Protect Democracy seeks an experienced, passionate fundraising professional to join our organization as the Principal Giving Officer . This role requires sharp, sophisticated fundraising, communication, and advocacy skills. Reporting to the Chief Partnerships Officer and working directly with the CPO & the Executive Director, this individual will be responsible for an existing, well-stewarded portfolio of ~60 individual and institutional donors with capacity to give at the mid-6 and 7 figure level, with specific identified prospects to cultivate as well.
The ideal candidate brings experience securing major gifts or capital investments of at least 7 figures per year and a deep understanding of the pro-democracy ecosystem. We are looking for an accomplished, passionate fundraiser with 10 or more years of direct fundraising experience including at least 3 years of experience in the pro-democracy nonprofit and advocacy space. The Principal Giving Officer is a remote position based in the United States.* The priority deadline to apply for this role is November 15, 2026.
Protect Democracy’s approach to fundraising involves building deep, long-term, trusting relationships with donors, who we see and engage as key partners in the broader democracy ecosystem. We are a highly collaborative team, building on one another’s successes and regularly sharing content and feedback with one another. Our agile, diverse fundraising team has been remarkably effective so far at raising unrestricted general operating funds and building a solid financial runway that allows us to hire exceptional talent and to launch effective interventions, from bringing 150+ legal actions to crafting and enacting critical federal and state legislation to innovating creative solutions like VoteShield , which monitors and protects 160 million public voter records across 24 states.
About our organization: Protect Democracy formed in late 2016, recognizing that the global wave of authoritarianism had begun to erode American shores . We have since assembled a team of 120+ experts who have served under Democrats and Republicans and in the senior ranks of other nonprofit, political, or media organizations. Our team includes lawyers, policy experts, legislative advocates, media strategists, writers, data analysts, and software developers. In 2023, our team received a Skoll Award for Social Innovation and a MacArthur Fellowship .
At Protect Democracy, we believe that diversity isn’t just a strength — it’s a necessity for tackling the complex challenges facing democracy. A broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences strengthen our ability to analyze problems, craft solutions, and drive meaningful change. We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and from across the political and ideological spectrum to apply. If you meet most but not all of the criteria listed below but believe nonetheless you’d be a stellar match for the role and could grow into it, we want to hear from you.
The Principal Gifts Officer will:
Manage a portfolio of 6- and 7-figure donors, in collaboration with our Chief Partnerships Officer and Executive Director, representing Protect Democracy in external presentations and one-on-one meetings;
Serve as an ecosystem ambassador, speaking confidently about Protect Democracy and also about the needs of the pro-democracy ecosystem at large;
Develop tailored strategies to engage new prospective high-capacity donors and upgrade existing key donors;
Cultivate, engage, and communicate with the Protect Democracy board, donors, and partner organizations;
Manage full cycle of existing donor engagement, including planning and conducting meetings with a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects capable of making major gifts of capital investment of $1M+ annually to Protect Democracy;
Be a team player, being on-call for emails, seeking opportunities to share resources and learning across the Partnerships team, and building subject matter expertise collaboratively;
Contribute to culture-building initiatives across the organization.
Required:
10+ years of direct fundraising experience with progressive scope and scale, including some recent principal giving experience;
Experience in securing one-year major gifts or capital investments of at least $1 million;
At least three years of experience working in the pro-democracy sector either in fundraising or in another capacity.
Preferred, but not required:
Experience raising funds for a 501(c)(4).
The ideal candidate also brings:
A nuanced understanding of our country’s political landscape, the authoritarian threat , and the reality that our democracy has never fully represented communities of color;
Unfettered enthusiasm for Protect Democracy’s cross-ideological and nonpartisan approach to protecting our democracy;
Proven track record of having expanded and cultivated existing donor relationships over time;
Facility with CRM databases and donor data management;
Exceptional analytical, writing, presentation, and interpersonal skills and experiences cultivating both politically savvy and high level prospective audiences;
Growth mindset, collaborative orientation, and enthusiasm for giving and receiving feedback up, down and sideways.
Compensation:
The starting salary range for this role is $141,100-$166,000, commensurate with the candidate’s relevant experience, capabilities and skills and in alignment with internal equity.
About Protect Democracy:
* Flexible location. We are a remote-first organization based exclusively in the United States, meaning our staff work within the US and primarily virtually. We also offer shared workspaces for those who enjoy working in an office environment. We are established for remote work in many states across the country, and while candidates based anywhere in the United States are welcome to apply, we may not be able to offer employment in your current location. If you proceed in the hiring process, we will discuss where you currently live and what is possible in our initial interview. All staff are also required to travel at least two times per year to team retreats, and this role also requires periodic travel. (Accommodations to this requirement will be made only in exceptional circumstances.)
Commitment to an inclusive workplace. Protect Democracy is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences strengthens our ability to analyze problems, craft solutions, and drive meaningful change. Protect Democracy encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.
Phenomenal benefits. Our benefits package includes generous sick leave and a flexible vacation policy where we encourage team members to take 4-5 weeks every year, along with 12 paid holidays, 6 weeks of paid family medical leave, and 18 weeks of paid parental leave. We also offer a 401(k) plan with up to 6% employer match that vests immediately. Additionally, we cover employee medical premiums at 100% (with up to 95% coverage for dependents depending on plan selection), and employee and dependents dental/vision at 100%. All employees have access to long-term disability and life insurance, fertility benefits, a home office stipend, and bonuses at the discretion of the Executive Director.
Ample opportunities for personal & professional development. Candidates who do not meet all listed criteria should still apply, as our organizational structure focuses on providing mentorship and opportunities for professional growth.
To apply for this position:
Please complete the application linked below. As part of your application, you will be asked to upload PDFs of your resume and cover letter. (Applications missing any of the required materials will be considered incomplete and not reviewed.) The priority deadline to apply for this role is November 15, 2026; we will review applications received after that date on a rolling basis.
Important notes:
Contact hiring@protectdemocracy.org if you require specific accommodations at any point in the hiring process.
Keep an eye on your promotions/spam folders to avoid missed communication.
A note on fair hiring and automated tech: To help our small team review applications efficiently and fairly, we use automated screening tools to assist with resume and response review. Every candidate flagged by our system is reviewed by a member of our recruiting team; we never rely on automated scoring alone to make hiring decisions. If you have questions about this process, or need an alternative application path as an accommodation, reach out to us at hiring@protectdemocracy.org .
We are unable to provide status updates for each application we receive. If you reach out and do not hear back, please know it is not for lack of appreciation or interest, but simply for lack of staff capacity to respond to individual inquiries.
The application will include a voluntary EEO survey so that we can monitor the applicant pool as a whole for representation and equal employment opportunities, and to evaluate our progress as an organization toward a diverse and inclusive workforce, which we believe is a pillar of a thriving democracy. The categories used by the EEO survey are limited and may not reflect your lived experience; please feel free to opt out of any of the questions. Your responses to this survey are entirely separate from your application materials, are not accessible to those responsible for hiring decisions, and will not affect your candidacy in any way.