---
title: 'Senior Director, Individual Giving at Common Cause'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-director-individual-giving-common-cause-washington-2trppers7qns'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-07'
---

# Senior Director, Individual Giving at Common Cause

- **Company:** Common Cause
- **Location:** Washington, DC
- **Compensation:** $133k–$149k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-10-05
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-07
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/commoncause/1da793be-4324-41d1-af48-6de969326e31

## Job description

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Director, Individual Giving to set and drive the vision for Common Cause's individual giving program. This leader will oversee a comprehensive strategy spanning major gifts and direct response, including monthly giving, direct mail, telemarketing, and emerging channels, to grow our donor community and advance our organizational revenue goals. The Senior Director will lead and develop our Major Gifts team and build a culture of fundraising across the organization by equipping senior leaders and staff to engage donors effectively while also personally cultivating and stewarding a portfolio of individual donors.

This is a full-time role reporting to the Vice President, Development. The position is based in Washington, DC, with an expectation to work in our office at least two days per week and to travel nationally for donor meetings and other business needs. We hope our new Senior Director, Individual Giving will start in December.

## Responsibilities

Set and drive the strategic vision for our individual giving work at Common Cause Develop and implement a comprehensive and impactful major gifts strategy to increase our revenue through driving alignment between our development and communications teams

You will thrive in this role if you have:

- A strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission and to advancing civil rights through our pro-democracy agenda

- Ability to compel action through both written and verbal communication, including distilling complex concepts for a broad audience, and to differentiate communications as needed for various audiences

- A track record of working collaboratively with others, with the ability to build rapport, trust, and credibility with multiple stakeholders with diverse interests – including board members, senior management, volunteers, and others

- Innovative and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to navigate through ambiguity to achieve goals, and a resourceful approach to solve problems

- Ability to navigate organizational and power dynamics, respectfully navigate conflict while maintaining your values, and influence others to adopt changes to meet common goals

- Ability to manage and meet deadlines for multiple short- and long-term priorities at once, with high attention to detail; strong organization skills, and the ability to manage your time independently

- A commitment to equity in the goals of your work and in how you work with others

- Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth

- Familiarity with office productivity tools including Microsoft Office and Zoom, and a working knowledge of CRM software (Common Cause uses ROI Solutions and Action Network)

The following is required:

- Experience cultivating and closing five-, six-, and seven-figure major gifts, developing donor strategies, and effectively cultivating and stewarding major donors

- Experience fundraising through multiple direct response channels

- Experience conceiving and hosting successful fundraising events

- Knowledge of how to differentiate between 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) fundraising practices

- Demonstrated knowledge of the philanthropic landscape, prospect research methodology, best practices, and evolving trends in philanthropy

- Have managed and developed a team; set strategic direction for a team, and built a unified approach to achieve goals

- A track record of leading organization-wide change initiatives

- Ability to travel at least 10 times per year for meetings with donors, as well as team and/or all staff retreats

- Ability to work in-person in the DC office at least two days per week

- Willing to have a social media presence on behalf of Common Cause, including being tagged on posts and creating content on behalf of the organization (as needed, Common Cause will provide accounts for staff members to use)

- Per our nonpartisan policy, Common Cause staff members may not currently be in elected office (or running for office); on the Steering Committee or Finance Committee for any political candidate; or affiliated with the leadership of a political party

Additional Information about this role:

- This position is classified as supervisory and therefore not included in the union-represented collective bargaining unit

- Common Cause is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time; please note that if hired, you will be asked to produce documentation for authorization to work in the US

Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated. Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and Common Cause Education Fund (501(c)(3)) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create an open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process. Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Common Cause has members and supporters living in every congressional district in the United States, and offices in 23 states around the country.

## About Common Cause

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots nonprofit organization that advocates for democracy reforms, including voting rights, campaign finance limits, and government accountability, through public education, litigation, and legislative action.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Nonprofit 501(c)(3)/(c)(4))
- **Headquarters**: Washington, District of Columbia, United States
- **Founded**: 1970
- **Founders**: John Gardner

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Non-profit organizations / Democracy & Government Reform
- **Target customers**: General public, activists, policymakers, and communities across the United States (B2C and B2G)
- **Mission**: “To uphold the core values of American democracy—creating open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promoting equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empowering all people to make their voices heard in the political process.” [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)

## Products & Services
Common Cause operates as an advocacy and service organization rather than a product company. Its major offerings include:
- **Advocacy Campaigns**: Grassroots mobilization and lobbying at federal, state, and local levels to pass pro-democracy legislation (e.g., voting rights, ethics reforms).
- **Litigation**: Legal action in courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, on issues such as fair redistricting, campaign finance, and government transparency.
- **Election Protection**: Recruiting and training volunteers to monitor polling places and assist voters on Election Day.
- **Research & Public Education**: Producing reports, policy analyses, and educational campaigns (via the Common Cause Education Fund) to inform the public and decision-makers.
- **State & Local Offices**: On-the-ground teams in over 25 states that tailor national strategies to local needs.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not applicable (nonprofit)
- **Key Metric – Annual Revenue**: $7.6 million (most recent data) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)
- **Key Metric – Total Funding**: Not applicable; funded through donations and grants (not disclosed)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Not applicable; key partners include elected officials from both parties, coalition partners in democracy reform, and a network of 1.5 million supporters.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - 156 employees (+5.5% year-over-year, +13 people) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)
  - 1.5 million supporters nationwide [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)
  - Active offices in 25+ states
  - LinkedIn followers: 14,015 (monthly growth +1.9%, yearly +35.8%)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Nonpartisan credibility**: Works across the political spectrum, building trust and enabling bipartisan wins.
- **Deep historical track record**: Founded in 1970, Common Cause has played a role in landmark achievements such as lowering the voting age to 18, banning “soft money” in campaigns, and creating the Office of Congressional Ethics.
- **Grassroots power**: 1.5 million members and supporters provide a massive, distributed network for rapid mobilization.
- **Legal and policy expertise**: In-house litigation and policy teams with a history of impactful Supreme Court and state-level cases.
- **State-level infrastructure**: Over 25 state offices with on-the-ground specialists who understand local dynamics.

## Strategic Focus
- **Defending the right to vote**: Fighting voter suppression and expanding access to the ballot.
- **Limiting big money in politics**: Advocating for campaign finance reform and transparency.
- **Holding officials accountable**: Pushing for stronger ethics rules, anti-corruption measures, and fair redistricting.
- **Racial equity and inclusion**: Embedding equity across all programs and internal operations, with a stated commitment to “a truly representative and inclusive government.” [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven environment**: Direct impact on strengthening democracy at every level of government.
- **Comprehensive benefits** (from [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/our-benefits/)):
  - 97% of employee medical premiums covered (100% vision/dental); 75% family coverage.
  - 401(k) with employer match.
  - Generous PTO: up to 20 days vacation, 3 personal/floating days, plus all major holidays (up to 35 days off annually including holidays).
  - 16 weeks paid parental leave for new parents (plus up to 16 weeks unpaid medical/family leave).
  - $1,000 professional development stipend per fiscal year.
  - $1,000 child/petcare stipend annually for work-related travel.
  - $100/month internet stipend for remote work.
  - Birthday gift from SugarWish.
- **Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)**: Five active ERGs – Advocates for Disability & Neurodiversity Awareness (ADNA), Black ERG, Latine ERG, LGBTQIA+ ERG, and North African, Middle Eastern, Asian/Pacific Islander, Desi (NOMADs) ERG. [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/careers/)
- **Remote/hybrid policy**: Remote-friendly with a monthly internet stipend and WFH support; headquarters in Washington, DC with offices nationwide.
- **Culture**: Rated 3.8/5.0 on LinkedIn (47 reviews); work-life balance 3.4, compensation 3.5, career opportunities 3.0. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)

## Sources
1. [Common Cause Careers Page](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/careers/)
2. [Common Cause Benefits Page](https://www.commoncause.org/our-benefits/)
3. [Common Cause About Page](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)
4. [Common Cause Homepage](https://www.commoncause.org/)
5. [Common Cause LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)

## Other roles at Common Cause

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- [Policy Director and Counsel, Media and Technology](https://feeny.ai/job/policy-director-and-counsel-media-and-technology-common-cause-lower-48-tass886b0b72) — Lower 48, United States
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- [State Director, Wisconsin](https://feeny.ai/job/state-director-wisconsin-common-cause-wisconsin-tgfj5yfpjcah) — Wisconsin
- [Legislative Director, CA](https://feeny.ai/job/legislative-director-ca-common-cause-sacramento-z35zy2bsnh0r) — Sacramento, CA