About the State Innovation Exchange

The State Innovation Exchange (SiX) is a 501(c)(3) policy, strategy, and resource center for progressive state legislators. We empower, embolden, and equip state legislators to build and wield progressive governing power by/with/for the people they represent. We do this by providing legislators with the tools needed to shape impactful public policy and by building their capacity to lead with their constituents. We foster long-term collaboration between legislators- across chambers, across regions, and across state lines - and with grassroots movements. Our vision is an equitable, resilient, healthy, and prosperous future for every person in the United States, which is secured and safeguarded by progressive state legislators. SiX’s sister organization, SiX Action, is a 501(c)(4) that works alongside SiX to build the capacity of state legislators by providing policy development, communications tools, and technical assistance.

About this Position

The Senior Associate, Development supports the Development team and senior leaders in securing revenue and amplifying SiX’s brand within the funding community. This national role supports the organization in unrestricted fundraising efforts as well as program-specific fundraising (Agriculture and Food Systems, Economic Justice, Legislative Affairs, and Reproductive Rights). The organization’s revenue (FY ‘24 $10M, combined c3/c4) comes from restricted and unrestricted foundation grants, labor partners, and individual donors. This position supports the organization to achieve a high level of stability and sustainability, which ensures our organization can thrive and live to its full potential. The Senior Associate, Development will support systems management, the creation and dissemination of donor communication materials, grant writing and reporting, and bolster a culture of collaborative fundraising within the organization. This position reports to the Director of Development.

The ideal candidate will be an organized communicator who has experience centering equity in their work and can both take direction and operate independently. The candidate should be a confident collaborator and project manager, as they will be working across the organization and collaborating across lines of power to advance our fundraising efforts. As the Development department expands to support an evolving and dynamic organization that is completing a new strategic plan, comfort with change management and a high degree of flexibility will be required in this position.

At SiX, we commit to equal pay for equal work. To counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, we use a nonnegotiable starting salary system while benchmarking our pay to highly competitive markets in the nonprofit sector. The starting salary for this position is $80,000. In addition, SiX offers competitive benefits, including generous healthcare coverage options for you and your family, life insurance, a retirement match, a flexible schedule, and a generous leave and holiday schedule. More information about our benefits and compensation philosophy is available here. This is a full-time, exempt position. The position is remote and open to anyone living in the continental United States, within one hour of a major airport. The position will require travel, possibly up to 6 times a year.

Notes: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.

Role Responsibilities

All staff at SiX have personalized role responsibilities – the outcomes and impacts you are expected to deliver as part of your unique role within the organization. As the Senior Associate, Development you report to the Director of Development and are responsible for delivering on the following expectations in your day-to-day work:

• Development communications:

1. 1. Lead on the creation of monthly donor updates to ensure that our list of donors, prospects, and partners feel connected to SiX’s work and understand our impact in the field.
   2. Collaborate with the Director of Development and Communications team to create and disseminate strategic communications for our network of funders throughout the year. This could look like a synthesis of legislative sessions, end of year campaigns, and other high impact materials.
   3. Support and help shape donor engagement through in-person and virtual briefings throughout the year.
   4. Create and refine donor presentation and meeting materials.
   5. Ensure staff are kept informed on development work and priorities through updates. Help to uplift the work of the entire team by elevating wins and shouting out colleague contributions.

• Donor cultivation and stewardship:

1. 1. Create meeting objectives, agendas, and supporting materials that align donor interests with SiX’s mission and educate donors on the impact of SiX’s holistic work.
   2. Support the Director of Development and other team members in the organization’s work to prospect, cultivate, steward, and grow relationships with individual and institutional donors.
   3. Support teammates in partnering with program leaders to prospect, cultivate, steward, and grow relationships with foundations providing restricted financial support to SiX.
   4. Support the development of pitches informed by donor research.
   5. Attend and participate in in-person and virtual donor meetings as appropriate.

• Grants management:

1. 1. Collaborate with the Director of Development and other program staff to identify grants to apply for and shape the proposal. This will include grant writing from the Senior Associate as well as supporting teams in drafting and submitting high quality proposals.
   2. Collaborate with finance and program staff to build compelling proposals tied to project budgets.
   3. Lead grant reporting processes in collaboration with team members.

• Development systems and operations:

1. 1. Lead on donor research, proactively exploring funders within our ecosystem to collect data and make informed recommendations on key prospects to pursue.
   2. Maintain and innovate filing and data management practices to create more formal systems.
   3. Manage donor information throughout the donor lifecycle to inform a data driven approach to prospecting, cultivation, asks, and stewardship.
   4. Hold a view of philanthropy sector developments, identifying trends and prospective funders that are relevant to the organization. Manage this information up, sharing it across the organization and identify next steps
   5. Actively partner with colleagues working in finance to ensure deep collaboration between these departments.
   6. Ensure stewardship practices are implemented, including donor thank you letters, calls, tax letters, etc.

• Advance a culture of collaborative fundraising:

1. 1. Partner with the Director of Development and senior leadership to cultivate a shared development ethos across teams
   2. Support, participate in, and help shape cross-team development meetings to build shared practices, bolster team skills, and foster collaborative fundraising.
   3. Integrate a collaborative vision into donor materials, rejecting scarcity and uplifting the field of legislators, partners, and donors that make our work possible.
   4. Support the Director of Development and other team members in bolstering and sharpening the skills of staff participating in fundraising activities.

Core Competencies

All staff roles at SiX are grounded in a set of core competencies that are standardized across the organization based on the type of role you hold. As the Development Associate you will be responsible for delivering on the following core competency expectations in your day-to-day work:

• Equity and Inclusion: You have a demonstrated understanding of the role that racial, gender, economic, and other inequities play in our society and in movement-building and demonstrate an ability to effectively collaborate across lines of difference.
• Program Implementation: You are able to successfully execute the activities of your program/issue area(s) and contribute to the success of your team and the organization overall.
• Partner Engagement: You are able to cultivate and maintain successful and professional partnerships with external stakeholders in the implementation of your work.
• External Communication and Brand Management: You are able to advance the organization’s reputation, profile and brand with key stakeholders. You possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge Management: You are detail oriented and able to support the collection, synthesis and dissemination of information about your team’s work, internally and externally.
• Financial Administration: You are able to provide timely, accurate financial information as needed to comply with all internal financial protocols.
• Fund Development: You are able to assist with securing resources for the organization. Upon request, you may be asked to participate in the design and implementation of funding requests. You may be asked to participate in fund development, both in writing and in-person, to targeted audiences.
• Compliance: You are able to comply with relevant nonprofit laws and adhere to internal policies, practices, and protocols.
• Organizational Culture and Values: You are able to practice and uphold organizational values in your day-to-day and long-term work. You participate in creating a team culture that is productive, collaborative, and equitable.

Organizational Values

All staff at SiX are responsible for upholding our organizational values, which were developed collaboratively by all staff. These describe the way we strive to do our work together and the kind of organizational culture we want to build. As the Senior Development Associate you will be responsible for demonstrating the following behaviors in carrying out your day-to-day work:

• Adaptability and Imagination

1. • We believe there are multiple ways of knowing and welcome opportunities to learn from our past, present and future.
   • We remain open to learning, sharing, and shifting our approach, perspective and process.
   • We embrace the necessity of change within ourselves, our communities, and organization.
   • We have both the audacity to dream beyond what seems impossible and the boldness to pursue those possibilities with tenacity.

• Connection, Relationship, and Collaboration

• • We believe that authentic relationships and principled partnerships are the foundation for building people-centered power within systems that will lead to communities living the lives that we deserve and are fighting for.
  • We cultivate relationships, grounded in trust and respect, to work toward a common purpose and shared vision.
  • We believe that the quality of our work is just as important as the path we take to achieve it, so our passion for excellence does not outweigh accountability to our partners, communities, and each other.
  • We operate with integrity, acknowledging our mistakes and attending to the impacts.
  • We are honest, kind, and direct in instances of conflict and believe that principled tension is necessary for the advancement of our work.

• Wholeness, Consideration, and Care

• • We are whole human beings and honor the fullness of our lives and the lives of those around us.
  • We believe that all people and communities are deserving of joy, rest, safety, and respect.
  • We are flexible in how we work while respecting the space, boundaries, and care of ourselves and those around us.
  • We are responsible for our own emotions and how those emotions shape how we respond to and engage with others.

• Belonging and Difference
  • We believe in the power of our shared humanity and are committed to upholding the inherent value of people, across identities, experiences, and perspectives.
  • We acknowledge the systems that work to oppress the communities we are a part of and collaborate with and are actively working against them to build the world we want to live in.
  • We oppose all forms of racism and are committed to learning and proactively shifting how our behaviors, beliefs and policies reinforce racist ideas and actions.

• Sustainability and Perseverance
  • We prioritize the sustainability of ourselves, communities, and organization by pausing when necessary and reducing harm wherever possible.
  • We understand the value and importance of access to information and learning and operate in a stance of abundance and generosity of resources, ability, and knowledge.
  • We recognize the “long arc” of systematic change work and are deeply invested in the generational commitment and organizing necessary to realize the world we want to live in and can thrive.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit a compelling cover letter and resume to jobs@stateinnovation.org. Please indicate the position you are applying for in the subject line of the email. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority will be given to candidates who apply by Friday, February 14, 2025.

State Innovation Exchange is an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage people of color, women, LGBTQ folks, and immigrants to apply for open positions. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, age, marital, and/or veteran status or any other characteristic or activity protected by federal, state, or local law.