LAW Fund

Director of LAW Fund and the Endowment for Equal Justice

About the Position and the Organizations

LAW Fund and the Endowment for Equal Justice (EEJ) seek a creative, strategic, highly experienced development professional with a strong commitment to access to justice to serve as their next Director.

LAW Fund, located in Seattle, is a statewide, collaborative resource development organization that raises private funds for over 20 non-profits that provide civil legal aid to low-income people. The Endowment for Equal Justice is charged with ensuring that civil legal aid will be available for vulnerable Washingtonians in perpetuity. The members of the Boards of Directors of these organizations, leaders in Washington’s legal and business communities, are deeply committed to access to justice, are involved actively in the resource development work of LAW Fund and EEJ, and are very supportive of the professional staff.

LAW Fund and EEJ are hosted and managed by the Legal Foundation of Washington (LFW), which generates additional financial resources through its Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) program and is responsible for the distribution of the funds raised. The new Director will join a team of dedicated resource development and grant-making professionals who work hard, share a passion, and have fun while seeking to improve access to justice for vulnerable people.

Washington’s statewide, collaborative resource development model, initiated in 2003, is proving to be very successful. The annual Campaign for Equal Justice, which raises funds primarily from individual attorneys, judges, and law firms, has increased revenues by over 125% over the past six years; major gifts from individuals and foundations, as well as planned gifts also are received. The Campaign generated approximately $1,500,000 in 2010. LAW Fund and EEJ are seeking a new Director with the skills and experience to continue the growth and development of this exciting endeavor.

High priority roles and responsibilities for the new Director:

Work closely with the Boards of Directors of LAW Fund and EEJ to continue the growth of a solid resource development effort by:

Identifying and reaching out to prospective contributors and maintaining strong relationships with existing supporters.
Increasing the size and number of major gifts.
Developing an emerging planned giving program.
Identifying untapped private resources, including non-attorney individual donors and corporate sources.
Designing appropriate friend- and fund-raising events.

Prepare and disseminate communications materials to support the fundraising efforts.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with bar, bench, and access to justice leaders in communities statewide.
Supervise and mentor a small development department staff.

The successful candidate will possess the following experience and skills:

A minimum of five years of recent management-level fundraising experience.
A track record of generating major gifts through personal solicitations. Proven ability to build new relationships and nurture existing ones.
A strong non-profit background with experience in volunteer management, communications, and external relations.
Board development skills: The ability to lead, collaborate, and/or follow as needed. Able to serve as spokesperson, but also handle “behind the scenes” work, including drafting letters, press releases, and talking points and other presentations for volunteers.
Experience working with high-powered volunteers; comfortable relating to bench and bar leaders.
Experience planning, implementing, and evaluating projects; demonstrated ability to deliver results.
Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills, both verbal and written (a writing sample will be requested of finalists).
Familiarity with internet trends and opportunities related to development and donor relations; proficiency utilizing related technology, including donor databases.
Demonstrated passion for the mission of legal aid and a commitment to helping low-income people.
Vision, imagination, and the ability to motivate and inspire others.
Organized, able to multi-task on a variety of projects with competing deadlines.
Experience both supervising and working collaboratively.
Politically and interpersonally astute, strategic.
Experience working with the legal community preferred but not essential.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit a letter expressing in detail why they are interested in the position. The letter should be accompanied by a current résumé and three references with up-to-date contact information. Applications must be received by March 21, 2012.

Materials should be submitted electronically to Dee Thierry at dtheories@legalfoundation.org in Microsoft Word format. Do not send hard copy.

Candidates with questions about the position or the process are encouraged to contact Caitlin Davis Carlson, Executive Director, Legal Foundation of Washington, 206-957-6288, caitlindc@legalfoundation.org, or Meredith McBurney, Resource Development Consultant, Management Information Exchange (MIE), 303-329-8091, meredithmcburney@msn.com. MIE is assisting the Legal Foundation in this search.

LFW offers a competitive salary based on experience. Exceptional employment benefits include generous leave, fully-paid health insurance, and retirement plan. LFW is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

More about the Legal Foundation of Washington (LFW), the Legal Aid for Washington Fund (LAW Fund), the Endowment for Equal Justice (EEJ)

We live in a democracy that promises liberty and justice for all. But for many low-income people the American promise of justice is denied because they cannot afford to pay for it. And, the legal aid and volunteer attorney programs designed to provide assistance to low-income people turn away four of five people who need help with critical legal problems because of insufficient resources.

The ability to obtain legal aid can mean the difference between shelter and homelessness, food on the table and hunger, a steady job and unemployment. Struggling families face an array of problems with devastating legal consequences. The assistance provided by Washington’s legal aid programs to the state’s most vulnerable residents leads to safer, healthier and more vibrant communities.

In response to this unmet need for civil legal assistance for low-income people, the access to justice leadership in Washington has developed a statewide alliance of funders and providers that work collaboratively to restore the promise of justice.

The role of the Legal Foundation of Washington in this alliance is to fund legal aid providers and support policies and initiatives which enable the poor and the most vulnerable to overcome barriers in the civil justice system. In 2010, LFW granted over $7.4 million to 26 organizations that provide civil legal assistance to low-income and vulnerable individuals. These Washington legal aid providers, collectively referred to as the Alliance for Equal Justice, help more than 60,000 low-income residents around the state gain access to justice each year.

Chief among LFW’s efforts is LAW Fund, which raises funds from private sources – individuals (primarily attorneys and judges), law firms, foundations, and corporations – through its Campaign for Equal Justice. LAW Fund is a 501(c)3 organization, governed by a 32-member board of directors. The Endowment for Equal Justice (EEJ), a separate 501(c)3 subsidiary of LAW Fund, is charged with ensuring that civil legal aid will be available for vulnerable Washingtonians in perpetuity. In 2010 LAW Fund raised $1,380,000 and EEJ raised $188,000. The current value of the endowment is approximately $5 million.

LAW Fund and LFW merged administrative functions in 2003 to create financial and managerial efficiencies and to implement the statewide goal of having a unified, collaborative charitable giving effort. The LAW Fund Director reports to the Executive Director of LFW and works closely with the Boards of LAW Fund and the Endowment for Equal Justice.

For more information, visit the Legal Foundation of Washington website, www.legalfoundation.org and the LAW Fund website, www.c4ej.org