Director, Advocacy Fundraising

The National Restaurant Association, one of the most influential business associations, has a tremendous opportunity for a proven and innovative political fundraising professional to oversee the Association's fundraising for both its Political Action Committee (Restaurant PAC) and the Restaurant Advocacy Fund (RAF), which protects and promotes the restaurant industry at the state and local levels of government.

As the Director, Advocacy Fundraising, you will manage all aspects of both fundraising vehicles including strategy development, events, communications, and compliance, and work closely with the Association's board, state restaurant associations, national member companies, suppliers, and restaurant operators across the country to raise money for RAF and Restaurant PAC. The Director, in collaboration with the Association's events team, will also plan, manage, and grow the annual RAF golf fundraising tournament.

Ideal candidates have proven experience and passion for meeting political fundraising goals, including identifying, cultivating, and soliciting new and existing donors. This individual contributor position requires a highly collaborative and creative self-starter, with the ability to shape and drive donor engagement strategies. You will thrive in this role if you bring strong relationship-building and influencing skills, with the confidence and diplomacy to engage stakeholders at all levels.

Position operates out of our DC office with a required three days onsite, Monday - Wednesday, with flexibility to work remote on Thursday and Friday.

The work you will do as Director, Advocacy Fundraising, will be integral to supporting and advancing mission critical initiatives at the state, federal and local levels. We look forward to hearing from you!

We are proud to offer our team members comprehensive benefits, designed to support their financial, professional, and personal well-being. In addition to outstanding healthcare coverage (medical, dental and vision), competitive salaries, generous vacation and leave time, we offer a matching 401(k) plan, a unique collection of corporate discounts and memberships, as well as programs to support career and skills development, including coaching, learning and tuition assistance, and so much more.

Responsibilities

• Manage fundraising, communications strategies, and events for both the Restaurant PAC and Restaurant Advocacy Fund (RAF), including the RAF's annual golf fundraising tournament.
• Oversee legal compliance of both the Restaurant PAC and RAF.
• Track and develop fundraising reports (by state) for both funds to deliver to the Association's state restaurant association partners.
• Maintain stakeholder and monthly goal reports (Board giving, state by state goals, etc.).
• Manage National Restaurant Association members CEO/in-house company solicitation campaigns.
• Daily administration of the Restaurant PAC and RAF, including managing donor databases, ensuring organized records of all receipts and disbursements.
• Present to relevant Association Board committees on fundraising strategy and progress.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for donors interested in organizing third-party events, providing them with the resources and guidance on fundraising best practices. Ensure donor-hosted events align with the organization's mission and values.
• Manage the Restaurant PAC donor recognition programs.
• Maintain the Restaurant PAC and RAF collateral materials, including websites, newsletters, annual reports, letterhead, brochures, and contribution forms, as well as state fundraising toolkits.
• Act as a strong and credible voice for the Association and the industry with key stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in political science, government relations, public policy or equivalent.
• Minimum 7-10 years of proven experience meeting political fundraising goals within an Association, Non-Profit or political campaign.
• Knowledge of Federal Election Commission (FEC) compliance and procedures.
• Understands legal regulations and procedures and the implications of non-compliance for the organization.
• Successful track record of building and scaling corporate PAC programs.
• Proven ability to develop and execute plans, manage revenue, and expense budgets for fundraising events.
• Significant stakeholder relationship building experience.
• High level of professional, strategic management and leadership experience.
• Broad fundamental understanding of the restaurant industry/business environment a plus.
• Thoughtful interpersonal and diplomacy skills.
• Highly effective organizational, time-management and priority-setting skills.
• Excellent communication skills in written and verbal formats; showcases clear and concise manner. Create and deliver effective presentations.
• Ability to persuasively communicate complex concepts and programs at the highest levels of government and business.
• Exceptional analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrative abilities in collaborative team building and consensus.
• Computer proficiency across MS Office including strong Excel and PowerPoint skills; ability to learn other computer software programs as needed.
• Responsiveness to change and leads as a change agent.
• Ability to travel quarterly or as needed.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The National Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association Solutions, LLC, and The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (together, "Company") is committed to equal employment opportunity, and it is Company's policy to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

It is our policy to recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job titles, and ensure that all other personnel actions are administered, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status and disability, or other legally protected status, and we will ensure that all employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements.

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.