The ACLU of Nebraska (ACLU-NE) seeks a Development & Community Engagement Strategist to help strengthen the organization’s fundraising and overall capacity while sustaining and expanding our work across Nebraska. This position is primarily focused on supporting the Development Director and the broader development program, while also providing dedicated administrative and community engagement support across departments. This role is ideal for someone who is highly organized, people-centered, and energized by both behind-the-scenes systems work and outward-facing community engagement. The Strategist will spend much of their time supporting development operations and donor engagement, while also helping to manage volunteers, respond to community inquiries, and provide administrative support that enables legal, policy, and communications staff to focus on mission-critical program and organizational work during a pivotal moment for civil rights and civil liberties.

Overview

The ACLU-NE is the state affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and an independent 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the defense and expansion of the individual rights and liberties of all Nebraskans. The ACLU-NE carries out our mission through a sophisticated program of integrated advocacy with strategies that include litigation, negotiation, advocacy, and public engagement and activation. The ACLU-NE is proud to foster a fun and fast-paced work environment. Our offices are in the heart of Nebraska’s capital city, Lincoln, Nebraska. Our 13-person team is complemented by law clerks, interns, contractors, volunteer attorneys, and thousands of supporters statewide.

Core Responsibilities

Development Operations & Fundraising Support (Primary Focus)

• Support day-to-day operations of ACLU-NE’s development program under the direction of the Development Director.
• Maintain and manage ACLU’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system (Salesforce), including gift entry, acknowledgments, data hygiene, reporting, and cross-department coordination to ensure accurate, timely, and reliable data across development, finance, and operations.
• Assist with donor stewardship, relationship-building efforts, including preparing acknowledgment and stewardship communications, assisting with donor updates and portfolio outreach, and supporting engagement with new, recurring, and longtime donors.
• Support external giving campaigns (e.g., Give to Lincoln, Share Omaha) including data tracking, coordination, and follow-up.
• Assist with grant tracking, including maintaining deadlines, reports, payment schedules, and supporting proposal/report preparation.
• Run development and donor reports as requested to support strategy, forecasting, and stewardship.

Volunteer & Community Engagement Support

• Serve as a point of contact for volunteer inquiries, in coordination with the Development Director and relevant departments.
• Manage and maintain the Volunteer Management System (VMS), including data entry, tracking, reporting, and follow-up with volunteers.
• Support volunteer onboarding and connect volunteers with appropriate opportunities across legal, policy, communications, and development teams.
• Assist with staffing and attending community events, tabling opportunities, trainings, and public engagement activities.
• Help ensure a welcoming, inclusive, and responsive experience for volunteers, supporters, and community members engaging with ACLU-NE.

Administrative & Cross-Departmental Support

• Provide administrative support that reduces capacity strain across departments, including scheduling, coordination, data entry, and internal tracking tasks.
• Assist with internal systems and workflows (e.g., project management tools, shared calendars, documentation).
• Support the Development Director and other staff with preparation for meetings, events, and external engagements.
• Collaborate with Legal, Policy, Communications, Finance, and Operations teams to ensure smooth coordination and information and workflow.

Desired Qualifications & Experience

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and ACLU Donor database and projection tools such as Salesforce, Blackbaud and Tableau.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Phone skills.
• Reliable attendance including normal office hours 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday through Friday with occasional weekend and evening hoursas necessary.
• Primarily based in Lincoln, with a flexible remote-hybrid schedule, occasional in-state travel, as required.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion 

The ACLU-NE is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU-NE encourages applications from all qualified and eligible individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The ACLU-NE makes every effort to ensure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified and eligible persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions. The ACLU-NE is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to people with disabilities. If you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying, please e-mail agagner@aclunebraska.org or call 402-476-8091. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

Civil rights and civil liberties violations disproportionately hurt the most marginalized people in society – including Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, immigrants, women and LGBTQ+ people. These communities must be centered in the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or those who are members of other marginalized communities.

Compensation and Benefits  

This is a full-time exempt role. The expected salary range for this position ranges from $52,000-$76,000, depending on experience and skills with consideration for extraordinary candidates. Excellent benefits include vacation, sick leave, and parental leave, as well as generous health, dental, and vision insurance with employee and family premiums paid 100% by the employer, Health Savings Plan contributions, a 401k match, cell phone stipend, hybrid work options, and paid parking.

Application Procedure  

To apply, email a cover letter and resume to jobs@aclunebraska.org with the subject line: Donor and Community Engagement Strategist. In your cover letter, please indicate where you learned of the position. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, which will not be before March 13, 2026.