You: A fundraising professional with a passion for liberty and winning. You’re a talented writer who knows how to craft compelling proposals and reports. And now you’re looking to apply those skills at a leading organization dedicated to advancing liberty and reining in government overreach.

Them: Bureaucrats, city councils, mayors, governors, and federal agencies stripping Americans of their rights every day. There’s a lot of government overreach out there, and it’s backed by seemingly endless resources. But fortunately, like all lumbering giants, abusive government is most vulnerable when countered by individuals who act strategically and nimbly, take calculated risks, have each other’s backs, and are confident in and passionate for the cause—the very sort of swashbucklers we employ in spades here at PLF.

Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation is the nation’s first and most successful public-interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the United States Supreme Court, with 18 victories out of 21 litigated there. We also have almost 200 active cases across the nation.

PLF is a next-generation public interest law firm. What does “next generation” mean for a legal nonprofit? It means we aren’t interested in doing the same thing as everyone else. We aspire to be the best player in a constantly changing game. We want to win.

Here’s what you get to do in this role:

You will join PLF’s development team to secure funding from foundations and donors who share our commitment to advancing individual liberty. You’ll apply your well-honed writing and messaging talents to craft successful proposals and reports tailored to the interests and requirements of the funders.

To ensure sufficient financial resources for PLF’s ambitious growth plans, you will also use your considerable knowledge of the pro-liberty movement and likeminded foundations to identify and secure grants from new potential funders.

As part of our foundations team, you will compose letters, proposals, and reports, review and approve drafts, perform research, and meet with funders. You will have the latitude to think big and the resources to execute.

PLF wants you to be relentless, confident, and show passion toward individual liberty, freedom, and taking on the government.

Summary:

The Foundation Relations Officer plays a key role in PLF’s development team, helping to secure funding from foundations and other grant makers who share our commitment to advancing individual liberty.

Primary Job Duties:

  • Draft grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and reports tailored to the specific needs and interests of funders.
  • Revise and edit proposals and letters after the review process, preparing them for final submission and ensuring timely completion.
  • Work with program staff across Litigation, Policy, Research, Scholarship, Communications, and Outreach to define projects for grant proposals.
  • Coordinate with finance staff to share financial results and future operating plans for proposals, and to monitor progress for reports.
  • Utilize Salesforce, FoundationSearch, and other databases to research, identify, and evaluate new and existing funding prospects.
  • Collaborate with team members to research and devise approaches for new foundation prospects.
  • Communicate regularly with current funders and prospects to steward new and higher contributions. Arrange for meetings with funders and prospects with other PLF staff.
  • Develop and regularly refresh overall messaging strategy for use in proposals, letters of inquiry, and reports in collaboration with the Director of Foundation Relations, Vice President for Development, and other staff as appropriate.
  • Travel to meet and communicate PLF’s message with funders, prospects, and attend PLF staff functions (15% of time).

This role is ideal for someone with:

  • 1–2+ years of professional writing experience, with preference given to those with major gifts or grant writing background.
  • Exceptional writing and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, persuasive copy and conversation.
  • A storytelling mindset, with the ability to turn PLF’s work into compelling narratives that highlight concrete, measurable outcomes.
  • Strong project management abilities, keeping drafts on schedule, meeting grant deadlines, and partnering with program staff for reporting requirements.
  • A warm, energetic, and persuasive approach to donor and prospect relationships.
  • Familiarity with funders and foundation networks in the pro-liberty space.
  • A collaborative mindset, enjoying building relationships across the Development team and the broader organization.
  • Genuine passion for the principles of freedom and individual liberty, bringing mission alignment to every aspect of the role.

General information:

Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that will benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and in the court of public opinion.

A national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, California; Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, although half of the staff work from home offices across the country. You may work virtually or in any of our physical offices.

We have a flexible, collaborative, positive, and collegial work environment. We take pride in investing in your future and encourage internal advancement. PLF is the place for someone principled, tenacious, and determined to succeed in positively shaping the future of our country and restoring real limits on government power.

Salary Range and Benefits:
This is a full-time, permanent position with a starting salary range of $75,000–$95,000. Exceptions may be considered for candidates with exceptional experience, education, professional background, or proven results in previous roles.

PLF is committed to recruiting and retaining the highest-quality talent nationwide and offers a total compensation package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, a generous 403(b) company contribution, life and disability insurance, paid leave and wellness leave, and 3 weeks of paid time off. Salary negotiations and details on PLF’s benefits package will be discussed with finalist candidates.

To Apply:

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:

  • Cover letter including:
    • An introductory paragraph describing three distinct reasons you are drawn to Pacific Legal Foundation’s mission.
    • Explanation of why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, and what distinguishes you from typical applicants.
    • Salary requirements.
  • Resume, including your experience in the liberty movement and relevant professional experience.

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/

Questions can be directed to Bailey Drouant, Project Manager at Talent Market, who is managing the search process: [email protected].

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law and limited regulation.