Application Guide

How to Apply for Director of Philanthropy

at Free Law Project

🏢 About Free Law Project

Free Law Project is a mission-driven nonprofit that democratizes access to the law through tools like CourtListener and RECAP, serving millions of users and supporting public defenders and legal aid organizations. Its strong technical infrastructure, including a massive email list and browser extension, provides a unique platform for fundraising innovation. Working here means directly contributing to a more transparent and equitable justice system.

About This Role

As Director of Philanthropy, you will be the strategic leader for growing Free Law Project's donation revenue from $500K to new heights, leveraging their existing membership, small donors, and institutional support. You'll have the autonomy to design and execute a comprehensive fundraising plan, including the potential to hire and manage a team. This role is pivotal in scaling the organization's impact and ensuring long-term sustainability.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve meeting with the executive director to align on fundraising priorities, analyzing donor data to identify major gift prospects, drafting a stewardship email to the 100K+ subscriber list, and personally reaching out to a potential major donor. You might also collaborate with the tech team to optimize donation pages or plan a campaign leveraging CourtListener's user base.

🚀 Application Tools

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Free Law Project Is Looking For

  • Proven experience in fundraising leadership, with a track record of growing donation revenue from $500K to $2M+ in a nonprofit setting.
  • Strategic and hands-on: able to synthesize diverse fundraising opportunities (major gifts, membership, institutional) and execute tactically, including personally soliciting major donors.
  • Familiarity with technology and digital engagement: comfortable leveraging web properties, email lists, and social channels for donor cultivation and stewardship.
  • Passion for Free Law Project's mission and an understanding of the legal tech or access-to-justice space, with the ability to articulate impact to donors.

📝 Tips for Applying to Free Law Project

1

Highlight specific examples of how you've grown donation revenue in previous roles, including dollar amounts and strategies used.

2

Demonstrate familiarity with Free Law Project's tools (CourtListener, RECAP) and mission by referencing them in your application.

3

Emphasize any experience with digital fundraising or leveraging technology platforms for donor engagement, as this is a key differentiator.

4

Show that you can be both strategic and hands-on: mention times you personally solicited major gifts while also building systems.

5

Address the remote nature of the role: highlight your ability to work independently and collaborate effectively across time zones.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your vision for growing Free Law Project's donation stream from $500K to a significantly higher figure, with concrete strategies.", "How you would leverage Free Law Project's unique assets (100K email list, browser extension, web properties) to enhance fundraising.", 'Your experience in building and leading a fundraising team, including hiring and managing staff as needed.', 'Your personal connection to the mission of open access to law and how that drives your fundraising approach.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Explore CourtListener and RECAP to understand the tools and their user base, and read about their impact on access to justice.
  • → Review Free Law Project's annual reports or financial statements to understand their revenue mix and fundraising history.
  • → Research the legal tech and nonprofit fundraising landscape, including trends in digital fundraising and major gifts.
  • → Look into the backgrounds of the executive director and board members to understand their priorities and networks.
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you assess and prioritize the various fundraising opportunities (membership, small donors, institutional, major gifts) to create a cohesive plan?
2 Describe your approach to personally soliciting major donors and securing large gifts, including a specific success story.
3 How would you utilize Free Law Project's digital assets (email list, web properties) to cultivate and steward donors?
4 What metrics would you use to measure fundraising success, and how would you report progress to the executive director?
5 How would you build and manage a fundraising team, and what roles would you prioritize hiring first?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on major gifts and ignoring the potential of small donors and membership, which are already significant for Free Law Project.
  • Failing to demonstrate technical aptitude or willingness to learn about the organization's tools, which are central to its identity.
  • Proposing generic fundraising strategies without tailoring them to Free Law Project's unique audience and mission.
  • Neglecting to mention how you would collaborate with the executive director and potentially build a team.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Free Law Project!

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