Departmental Overview Human Rights Center (HRC) investigates war crimes and other serious violations of human rights, pursues justice and accountability, and prepares the next generation of human rights advocates. HRC applies innovative technologies and scientific methods to investigate human rights abuses and study their effects on vulnerable populations. Based on our findings, we recommend specific policy measures to protect those affected by abuses and hold perpetrators accountable. HRC trains advocates around the world and provides them with the skills and tools necessary to document human rights violations and turn this information into effective action.
Position Summary This position serves as the fundraising lead with the Human Rights Center, a unit with UC Berkeley School of Law. This position reports directly to the Center's executive director and supports the strategic and organizational priorities of the Center by developing and executing the strategy for meeting and ideally exceeding the Center's annual budget. A significant portion of this position's time will be on identifying and cultivating new individual donors at HRC, and increasing the gift sizes of certain current individual donors. This position is responsible for identifying, cultivating, and managing potential and existing individual donor, foundation, government, and corporate relationships; supporting the drafting and submission of all proposals and budgets; and interfacing with fundraising and grants related departments on campus; and utilizing relevant UC Berkeley databases.
Application Review Date The First Review Date for this job is: June 3, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.
Responsibilities Donor Cultivation & Stewardship:
- Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards major gift prospects and donors, including new potential individual donors and existing Human Rights Center individual donors.
- The typical annual giving range is $20-$5,000 (with historical gifts ranging from $10 to $3,000,000).
- Coordinates targeted outreach to individuals who donate $5,000 or more annually, securing individual meetings at least 1-2 times per year.
- Manages individual donor fundraising activities, including planning and executing a minimum of three major fundraising campaigns annually, each potentially involving multiple solicitations (e.g. email, direct mail, and phone outreach).
- Implements stewardship activities including invitations to Human Rights Center events, circulation of the annual report, and major donor calls for all major donors 1-2 times per year.
- Uses Constant Contact to communicate with donors and CADS to research donors and prospects, track engagement, and generate fundraising and prospect reports in collaboration with UDAR.
- May include written and oral communication, donor meetings, and coordination with the Center's directors.
- Establishes and advances clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as: increasing the number of individuals who donate $10,000 or more annually to HRC from 17 to 25.
Grant, Contract, and Financial Administration:
- In collaboration with the Executive Director, manages up to 10 active grants per year, totaling up to $1.5 million annually.
- Oversees the Human Rights Center's grant application, approval, and close-out processes in collaboration with Berkeley Regional Services (BRS), the Sponsored Projects Office (SPO), and donors.
- Responsibilities include helping directors with grant proposals, developing budgets and budget narratives with directors and BRS, coordinating reporting requirements with directors, and managing grant close-out using the Phoebe portal.
- Establishes and advances clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as: securing one new core operating grant of at least $300,000 per year for three years; securing at least five project based grants of $150,000 or more each (or equivalent funding); and securing $100,000 from at least one corporation and/or corporate foundation in gifts or in-kind support.
- If necessary, supporting our administrative associate to manage HRC's professional training contracts, working with relevant attorneys at UC Berkeley and utilizing the Berkeley Contract Management System (BCMS) to ensure compliance with UC policies and donor requirements.
- Supports the Executive Director with financial management related to development activities, including running reports in Cal Answers and CADS and, if necessary, assisting the Executive Director with FTE tracking and planning.
Annual Giving & Campaign Management:
- Plans, schedules, and implements fundraising projects, including the end-of-year campaign, mid-year campaign, and Berkeley's Big Give.
- Develops and drafts strategic fundraising plans, donor communications, and solicitation materials.
- Raises gift dollar amounts as established each fiscal year for each donor group and fundraising campaign.
- The total annual fundraising target for this role is to cover or exceed the Human Rights Center's annual fiscal budget which is around $2.5 million, working together with the Executive Director and Faculty Directors, recognizing that HRC also has an existing donor community.
- Interfaces regularly with the law school's and central campus' fundraising, advancement, and financial teams to ensure alignment with institutional priorities and policies.
Fundraising Data Analysis & Reporting:
- Provides analysis and interpretation of complex fundraising results, donor data, and campaign performance.
- Develops reports and dashboards to track progress toward fundraising goals and makes data-informed recommendations to the Executive Director and Faculty Directors regarding program changes, new fundraising strategies, and opportunities to increase revenue and donor engagement.
Fundraising Strategy & Planning:
- Develops fundraising strategies within existing policy guidelines.
- Participates in short- and long-range strategic planning related to donor, corporate, government, and foundation cultivation.
- Ensures that predetermined fundraising goals and revenue targets are met for assigned fundraising programs and campaigns, exercising independent judgment in prioritizing activities and resources.
- Collaborate on the design, organization, and implementation of special development-related events for the public and campus community, as well as the Center's advisory board and major donors.
- Directly interacts with students, faculty, alumni, and donors to support cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation objectives.
- Ensures events are aligned with fundraising strategies and measurable engagement goals.
- Participates in professional development and training opportunities to stay on top of campus fundraising opportunities and requirements, as well as best practice in the field of non-profit academic fundraising.
Required Qualifications - Advanced knowledge of all aspects of fundraising, donor relations, and public relations concepts, principles, procedures, and techniques.
- Advanced working knowledge of and/or ability to learn about all aspects of the Human Right Center, and UC Berkeley Law, including current issues of concern for both the campus and throughout higher education.
- Advanced knowledge of and/or ability to learn about the Human Rights Center, and UC Berkeley Law, including its vision, mission, goals, objectives, achievements and infrastructure.
- Advanced knowledge of applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, etc.
- Advanced written, oral and interpersonal communication skills, including political acumen, to establish and maintain good working relationships throughout the organization and with outside constituencies.
- Ability to make persuasive and compelling presentations of goals and objectives in order to secure gifts.
- Advanced organizational, analytical and critical thinking skills, including skill in creative and effective decision-making and problem identification / avoidance / resolution, and strong project management skills.
- Advanced skill to meet predetermined goals and objectives through effective program/project planning, organization, execution and evaluation.
- Ability to work with sensitive information, exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality.
- Strong working knowledge of and/or ability to learn about the key software and analytical programs needed to track and manage donor relations, fundraising, etc.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Advanced project management skills.
- Proficiency in and/or ability to learn Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and UDAR data systems with the ability to learn new systems.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate and work effectively with individuals and groups from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
- Demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment that promotes collaboration and mutual respect among all members of the UC Berkeley community and its stakeholders.
- Must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage with and understand individuals from varied academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender, and ethnic backgrounds.
- Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
Preferred Qualifications - Fundraising and development experience in human rights, social justice, democracy, or related field.
Salary & Benefits For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.
Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.
The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $130,000.00 - $158,000.00. This is an exempt, monthly-paid position. This is a 1-year, full-time (40 hours/week) contract position eligible for UC benefits.
How to Apply - To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.
Other Information - This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.
- This position is eligible for up to 20% remote work within the United States. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs and are subject to change.
- Travel Requirements - 10% Travel would likely only be local travel to meet with prospects and donors and/or engage in fundraising events for the Human Rights Center.
- Special Conditions:
- Exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties.
- Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information, and any other sensitive or non-public information learned during the course and scope of employment.
- Understands that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively takes steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have legitimate business need to know.
- Ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded.
- Follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy. This includes secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks.
- The unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential work-related information obtained from any source on any work-related matter is a violation of these expectations.
