Center for Democracy & Technology

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is seeking a senior, entrepreneurial fundraising executive to serve as a critical member of the management team. The Director of Development & External Affairs leads CDT’s fundraising strategy and operations at a time of significant growth for the organization and our field.

As AI and other technologies reshape how people work, learn, vote, communicate, and participate in public life, demand for CDT’s expertise, advocacy, and research has never been greater. The Director of Development & External Affairs will play a central role in helping CDT seize this moment, building the diversified, sustainable base of philanthropic support that will power the organization’s next chapter of impact.

The Director is an integral member of the executive team, partnering with the CEO and Board of Directors to set and achieve ambitious revenue goals, deepen relationships with CDT’s supporters, and lead the organization’s engagement with the philanthropic community. The successful candidate will be a skilled relationship-builder and strategist with a proven record of securing major gifts, who is passionate about supporting a fast-growing organization working to protect people’s rights and democracy in the digital age.

This position reports to the CEO. The Director of Development & External Affairs will manage CDT’s development team and work closely with CDT’s Board of Directors, Director of Finance & Operations, communications team, various policy team directors, the leadership of CDT’s Europe office, and staff across the organization.

About CDT

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that fights to advance civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. We champion policies, laws, and technical designs that empower people to use technology for good, while protecting against invasive, discriminatory, and exploitative uses. CDT was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1994 and has operated a second office in Brussels since 2014.

CDT works to protect people's rights across a range of technology uses and applications, with a focus on AI policy and governance, personal privacy, online expression and access to information, government surveillance, elections & democracy, civic technology, and education. We engage policymakers in the U.S. and the European Union, advocate for companies to adopt best practices, file amicus briefs in court, conduct original research, and work closely with civil society partners and the press to help the public have a voice in how technology shapes our lives and futures. Learn more about our work and impact at https://cdt.org.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities for this position include:

Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute a comprehensive, multi-year development strategy and revenue plan that supports CDT’s growth, in close partnership with the CEO and senior leadership.

• Function as an integral member of the executive team, contributing to organizational planning, budgeting, and revenue forecasting, and leading special projects as they arise.

• Lead, manage, and mentor CDT’s development team, overseeing the systems, processes, and capacity needed to support a larger fundraising operation.

• Translate CDT’s complex policy work into a clear and compelling case for support, working with policy staff to ensure donors and funders understand CDT’s priorities and results.

• Track and report on fundraising progress, pipeline, and key metrics to the CEO, senior leadership, and the Board.

Major Gifts

• Build and lead a robust major gifts program, identifying, qualifying, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors and family foundations with the capacity for leadership-level and transformational gifts.

• Manage a portfolio of major gift donors and prospects using disciplined moves management and a clear, well-tracked pipeline.

• Partner with the CEO, development team, and senior policy staff to design and carry out compelling cultivation and solicitation strategies, including donor briefings, small-group convenings, events, and personalized engagement with CDT’s work.

• Steward donors with care and creativity, ensuring they feel connected to CDT’s mission and informed about the impact of their support.

Institutional Giving

• Oversee CDT’s foundation, corporate, and events-based fundraising, ensuring a healthy pipeline of renewals and new opportunities and high-quality proposals and reports, in coordination with the development team and policy staff.

• Support senior development staff who manage foundation, corporate, and events-based fundraising with mentorship, tactical support, big-picture tracking/trends analysis, and strategic leadership to realize the full potential of those revenue streams. 

• Oversee development of fundraising pitches, grant proposals, and reports to ensure quality, persuasiveness, and a consistent voice that conveys CDT’s impact.

External Affairs & Donor Engagement

• Oversee and steward CDT’s external networks of supporters, including the CDT Advisory Council, alumni community, and Collaborating Attorneys Network, working with development staff to engage and cultivate members as advisors, ambassadors and supporters.

• Develop and oversee CDT’s supporter engagement efforts, including donor events, donor communications, and annual and online giving, in partnership with the communications team.

• Represent CDT to funders, allies, and the broader philanthropic community, and raise CDT’s profile among prospective supporters.

Development Operations

• Oversee development operations and lead the continued improvement of CDT’s development infrastructure. 

• Assess CDT’s current development operations and implement new tools and systems to up-level operations, including prospecting and pipeline development, donor database management, gift processing and acknowledgment, and reporting.

• Ensure CDT’s fundraising practices comply with applicable law, ethical standards, and CDT policies, including gift acceptance, charitable solicitation registration, and donor privacy, in coordination with the General Counsel and Director of Finance & Operations.

• Partner closely with the Finance team to develop revenue forecasts, track progress against fundraising goals, and ensure accurate gift processing, grant reporting, and financial stewardship of donor funds.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

• A deep commitment to CDT’s mission and values

• At least 10 years of progressively responsible development experience, including a demonstrated track record of cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts from individuals

• Experience leading and developing a fundraising team, and building or scaling a development program at a growing organization

• Experience working closely with a CEO and board to open doors, engage prospects, and close gifts, and the presence and credibility to represent an organization effectively in conversations with donors

• Experience with institutional fundraising (foundation, corporate, and/or government), and an understanding of how to build a diversified revenue base

• A strategic, data-informed approach to fundraising, including experience with prospect research, moves management, pipeline tracking, revenue forecasting, and donor databases

• Familiarity with, or strong interest in, technology policy, human rights, and democracy issues and the related funder communities; experience fundraising for a nonpartisan policy or advocacy organization is a plus

• Experience building and stewarding networks of advisors, alumni, volunteers, or other external supporters

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, sound judgment, and discretion in handling confidential donor information

• Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising ethics and compliance

• An energetic, entrepreneurial, and collaborative working style

Compensation and Location

The compensation for this position ranges from $160,000-200,000. Compensation is determined on a tiered pay scale based on years of experience and the responsibilities of the role. Candidates may request guidance on where they would fall within the salary range prior to their first interview, or any time thereafter. 

CDT provides a generous benefits package that includes 100% covered health care, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, life insurance, short-term & long-term disability insurance, a 403(b) retirement account (CDT contributes up to 6% of your salary following a year of employment), 13 company holidays, closed for the period between Christmas and New Years, paid vacation (15 days per year, increased with tenure), sick days, and parental leave. 

This position is based in CDT’s Washington, D.C. office, which operates on a hybrid schedule with three days in-office per week (generally Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday). A different hybrid schedule may be considered in exceptional cases, and is available if needed as a disability accommodation. 

To Apply

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis through December 1, 2026. Please send a résumé and a cover letter explaining your interest in the position and your experience/qualifications for such work, by clicking the "apply for this position" button below. These materials should be compiled into one PDF or document for submission. If you have any questions, please contact hr@cdt.org.