Job Description
The Co-Executive Director is a dynamic and inspirational executive leader who will partner with the current Executive Director to advance We Testify’s mission and vision. The Co-Executive Director will oversee the organization’s communications work as well as develop and co-lead the overall fundraising strategy to ensure long-term financial sustainability. They will serve as a spokesperson for We Testify, representing us to partners and the public to advocate on behalf of people who have abortions.
Organizational Development & Management
The Co-Executive Directors work together to strategize and bring the vision of We Testify to fruition. This person is responsible for directing the communications work of the organization and working with the Co-Executive Director to support the day-to-day operations. They will ensure We Testify has a culture of support and growth for staff while achieving our goals and advancing the needs of people who have abortions. Common duties include:
- Strategic visioning: Work with the Co-Executive Director to develop and implement the strategic plan and vision for We Testify to expand its work, centering people who have abortions, while pushing the reproductive health, rights, and justice movements to end abortion stigma and ensure all are able to access abortions at any time and for any reason.
- Organizational development: Plan and develop opportunities to promote staff development, team bonding, professional development, staff retreats, and other organizational growth opportunities in conjunction with the Co-Executive Director.
- Budget management: Support the team in creating and managing the organizational and departmental budgets and monitor the budget in accordance with NEO Philanthropy’s policies.
- Staff evaluation: Launch and conduct annual evaluations of direct reports and the Co-Executive Director and maintain documentation of direct reports’ performance.
- Advisory Board management: Support the Co-Executive Director in the management of We Testify’s advisory board, including preparing advisory board meeting agendas, working with advisory board members on specific projects, revisiting the stated purpose annually, and recruiting new members when needed.
Communications Department Management
The Co-Executive Director oversees, manages, and directs the communications department, ensuring that communications staff are working with people who have abortions to elevate their stories, representing We Testify in the media, managing the We Testify brand, and overseeing We Testify’s social media strategy. Common duties include:
- Strategic communications plan: Develop, design, lead, and oversee the creation and implementation of an annual strategic communications plan to elevate We Testify storytellers; solidify a brand and message that centers and speaks to We Testify’s community of abortion storytellers.
- Communications staff management: Oversee We Testify’s communications department staff, including directly supervising the Senior Communications Manager and supporting in their management of the communications team.
- Communications staff support: Oversee and work in conjunction with the communications staff in the preparation of media pitches for reporters, press statements for press contacts, and providing storyteller and spokesperson support.
- Emails and social media: Review and approve email newsletters, social media content and engagement strategies, and other outward facing materials engaging and centering people who’ve had abortions and their supporters.
- Brand management: Oversee and contribute to developing, implementing, and maintaining We Testify’s voice, language, style guide, brand guide, and other values-aligned assets in all messaging, communications, campaigns, and social media.
- Campaign content: Oversee and contribute to the creation of campaign plans, the generation of messaging, shareable content, and social media toolkits.
Fundraising & Development
The Co-Executive Director will be responsible for crafting We Testify’s development strategy and growing We Testify’s budget of $1.6 million. Common duties including:
- Development strategy: Create and implement the organization’s development strategy annually.
- Donor cultivation: Lead in identifying and connecting with potential new sources of funding, including foundation funding, corporations, and individual donors.
- Donor stewardship: Maintain and nurture the organization's relationship with existing individual donors and foundations in conjunction with the Co-Executive Director.
- Fundraising and development initiatives: Direct the creation and implementation of fundraising and development initiatives, including individual giving initiatives, end of year fundraising, and other fundraising campaigns, in conjunction with the co-Executive Director and the communications team.
- Revenue diversification: Identify and develop new streams of revenue and opportunities to ensure long-term financial health.
Brand Ambassador and Network Building
The Co-Executive Director serves as a voice for We Testify, including acting as a spokesperson in the media and at public events. The Co-Executive Director will also engage in the development of strategic communications campaigns to promote the normalization of abortion experiences, end abortion stigma, and elevate the voices of our abortion storytellers. Common duties include:
- Spokesperson: Acting as a spokesperson for the organization as needed, responding to media requests and other public facing work.
- Networking: Attending relevant conferences, movement gatherings, meetings, and joining coalitions to expand We Testify’s network of partners and allied organizations.
- Partner cultivation: Lead in the identification and cultivation of strategic partners and sustain impactful relationships.
Other Duties
All staff members are responsible for completing administrative work to ensure smooth organizational operations. Common duties include:
- Administrative work: Maintaining and submitting expense reports for individual corporate credit card use and reimbursements, approving timesheets, and other paperwork.
- Participation in meetings: Ongoing participation in staff meetings and retreats and NEO Philanthropy meetings and training.
- Professional development: Attending professional development and management training as part of ongoing learning and education.
- Other duties as assigned, within reason.
Candidate Experience Qualifications
- Demonstrated ability and commitment to advance our mission of elevating and centering people who have had abortions.
- Five or more years of experience leading strategic communications at a mission-driven nonprofit that includes narrative and culture shift work.
- Demonstrated experience in media relations strategy, including interviews and interview prep, press list development, securing earned media, pitching, and other public facing work.
- Demonstrated experience building and managing editorial calendars and messaging across various platforms.
- Demonstrated experience developing and executing digital media, email, and media campaigns at a mission-driven nonprofit.
- Five or more years of experience managing development and fundraising strategies for a mid-sized, mission-driven nonprofit organization.
- Demonstrated experience identifying and cultivating foundation funding and major gifts and leveraging networks to expand a donor base.
- Demonstrated experience creating and leading individual donor initiatives and growing a strong and consistent base of individual support.
- Demonstrated experience creating and executing end of year fundraising plans and other fundraising initiatives.
- Strong project management skills and demonstrated ability to oversee and implement multiple concurrent campaigns from start to finish.
- Five or more years of experience managing staff, vendors, consultants, and interns.
- Demonstrated experience planning and developing programs for marginalized communities.
- Demonstrated experience in working with marginalized communities and a deep understanding of racial and economic justice and other systemic issues.
- Demonstrated belief in social justice values, including centering Blackness and anti-racism, queer, trans and nonbinary people, and people living on low incomes.
- Ability to manage one’s own workload, set daily tasks, determine priorities independently, handle challenging situations using critical thinking skills, and manage several projects simultaneously.
- Ability to collaborate creatively with colleagues and organizational partners on a variety of timelines with competing priorities.
- Ability to be responsive to a variety of storyteller needs and experiences with empathy, sensitivity, and care, and maintain storyteller’s confidentiality.
- Appreciation of a culture of giving and receiving feedback.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate verbally and in writing in English fluently, with correct grammar and punctuation, and free from errors.
We Testify’s Work Environment
- We Testify was founded by individuals with direct experience with abortion and values the ongoing inclusion of people who share that lived experience.
- We Testify is a virtual workplace, thus employees must be able to work from home or a co-working space. The position is remote and not bound by a specific location.
- We Testify’s office maintains a four-day workweek and is open Monday through Thursday. Work hours vary by time zone but are typical working hours with the exception of occasional evening and weekend work.
- We Testify employees are able to take time off to observe holidays and private observances, including birthdays and abortionaversaries.
- Employees must be able to engage in communication using a combination of tools, including email, Slack, Google Workspace, video conferencing, and other digital work platforms.
- The position requires approximately 15-20% travel to conferences, retreats, and meetings, often overnight. However, we are committed to supporting the balance between work travel and family and other personal needs.
We Testify is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an equitable workplace. We Testify seeks to build a thriving and diverse staff with regard to abortion experiences, race, ethnicity, economic stance, religion, physical ability, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, and location. We Testify is dedicated to the leadership of people who’ve had abortions, including those who navigated financial, logistical, and legal barriers to abortion, queer, trans, and nonbinary people, people with varying abilities, Black, indigenous, and other people of color, young people, formerly incarcerated, immigrant and refugees, people from disenfranchised and disinvested communities. We deeply encourage applications from people with these identities.
We Testify’s Employee Benefits
We Testify is fiscally sponsored by NEO Philanthropy, thus workplace benefits are administered by NEO Philanthropy. Benefits include: medical health insurance administered by United Healthcare, dental insurance administered by UNUM, vision insurance administered by UNUM, flexible spending account, dependent health insurance coverage, paid time off, paid sick time, paid parental leave, 401k employer contribution, employee assistance program, commuter transportation benefits, life insurance, long term disability insurance, short term disability insurance, legal benefits, and pet insurance.
About NEO Philanthropy
Launched in 1983 as Public Interest Projects, a 501(c)(3) public charity, NEO Philanthropy, a mission- aligned and values-forward social justice philanthropy organization, is a New York-based national leader in innovative philanthropic solutions. NEO is proud of its work on behalf of some of the most critical social justice issues of our time, including immigrant and refugee rights, anti-human trafficking, voter engagement/civic participation and non-partisan pro-democracy elections work; racial justice; LGBTQ equality; reproductive freedom and more. Dynamic and growing, NEO leads large-scale collaborative grantmaking funds on a range of social justice issues, provides fiscal sponsorship and management to projects and campaigns, manages donor advised funds and develops organization and field-focused capacity building initiatives.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit their application via We Testify’s website at WeTestify.org/jobs. Applicants should submit their résumé, cover letter, and fill out several application questions pertaining to the position's qualifications, their interest in the position, and their qualifications. Due to limited staff capacity, only qualified candidates will be invited for an interview via email. If you require additional accommodations to submit your application, please email info@wetestify.org. Please, no application inquiries via phone, email, or social media.
About the Hiring Process
The hiring process for the Co-Executive Director includes a phone screening, a panel interview comprised of key staff and organizational support, an assignment, and an interview with the full staff. We Testify strives for fairness and transparency, and for that reason, candidates will receive certain interview questions and prompts ahead of time. We Testify may request an in-person interview for final candidates depending on logistics and timing. This would take place in mid-July.
