Are you a strategic thinker and passionate leader with a proven track record in fundraising and communications? Support Center for Child Advocates (Child Advocates), headquartered in Philadelphia, is searching for a Director of Development & Communications to lead our development team and elevate our mission to new heights.

Agency: 

Child Advocates is Philadelphia’s volunteer lawyer program for abused and neglected children, providing legal and social service advocacy, through the service of volunteer attorneys teamed with staff social workers and attorneys. Child Advocates utilizes a "whole child" model of representation, while focusing on advocacy for safety, health, education, family permanency, and access to justice for child clients. Systemically, we promote collaborative, multi-disciplinary casework and solutions to recurrent problems. For the community, we provide educational programs to increase awareness about the problems of and ways to prevent child abuse. Whenever possible, Child Advocates seeks to maintain children in their homes of origin. Child Advocates amplifies the child’s voice in court proceedings, and further seeks to protect children by securing social services, advocating as needed for alternative homes, and supporting children when testifying in court. Respected for diligent and effective advocacy in more than 44 years of service, Child Advocates attorneys and social workers move public systems to deliver entitled services and private systems to open their doors to children and their families.

Position Summary: The Director of Development & Communication is an experienced professional and strategic thinker who will help advance the organization’s mission, guide the organization’s corporate and individual giving fundraising strategy, oversee, and execute its related events and relationship-building activities, and manage relationships across communication and fundraising platforms. Reporting to the Executive Director (ED), the Director of Development & Communications is responsible for the development and execution of all facets of growing and stewarding the Child Advocates support base and expanding Child Advocates profile and reputation. The Director is the key contact for the Board and Development & Communications Committee related to fundraising and communications. The Director will serve as a member of the Leadership Team and lead the development staff (total department of 5).

Essential Duties:

Development

• In partnership with the Executive Director and Board of Directors, responsible for achieving the agency's annual revenue goals. 
• Collaborate with ED to create and execute a comprehensive development plan to include Annual Fund, Major Gifts Program, Foundation and corporate charitable gifts, Special Events, Planned Giving, Employee Giving Appeals and other direct mail fundraising efforts.
• Supervise, manage, and support development staff to meet and exceed the agency’s development goals.
• Lead the team in the research, identifying funding and sponsor prospects (Prospect Cultivation), and implement strategies with the ED to foster positive relationships with donors.
• Oversee all grant proposals and management (compliance).
• Ensure that all gifts and grants are acknowledged within appropriate timeframes.
• Supervise and meet regularly with all direct reports to review department and individual goals and provide ongoing guidance.
• Manage and control department budget and related expenses.
• Collaborate with Database Administrator to create and generate ad-hoc reports on program performance and develop programming strategies.
• Develop and oversee the development calendar (this calendar will include the internal deadlines, teamwork progress, and external event or project deadlines).
• Support and prepare the Executive Director for all fundraising efforts including meetings and events.
• In partnership with the ED, and the Development Committee of the Board, supports Board relations, and leads ongoing development and communications reporting, and committee participation.
• Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Communications :

• Develop and implement communication strategies that promote the agency’s mission.
• Set and guide the strategy for all communications, website, and public relations messages and collateral to consistently articulate SCCA's mission.
• Responsible for updating agency social media platforms and updating website.
• Collaborate with the ED and senior leadership to develop communications strategies that develop and refine SCCA core messages to ensure organizational consistency and broader brand visibility.
• Liaison with PR consultants as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree

EXPERIENCE:

• Required: 8+ years of professional work experience in Development in a leadership role with a minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience managing/supervising a development team.
• Experience developing and implementing a comprehensive development plan.
• A comfortable front-line fundraiser with a successful track record in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, particularly major gifts.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills.
• A keen understanding of fundraising best practices.
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft office computer software, email, fundraising database programs (Raisers Edge NXT, Donor Perfect)

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:

• A proven track record of initiating and building relationships with prospective and current donors.
• Familiarity with advocacy work and legal representation and or interest in Law, Child Welfare
• Experience working with a sophisticated donor base; familiarity with the Philadelphia philanthropic community preferred.
• Demonstrated comfort and ability in relationship building, including business development and raising money from individuals.
• Knowledge of federal or government funding and grants, preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Experience overseeing federal grants a plus.
• Excellent written, analytical, research, and presentation skills.
• Willingness and ability to attend evening and off hour donor/events.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills, diplomatic ability, and authenticity in manner and communication.
• Ability to work successfully in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple assignments and priorities.
• Fundamental understanding of financial statements.
• Budget management proficiency and clear ability to analyze data, develop strategies.

COMPENSATION: $95,000 (DOE).  Benefits incl. health, disability & life insurance, 401-K, cafeteria plan for dependent care expenses, and generous leave program.

Our team is currently working a hybrid schedule (three days in, two days at home). Therefore, we are seeking a candidate based in the Philadelphia area.

APPLY TO: email cover memo and resume to:  personnel@SCCALaw.org; include “Development Search” in subject line. *Candidates invited to final interviews will be asked to provide writing sample(s) of development Plan. A sample Development plan is a good indicator of strategic proficiency. A sample grant narrative and budget analysis are good indicators of proposal writing.

Child Advocates does not discriminate in any aspect of employment on account of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Support Center for Child Advocates (Child Advocates) seeks current law students for a Summer 2025 internship.  Work alongside staff attorneys and social workers representing children in the dependency system in Philadelphia Family Court as their court-appointed Child Advocate attorneys. Applications are due by Friday, January 24, 2025.

PROJECTED INTERNSHIP DUTIES under the supervision of a Child Advocates Staff Attorney:

• Attend court hearings with Child Advocates attorneys and social workers (dependency, delinquency, criminal, domestic relations hearings {custody and protection from abuse})
• Work on new cases on behalf of child clients - prepare questions for collateral sources, contact other professionals, gather information, and follow up to complete a case analysis
• Prepare cases for court – draft examination questions, prepare witnesses, assess, determine and make recommendations for the court
• Attend home visits and other places where clients reside to meet with child clients and their caregivers
• Observe treatment team meetings, case planning meetings, interviews, and other case work opportunities
• Learn to keep records in order to document case matters
• Provide research assistance and/or research a topic of interest and prepare memos, briefs, and motions as needed
• When possible, interns may have cases of their own under the supervision of a staff attorney. Applicant must apply for their legal intern certification in order to appear before the bar of the court and on the record. Child Advocates will assist. More information available upon request.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Actively enrolled in a Juris Doctor program at an accredited law school by the time internship begins (full and part-time students welcome)
• Interest in child welfare law, family law, racial justice, direct service, and/or public interest law
• Interest in working in a collaborative and supportive office and a desire and interest to work with children and families from diverse communities in an anti-racist manner
• Legal research and writing skills

TO APPLY:

• Send cover letter and resume to Staff Attorney Shannon Sherwood at ssherwood@sccalaw.org by Friday, January 24, 2025. No calls please.
• Include in your cover letter:
  • Your school’s funding arrangement for summer internships (whether funding is provided directly, through work study, through scholarship applications, not at all, etc.).
  • Whether you will have taken the following courses prior to the internship start date: Evidence, Trial Advocacy, or Professional Responsibility. These courses are not a prerequisite for an internship with Child Advocates, but are very useful to the work interns do.
• References and writing sample may be requested later in the process

This internship is unpaid, but we are happy to collaborate with law schools to assist with interns receiving credit, work-study, or any other funding arrangement, if requested.

SUPPORT CENTER FOR CHILD ADVOCATES

Hiring Values

Child Advocates is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. Child Advocates prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, non-job related ability or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Child Advocates is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.