At the direction of the AJL Board following the January 2019 mid-winter meeting, a committee was established with the charge to investigate the hiring of an Executive Director for the AJL. After much deliberation, it was decided that because fund raising needed to be our number one goal, a search for a part-time, contract Development Associate would be started.
The committee developed the following job description and request for proposal for the position. We encourage all AJL members to reach out to colleagues, friends and family who may be interested in applying for this job. Our hope is to have candidates available for interviewing at the AJL Board and Council Meetings in June.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Kathy Bloomfield at [email protected]
Committee Members:Kathy Bloomfield (Chair), Dina Herbert, Jacqueline Benefraim, Emily Bergman, Michelle Chesner, Rebecca Jefferson, Judy Weidman, Holly ZImmerman
Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) Development Associate
Mission
The Association of Jewish Libraries is an international professional organization that fosters access to information and research in all forms of media relating to all things Jewish. The Association promotes Jewish literacy and scholarship and provides a community for peer support and professional development.
Job Description
The AJL, an historically all-volunteer organization, is looking for a contract relationship with a part-time Development Associate. This position calls for a passionate, engaged, high-energy individual to assist the organization in its fundraising and grantsmanship efforts with the goals of increasing membership, creating a Case for Giving, and establishing an endowment that will support our ongoing projects for and with our membership.
This position will involve communications with the AJL membership along with outreach to individuals and foundations who have a desire to support our work. In addition, we are looking for someone who can research and develop partnerships with organizations that have similar visions. Finally, this individual would assist AJL leadership in developing creative initiatives and programming to provide ongoing support of our fundraising efforts.
This position reports to the AJL President and will be supported by a committee of active and engaged AJL members. There is no physical AJL office, therefore the Development Associate is contracted as a consultant and provides their own access to the space and technology necessary to perform the administrative work involved with this position.
Job Responsibilities
The AJL Development Associate will represent AJL within its membership as well as in the funder community, including with foundations, major individual donors, and corporate and other non-profit institutions. Specific responsibilities include:
- Assist the AJL Board/Council in brainstorming and creating new methods to increase AJL membership, create a Case for Giving to AJL, and establish an endowment
- Raise funds for AJL and regularly meet or surpass fundraising targets
- Research potential donors to gain insight into needs, beliefs and donation habits to understand how best to represent AJL
- Work with AJL’s Social Media team to leverage technology and social media where possible to improve AJL’s name recognition and fundraising activities
- Build upon existing donor relationships and form new donor relationships on a regular basis and network with the funding community by attending conferences and events.
- Develop and manage grants raised for the AJL, including monitoring project progress and reporting to the funding body
- Travel to Mid-Winter and Annual AJL Conferences
Job Skills & Qualifications
Required:
- Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
- A passion for libraries
- A laser focus on fundraising and the ability to start up quickly
- Exemplary oral and written communication skills
- Outstanding organizational abilities and attention to detail
- At least one year of demonstrated successful, creative fundraising experience
- Experience with Jewish institutions, libraries or non-profit associations
- Demonstrated ability to exercise creative, independent judgment and discretion in solving problems, as well as take direction and work as part of a team
- Flexibility, willingness to embrace new challenges, a can-do attitude and a strong work ethic
Preferred:
- Master’s degree in nonprofit administration or equivalent experience
- Two years of successful fundraising experience
Location
As stated previously, there is no AJL office, so location is flexible
Compensation
This is a time-limited, part-time, contract position. Annual compensation is $36,000. Renewal of contract tied to performance.
To Apply
Submit your proposal to [email protected] . If we are interested in interviewing you for the position, we will get back to you within a week.
Visit https://jewishlibraries.org to learn about AJL before you apply.
The Association of Jewish Libraries is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, veteran status or any other applicable legally protected characteristics.
