About Dar-us-Salaam: Dar-us-Salaam is a multi-faceted 501-c(3) nonprofit Islamic organization located in College Park, Maryland. Operating on the basis of the Qur’an and Sunnah, Dar-us-Salaam’s focus is developing a community which puts Islam into practice across every area of life, particularly in education and social service. Starting in 1995 with its foundational education project Al-Huda School, a preK-12 full time Islamic School with over 600 students, over the last three decades Dar-us-Salaam has grown into a visionary, forward thinking community with over 30 departments and projects spanning social services, spiritual and mental wellness counseling, youth work, research and publishing, business ventures and much more. With a budget around $10 million annually and over 100 full and part time staff, Dar-us-Salaam is one of the most active Islamic communities on the east coast USA. Summary: Dar-us-Salaam’s Donor Care Office is the hub of all of Dar-us-Salaam fundraising initiatives including donor cultivation and stewardship, grants, and special campaigns. Each year, the Donor Care Office is tasked with raising $2 million from new and existing donors. The Director of the Donor Care Office oversees all aspects of this effort by operationalizing both broad and specific fundraising strategies, and making the right decisions regarding people, processes, and tools to ensure goals are met and the fundraising operation is robust, growing, and resilient regardless of the fundraising environment. The Director of the Donor Care Office is a superb executionist, and finds excitement in taking visionary ideas and innovative strategies and turning them into actionable plans, to-do lists, timelines, and finally into reality. The Director knows not only how to build all the moving parts, but also how to ensure these moving parts work better and better over time. With “ihsan” (striving for perfection) being among their core values, the Development Director is always looking for better ways – be it redefining a process or acquiring new technology – and always helps the people around them grow and excel. The Director understands and relishes their dual role at Dar-us-Salaam as a management leader and as a community ambassador. Key Duties and Responsibilities: While Donor Care Office staff implement many of the functions listed below, the Director of the Donor Care Office will be ultimately responsible for the following areas: Fundraising and Development Ensure donor prospecting, cultivation, and stewardship is done throughout the year using current non-profit sector best practices Ensure donor database integrity and a data-informed Donor Care Office, including leveraging data across all parts of the organization for fundraising purposes Use donor data analytics to predict upcoming opportunities and to learn from historical trends; data should inform all Donor Care priorities. Oversee broad as well as targeted donor events like banquets and donor volunteer opportunities Setup on-going staff training to ensure staff are donor relationship focused Oversee and grow a grant office, directing time and resources on high impact applications Work with the Dar-us-Salaam shura to develop an annual development plan Develop and maintain excellent SOPs and other documentation to ensure the stability of the Donor Care Office Stay abreast of the latest technologies and lead the implementation of new technology across the Donor Care Office Collaborate with other projects and departments at Dar-us-Salaam to make sure the entire organization is aligned with fundraising priorities and calendars Oversee the day to day operations of the Donor Care Office, including task load management, problem solving, and task prioritization Prepare, manage, and track the Donor Care Office annual budget Prepare reports for the Shura which identify trends and highlight fundraising performance indicators Promote and lead a culture of “ihsan” where Allah is always first and where the entire team constantly renews their intentions to work for Allah’s sake Advance a continual learning, collaborative work environment where everyone’s advice is heard and appreciated, and where team members rejoice at others successes The ideal Donor Care Office Development Director candidate possess the following qualities: A high degree of integrity and honesty Is an independent thinker and learner who can get up to speed quickly Confidential and uses sound judgment Is excited and motivated by serving Allaah and Islam Can take general ideas and goals and convert them into actionable plans Possess a strong understanding of data Takes initiative and has a strong sense of task prioritization Is able to conduct independent research into anything Punctual and professional Embraces technology Is a strong reader and writer Exhibits a strong work ethic Has a record of reliability and commitment Has good manners and understands the importance of kindness, patience, and compassion Able to work weekends and evenings during peak times like Ramadan and special events Is a natural multi-tasker who uses an organized, documented system for task management Can work well under deadlines and in high pressure situations Has at least 5 years of experience working in the American Muslim community on non-profit projects, either as a volunteer or an employee Performance Assessments: The fitness and performance of the Donor Care Office Director will be assessed based on questions such as: Does the Director grasp the essence of fundraising and especially donor cultivation, stewardship, and retention? Does the Director have a strong understanding and appreciation of Dar-us-Salaam’s mission and vision? Does the Director make their team members better individually and collectively? Does the Director balance their leadership between pushing for performance and compassion and accommodation? Does the Director independently think of new, better ideas and more efficient processes rather than simply repeating existing methods and ideas? Does the Director foster and enforce a data-driven culture at DCO? Does the Director hold themself accountable for DCO’s performance, or do they measure performance based on what the team members do? Does the Director work well with the other DUS programs and departments, and help them align their work with DCO fundraising goals and campaigns? Is the Director able to thrive in the DUS work environment, despite the challenges it poses, and is the Director able to improve the work environment with their own example and positive contributions? Does the Director have an eye for opportunities, and do they create strategies and plans to seize those opportunities? Does the Director communicate often and meaningfully with the DCO team, their supervisor, and the DUS shura about fundraising related matters? How does the Director take constructive criticism or advice from members of the DCO team, community members, or DUS leadership? Can the Director work effectively on multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities? Can the Director fully understand fundraising strategies, and can they convert those strategies into detailed action plans and campaigns? Does the Director possess the patience (sabr) to maintain a positive attitude and high level of motivation, even though there may be gaps and resource limitations at Dar-us-Salaam compared to other non-profit organizations? Preference will be given to US citizens with management experience and a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from a recognized university. Legal residents are welcomed to apply. For immediate consideration, please click here to apply and upload your resume.
