impacted by incarceration as well as from traditionally underrepresented communities.

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