Development Director

Who We Are

COPAL, Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action, is a member-based organization established in 2018 to improve the quality of life of Latine families. Grounded in the Principles of Jemez, COPAL is committed to continue building meaningful relationships that transcend both identity and geographical boundaries. COPAL envisions a Minnesota where everyone lives with dignity and respect.

Why You'll Love Working Here

Our greatest asset is the dedication and commitment of our board, staff, members, and interns, as well as our valued volunteers, partners, coalition members, and leaders of the Latine community. With a clear mission and vision of a better future for all, we can mobilize people to bring about transformation and lead social, political, and economic change.

Wages

$80,000 - $90,000 annual salary range

Benefits

Generous Paid Time Off (PTO), plus eight paid holidays per year and two floating holidays; competitive health plan with BlueCross, BlueShield of MN, dental, and vision insurance offerings: Health Savings Account (HSA). There is employer paid basic life insurance with the option for additional coverage paid by the employees. The employer pays for Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) and short- and long-term disability insurance. COPAL sponsors a retirement plan with 6% employer contribution after 90 days of service and immediate vesting.

COPAL is seeking a Development Director to drive their overall fundraising strategy, including overseeing grants, proposals, and donor engagement to secure resources that support annual and long-term goals.

Responsibilities

• Leading COPAL's fund development strategy in close collaboration with the Executive Director and Associate Executive Director, helping shape the organization's long-term impact.
• Setting thoughtful, ambitious revenue goals across foundation, corporate, government, and individual giving streams.
• Monitoring fundraising performance, analyzing trends, and recommending strategy adjustments that strengthen revenue growth.
• Identifying promising new funding opportunities and evaluating their long-term alignment with COPAL's mission and program priorities.
• Collaborating with leadership to design engaging annual appeals, membership activities, donor campaigns, and fundraising events.
• Overseeing the full lifecycle of grants, from prospective research and proposal development to reporting and funder compliance.
• Reviewing and enhancing institutional materials-including narratives, budgets, and attachments-to ensure clarity and quality.
• Supporting staff in clearly communicating program outcomes, community impact, and organizational priorities for proposals and reports.
• Maintaining strong accountability to deadlines and documentation requirements through streamlined internal processes.
• Strengthening systems that track submissions, reporting schedules, and funder communication histories.
• Cultivating and nurturing relationships with funders, donors, community partners, and institutional supporters.
• Providing strategic guidance on donor segmentation, pipeline development, and retention approaches.
• Partnering with the Communications team to create compelling donor-facing materials such as impact stories, case statements, newsletters, and stewardship content.
• Representing COPAL at events, meetings, and philanthropic gatherings.
• Supporting capital campaign leadership by preparing materials, coordinating key tasks, and assisting with donor engagement efforts.
• Developing and refining policies related to ethical fundraising, donor stewardship, and data privacy.
• Ensuring the accuracy of donor and funder records and supporting quarterly reconciliation with the accounting team.
• Training staff and board members in effective donor engagement and philanthropic messaging.

Who You Are

• You hold a bachelor's degree in a relevant field or have an equivalent combination of education and/or lived experience.
• You are bilingual in Spanish and English with the ability to communicate confidently and effectively in both languages.
• You have experience leading or supervising staff or consultants in a development or fundraising setting.
• You understand the funding landscape across the Twin Cities, Greater Minnesota, and statewide, and can identify opportunities that align with COPAL's mission and programming.
• You have hands-on experience with grant writing, reporting, annual appeals, and coordinating fundraising or membership events.
• You possess strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate with people at all levels of an organization.
• You are skilled at setting goals, establishing expectations, and creating strong processes for fund development and donor stewardship.
• You thrive both independently and as part of a team, staying productive and focused with minimal supervision.
• You have experience designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating projects.
• You manage your time well, balancing priorities, meeting deadlines, and juggling multiple projects with ease.
• You are proficient with Microsoft Office and Office 365, common internet tools, email platforms, and program databases.
• You may be familiar with EveryAction, which is a bonus but not a requirement.
• You are comfortable working occasional evenings and weekends to support key events or deadlines.
• You have a valid driver's license, access to reliable transportation, and the ability to meet COPAL's driving record requirements. Please note that if the license was not issued in the state of Minnesota, you have 60 days after becoming a Minnesota resident in which to apply for your Minnesota driver's license or permit (not applicable for new hires living out of state).

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of COPAL. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, age, marital status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, criminal history (justice-impacted status), housing or homelessness status, height, or weight.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.