Vice President of Advancement

COMMONWEAL

New York, New York

Vice President of Advancement

Background, History and Mission

For nearly a century, Commonweal (http://www.commonwealmagazine.org) has been far more than a magazine. It has been an influential movement within American Catholicism, with a passionate commitment to advancing the impact of the laity and the intellectual life of faith, and to the Catholic tradition of the common good.

Read by a loyal audience of Catholics and readers from many other traditions, Commonweal maintains a lay-run editorial independence that enables it to raise controversial questions, consider novel, sometimes suspect ideas, and support new possibilities in religious thought and conversation. To be a “Commonweal Catholic” is to show eagerness in engaging with faith both intellectually and emotionally; to be respectful of tradition, but often skeptical of its claims; and to actively seek ways of applying the Christian vision of a just society to new and demanding times.

Charity, depth, and honesty are Commonweal’s watchwords. Its focus is on analysis and conversation that reflects the complexity of our times, and on an extraordinary quality of writing that is still always accessible to the general reader.

Founded as a weekly review in 1924 (just a few months before The New Yorker), Commonweal has consistently been a voice for the vocation of the laity, for ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, and for church reform; it stood for the repudiation of anti-Semitism, the affirmation of religious freedom, and the defense of democracy against totalitarianisms both left and right. And from the beginning, Commonweal’s pages were home to some of the greatest writers and religious figures of the century, including G. K. Chesterton, Dorothy Day, Graham Greene, and Thomas Merton. Today, Commonweal continues to publish the work of leading theologians, politicians, journalists, commentators, novelists, and poets, including Andrew Bacevich, David Bentley Hart, Elizabeth Johnson, Alice McDermott, Jack Miles, and Marilynne Robinson.

Commonweal’s impact and presence now extends well beyond the confines of its print edition. Its website reaches a monthly audience more than six times larger than the print magazine’s, and the Commonweal Podcast has also established a presence with a younger audience of engaged readers. Commonweal Local Communities, in-person discussion groups centered on Commonweal-related topics, now meet monthly in fifty cities around the United States. Commonweal also organizes discussions and workshops for younger readers and aspiring young writers; it reaches several hundred university campuses with student subscriptions; and it regularly sponsors live panel discussions on compelling issues of the moment.

In recent years, the magazine’s business model has evolved from one dependent on subscription and advertising revenue to one where the majority of revenue is provided by raised income. More than 2,000 individual donors contribute to Commonweal’s annual fund, known as the Commonweal Associates. A major dinner event every two years also provides substantial support to Commonweal’s operations, as do bequests and other forms of planned giving. A permanent endowment fund was inaugurated in 1994, and continues to grow. In 2019, a Transforming Commonweal major gifts campaign was concluded, having successfully raised over $1 million to underpin new projects, as well as a redesign of the magazine. A small number of foundations also provides occasional support for important projects.

Commonweal has a full-time staff of thirteen. Its senior staff consists of a Publisher, Editor, Business Manager, and several other editors and marketing staff.

Commonweal’s 23-member board of directors takes overall responsibility for the foundation’s long-term stability and direction. Commonweal has no official church connection or oversight.

About the Vice President of Advancement

Commonweal is seeking a Vice President of Advancement to take overall responsibility for generating and increasing consistent, enthusiastic financial support for Commonweal’s work, and for articulating its mission and impact in compelling ways to Commonweal’s board, donors, and potential supporters.

Vice President of Advancement Key Responsibilities:

• Developing strong personal relationships with Commonweal’s board of directors and key major donors, and in the process, increasing the number of major annual and one-time gifts in support of Commonweal’s work. This work will include active solicitation of major gifts.
• Building the annual fund, which currently raises $400,000+ annually, through solicitation of subscribers and Associates (committed donors), board giving, and foundation support
• Working closely with the board and donor base to expand Commonweal’s universe of potential board members and donors
• Build on the bequest/planned giving program to increase the endowment
• Collaborating with Commonweal’s senior leadership team to set long-term goals for Commonweal’s growth, including planning fund-raising, events, and other strategic priorities for its centennial in 2024
• Designing and developing a (multi-million dollar) centennial campaign to strengthen the financial foundation of the organization for the longer-term future
• Setting goals for and managing a Development Director who oversees Commonweal’s Associates program, planned giving outreach, and a biennial fund-raising dinner
• Producing useful, actionable reporting on the effectiveness of our development programs and to identify areas needing improvement

In addition to the full-time Development Director already in place, other part-time and free-lance resources (for event management, creative efforts, and special projects) are contracted as needed and as budgets permit.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• 10+years of experience in a successful development environment, or in a senior nonprofit leadership role
• Knowledge of non-profit organizations and non-profit Boards
• Exposure to most of the key areas of Commonweal’s current development program (major gifts, individual donor memberships, events, planned giving, campaign conceptualization, planning, and communications)
• Project management experience
• Leadership and management experience
• Familiarity and experience with a sophisticated donor database environment would be a major plus (Commonweal currently uses salesforce.com)
• Excellent writing and communications skills
• Willingness to engage on a personal level with Commonweal’s donor community
• Ability to travel ~20% of the time
• Capital campaign experience a plus

While one does not need to be Catholic to work at Commonweal, an enthusiasm about representing its work, and a basic understanding of the religious, political, and cultural topics it deals with, are mandatory.

Traits and Characteristics

• Passion for Commonweal’s mission
• Self-starter with strong execution mindset and high-level organizational skills
• Flexible, outgoing, a positive attitude and strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to articulate and present Commonweal’s mission, programs and needs in large public events, small gatherings and one-on-one meetings
• A team player
• Dynamic, entrepreneurial outlook.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. Benefits include fully paid health insurance for the employee, paid vacation and generous holidays, and participation in a retirement plan including employer contribution. The Commonweal office is open Monday through Thursday, although senior staff are often engaged in work at home on Fridays as well.

Applications and Inquiries

Please submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments.

Commonwealis an equal opportunity employer that welcomes any qualified applicant and values diversity of all kinds.

Job Type: Full-time

Experience:

• Fundraising or nonprofit management: 10 years (Required)

Education:

• Bachelor’s (Required)

Work Location:

• One location

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Retirement plan

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday