Associate Director / Director of Development

The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is a non-partisan, non-profit dedicated to equipping the next generation of Americans with the skills to communicate and collaborate across lines of difference. We work with U.S. colleges and universities by providing co-curricular programming for students, professional development for faculty and staff, and strategic guidance to leadership. Our goal is to foster constructive dialogue at every level of the institution and to create the conditions for lasting organizational change. CDI was co-founded by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the bestselling author of The Righteous Mind and The Anxious Generation.

CDI is looking for an Associate Director or Director of Development to run our fundraising operations. You’ll report directly to our Co-Founder and Executive Director, who will continue to serve as CDI’s primary fundraiser. Your role will be to enable her fundraising in two key ways: (1) by running an exceptionally organized fundraising operation behind the scenes, and (2) by being responsible for grant writing and reporting responsibilities. This role combines meaningful ownership—you’ll operate with significant autonomy—with the chance to work with an experienced fundraiser and deepen your own expertise.

We’re looking for a development generalist with two super strengths: (1) operational excellence and (2) exceptional writing and communication skills. You bring rigor and organization to everything you touch, and you can make complex ideas clear and compelling without flattening their nuance. You notice details, anticipate what’s coming, and are always looking for a smarter way to run the work.

We’re open to candidates with different levels of fundraising experience. At the Director level, you’d take on more relationship management and strategy from the start; at the Associate Director level, you’d have room to grow into those responsibilities over time. What matters most to us is that you take real pride in the quality of your work and believe deeply in CDI’s mission.

• Lead development and submission of compelling grant proposals, reports, and donor materials.

• Translate CDI’s work and impact into clear, compelling narratives that resonate with funders while staying true to CDI’s voice and strategy.

• Collaborate closely with Finance, Marketing & Communications, and program teams across CDI to gather the content needed for grant proposals and reports.

• Maintain an exceptionally high bar for both the quality of all grant materials and the efficiency of the processes behind them.

• Maintain a comprehensive grants calendar; proactively manage all deadlines for grants and other funder commitments.

• Own the systems and infrastructure behind CDI’s fundraising work, from HubSpot and funder records to internal workflows and documentation.

• Maintain and refine core assets, including reusable grant content, case studies, pitch decks, templates, and annual reports in collaboration with the Marketing & Communications team.

• Partner closely with Finance to process new contributions, track grant requirements, and maintain funder and grant documentation.

• Keep CDI’s fundraising pipeline current and actionable; partner with Finance to translate that pipeline into revenue projections.

• Build and continuously improve the workflows, tools, and systems that keep CDI’s fundraising function running smoothly.

• Proactively manage the preparation and follow-through around the Executive Director’s funder relationships, enabling her to focus on relationship building.

• Support the Executive Director in shaping fundraising strategy and priorities.

• Conduct prospect and landscape research to identify new funding opportunities and inform fundraising strategy.

• Depending on experience, directly manage and steward a portfolio of funder relationships.

• Collaborate with Partnerships to find ways to turn development into a growth engine, including leveraging funders as a source of leads and enabling our partners to fundraise in order to cover the cost of CDI programs.

• 5+ years of experience in development or fundraising, including experience writing successful grants in the six- and seven-figure range.

• Passionate about development operations, with experience building systems and processes that keep fundraising work running exceptionally smoothly, particularly in smaller or growing organizations.

• An excellent writer and communicator who can make complex ideas clear and compelling for different audiences.

• Exceptionally organized and self-directed; you keep work moving, stay ahead of deadlines, and require minimal oversight.

• Exceptionally detail-oriented, with a very high bar for quality and accuracy.

• Strong judgment; you notice nuance, anticipate issues before they happen, and can assess what requires attention or escalation.

• Passionate about constructive dialogue and aligned with CDI’s values.

For the Director role, we’ll also look for:

• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in development or fundraising, including 2+ years in management or leadership roles.

• Experience owning funder relationships through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

• Experience building and executing fundraising strategies to achieve philanthropic revenue goals of $1 million or more.

• A Mission-Driven Culture — our work culture genuinely reflects our mission, characterized by intellectual humility, continuous improvement, and open-mindedness

• Unlimited PTO — recharge on your own schedule with unlimited paid time off, in addition to 13 company holidays

• Health, Vision & Dental — health, vision, and dental plans through, with CDI contributing toward your premiums each month

• 401(k) Match — invest in your future with a 100% match on your contributions, up to 3% of your pay

• Professional Development — a generous annual budget to invest in your growth: build new skills, deepen existing ones, and stay inspired in your work

• Remote Work Support — up to $500 reimbursed for home office equipment and up to $50/month reimbursed for home internet or cell phone expenses

• Compensation: Associate Director: $101,000–$113,000; Director: $132,000–$147,000

• Reports to: Executive Director

• Direct reports: None

• Schedule: Full-time, flexible within U.S. time zones

• Target start date: ASAP

• Location: Remote, must be based in the U.S.

A note on AI: We know AI has become a useful writing assistant, and we’re comfortable with candidates using it that way. But when AI does too much of the writing, applications start to sound remarkably similar, making it hard for us to understand what you uniquely bring to the table. Please keep this in mind as you prepare your application.