Legal Services Director jobs in the United States

603 Legal Aid (603LA) and New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA) seek an experienced fundraising executive to direct the Campaign for Legal Services (“the Campaign”), our joint fundraising effort. The Campaign Director will lead fundraising and communications for 603LA and NHLA, two highly-regarded nonprofits that collaborate closely to provide civil legal aid to people with low income in New Hampshire. As the Campaign Director, you’ll raise both money and awareness, ensuring that 603LA and NHLA can continue to assist thousands of Granite Staters when they need free legal help to meet their most basic human needs.

This position is based in the Concord, NH offices of 603LA and NHLA, with regular local travel around New Hampshire. At present, both organizations allow employees to elect to work on a remote basis two days a week after an initial training period, provided all responsibilities may be successfully performed on a remote basis. 603LA and NHLA will provide you with the equipment and supplies necessary for remote work from your home as needed. The remote work must be performed in New Hampshire, unless you have obtained permission to work out of state. For this role, we expect in-office time to be split 50/50 between the 603LA and NHLA offices. The Campaign Director reports to the 603LA and NHLA Executive Directors and will supervise a newly-created Communications Coordinator position.

NHLA and 603LA are Equal Opportunity Employers. We are committed to building a diverse staff that reflects the communities of low-income and older (age 60 plus) people we work alongside, and we value equity and inclusion in our workplaces. We actively seek applications from Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, people of diverse national origin, the LGBTQIA community, people with disabilities, older adults, veterans, people who have lived experience with poverty, and other people belonging to communities that have historically experienced injustice. 

Duties:

• Partner closely with the 603LA and NHLA Boards of Directors, the Campaign Leadership Council, and the Executive Directors to set revenue goals and design fundraising strategy
• Develop and execute a comprehensive donor-centered fundraising program with a focus on the acquisition of leadership gifts of $1,000 or more
• Build relationships in New Hampshire’s legal and business communities and solicit corporate sponsorships
• Maintain a personal portfolio of donors and support the 603LA and NHLA Executive Directors’ in management of donor portfolios
• Lead communications, marketing, and media relations on behalf of the Campaign, 603LA, and NHLA, including supervising a Communications Coordinator position
• Work closely with accounting and administrative staff to maintain high-quality recordkeeping and budgeting systems

Qualifications and Competencies:

• At least 7 years of fundraising experience within a $500,000 or greater annual campaign, including at least 2 years of senior-level experience
• Nonprofit Board experience, either as a Board member or as a staff member engaging directly with the Board
• Personal comfort with soliciting at least four- and five-figure gifts
• Knowledge of and experience with strategies, tactics, and best practices for management and growth of fundraising campaigns
• Understanding of donor management systems (the Campaign uses Raiser’s Edge) and excellent attention to detail in the maintenance of donor records and reporting
• Excellent written and oral communications skills
• Knowledge of nonprofit communications and marketing, including press strategy
• Eagerness to work in a fast-paced environment with occasional evening and weekend hours for Board meetings and events
• The highest standard of professionalism and integrity
• Enthusiasm about 603LA and NHLA’s complementary missions

Position Salary/Benefits:

This is a full-time position; the employer of record will be NHLA, which is the Campaign’s fiscal agent. Full-time is defined as 37.5 hours per week. This position is considered exempt for the purpose of federal wage/hour law.

The anticipated salary for the position depends on prior fundraising and other relevant experience, expected to range from $80,000 per year (for a candidate meeting the minimum qualifications described above) to $95,000 (for candidates with substantially more experience) per year. The position is eligible for the NHLA employee benefits package including medical/dental insurance, retirement plan, and generous paid time off.

If you meet most, but not all, of the minimum qualifications described above, please do apply, but note that the salary will be adjusted accordingly.

How to Apply:

By 5 PM on Friday, October 25, 2024, please send your resume with a cover email summarizing your interest in the position and your qualifications to: officemanager@nhla.org. A separate cover letter is not required in addition to the cover email. Applications that do not include a cover email, or are submitted other than by email, may not receive full consideration.

In your cover email, please feel invited to tell us anything that will help us communicate respectfully with you, including your pronouns, the pronunciation of your name, any communication access needs or reasonable accommodations requested during the hiring process, or any other relevant information.

About the Campaign for Legal Services:

The Campaign for Legal Services is the joint fundraising effort for 603LA and NHLA. For nearly 25 years, the Campaign has brought together New Hampshire’s business, legal, and philanthropic communities to raise funds to support civil legal aid. Core Campaign activities include two signature events (a spring “kickoff” breakfast which is one of the legal community’s most cherished gatherings, and a popular fall 5k race/walk); regional donor receptions; a year-end appeal; an annual report; and cultivation of individual donors.

603LA is the frontline, centralized intake hub for anyone with a civil (non-criminal) issue in New Hampshire, and a civil legal aid provider offering services to people with low income across the state. In partnership with volunteer attorneys and community organizations, 603 Legal Aid works to make justice a reality for and with people who experience economic hardship that threatens their basic human needs. Based in Concord with service statewide, 603 Legal Aid provides free civil legal services via advice and information by telephone, by representing someone in court, through educational programming, or through a referral to a volunteer attorney or another program for legal help, including NHLA. Learn more and apply for legal aid at 603LegalAid.org.

NHLA is a statewide nonprofit law firm that helps low-income and older individuals and families with civil legal problems that impact their basic needs, such as housing, economic security, and safety from violence. As a civil legal aid provider, we represent clients in all of New Hampshire’s state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies. We advocate for low-income and older people in the New Hampshire Legislature and offer training and education to our client communities as well as fellow service providers. NHLA is a cornerstone New Hampshire nonprofit marking our 53rd anniversary in 2024.

Application Process and Timeline:

603LA and NHLA will appoint an Application Review and Interview Committee including 3-4 staff members and the NHLA Human Resources Manager.

We expect the Committee to conduct first interviews with no more than 6 candidates. First interviews are 45 minutes in duration and typically scheduled between 9 AM and 5 PM on weekdays. We can accommodate other scheduling preferences if necessary. Candidates selected for first interviews will receive a list of the interview questions at least 24 hours in advance. No other questions will be asked at the interview, but it is possible that not all questions will be asked if we run out of time. We will leave at least 10 minutes for candidate questions at the conclusion of the interview. For candidates who speak a language in addition to English, a portion of the interview may be conducted in that language, with interpretation provided for other participants as needed.

The Committee will identify no more than 2 finalist candidates for second interviews. Second interviews are 60 minutes or shorter in duration and typically scheduled between 9 AM and 5 PM on weekdays. We can accommodate other scheduling preferences if necessary. The 603LA and NHLA Executive Directors will conduct the second interviews, possibly with the participation of additional 603LA and NHLA staff and Board members. Questions are not provided in advance for second interviews. We will leave at least 10 minutes for candidate questions.

After the second interview, we will ask a finalist candidate to provide 3 references and a brief writing sample of no more than 10 pages , ideally demonstrating fundraising and/or communications experience. We will contact the 3 references as quickly as possible, asking all references the same questions. Candidates with disabilities who wish to request reasonable accommodations should they be offered the position are invited to request them, in writing, at this stage of the process.

Based on information gathered in the entire hiring process, we will make an offer to 1 candidate with specific salary and benefits information. (We appreciate that salary and benefits information is important to candidates, and welcome questions about those topics at any stage of our hiring process.) The offer is contingent on completion of a criminal record background check, however not all criminal records are disqualifying.

Once a candidate has accepted the position, we will notify all candidates who interviewed that they have not been selected. Please note that 603LA and NHLA do not expect to receive thank you notes from candidates selected for first or second interviews and does not place any weight in the hiring process.