January 11, 2013
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada
Position Announcement
Executive Director
January 2013
The Nevada affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU-NV) seeks an Executive Director (ED).
The ACLU-NV is an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, a national nonprofit organization devoted to the protection of civil liberties and civil rights. Founded in 1966, the ACLU-NV and its Foundation operate jointly as private, non-profit organizations. The ACLU-NV is Nevada’s largest and most active organization devoted to the protection and advancement of civil rights and civil liberties and one of the state’s most effective public interest nonprofits. With 2,200 members, the organization has a staff of eight, offices in Las Vegas and Reno, and an annual operating budget of over $600,000.
The ACLU-NV pursues its mission through public education, coalition building, advocacy, lobbying and litigation. The organization works on a broad range of civil rights and civil liberties issues, including but not limited to free speech, election protection, drug law reform, Second Amendment issues, prisoners’ rights, immigrant rights, the rights of the homeless, police accountability, criminal justice reform, and LGBT rights.
The ACLU-NV comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada and the ACLU Foundation of Nevada. Both entities have the same overall mission, and share office space and employees. The ACLU has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties.
Position
The ED is responsible to the Board of Directors for the affiliate’s overall operations. The Board and its Executive Committee work cooperatively with the ED to achieve various organizational objectives.
Duties include the following:
- Building on the ACLU-NV’s remarkable record of accomplishments and professionalism in litigation, lobbying, and fundraising.
- Coordinating the work of two offices and a staff of eight, including four attorneys.
- Maintaining a close working relationship with the national office of the ACLU.
- With the Board and Staff:
- Developing, implementing, and periodically revising a strategic plan for the ACLU-NV.
- Recommending an Annual Budget for Board approval and prudently manage financial resources within budget guidelines and in accordance with accepted accounting standards.
- Creating a systematic strategy for resource development, including cultivating potential donors, enhancing relationships with current donors, and otherwise enhancing the Board and the organization’s fundraising capacity.
- Raising the public profile of ACLU-NV, by thinking strategically about communications and working proactively with news media throughout the state to publicize ACLU positions and the work of the affiliate.
- Building a vibrant, larger, and more active and diverse membership base, and provide opportunities for members to participate in organization activities.
- Identifying and helping recruit new Board members who will add skills and diversity.
- With the Staff:
- Implementing programmatic goals of the organizations by developing strategies for the most effective utilization of staff talents and abilities.
- Coordinating with the organization’s Legal Team and supporting its work by helping recruit cooperating attorneys.
- Recruiting interns, volunteers, and other auxiliary support.
- Facilitating the professional development of each staff member.
- Enhancing ACLU-NV representation on state committees and in coalitions.
- Coordinating the lobbying efforts of ACLU-NV, including on national, statewide and local issues.
- Developing an annual event plan that includes a major annual fundraising event in Las Vegas and other membership, donor, and educational events in the northern and southern regions of the state.
- Reporting regularly to the Board on ACLU-NV activities.
- Developing and implement a plan to effectively use technology to facilitate the work of the affiliate.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated interest in, enthusiasm for, and commitment to the mission and principles of the ACLU.
- A Bachelor’s degree required; a law degree or other advanced degree preferred.
- A record of success in a leadership position in the government, nonprofit, or private sectors.
- Demonstrated successful development experience, preferably in nonprofit, advocacy, or other community-based group.
- Demonstrated organizational and management skills.
- Ability to build coalitions and work effectively with diverse communities and organizations that have divergent and often competing agendas.
- Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, and comfort working with donors, board members, volunteers, and staff with different backgrounds and diverse opinions.
- Excellent communication skills, including demonstrated ability to write and speak clearly, precisely, and persuasively both for professional and lay readers, including ability to draft and edit persuasive public advocacy pieces and news opinion pieces.
- Experience dealing with news media and other avenues to promote the work of the ACLU-NV.
- Experience in successfully directing volunteers, and demonstrated leadership skills and ability to motivate others.
- Experience in working effectively with an active Board.
- Ability to function well in a high-pressure environment that can require extended hours and travel throughout the state.
- The ability to speak Spanish strongly desired.
To learn more about the work of the ACLU-NV and the civil liberties principles we uphold, please visit
www.aclunv.org. The ACLU-NV is part of a national organization. To learn more about the organization’s work nationwide, please visit
www.aclu.org.
Compensation
Salary is commensurate with experience and based upon the ACLU’s compensation structure. Excellent benefits include employer-matched 403B pension contribution; medical and dental insurance for staff members and their dependents and spouse/domestic partners; four weeks paid vacation, and ten paid holidays.
How to Apply
To apply for the position, please submit a substantive cover letter and current resume to:
Lauren I. Gumbs
Senior Partner
Gumbs + Partners
The ACLU of Nevada is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified people, including women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals.
