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DEEDS NOT WORDS

Founded in 2016, by former Texas State Senator Wendy Davis, Deeds Not Words is a non-profit that seeks to empower and activate the voices of young women in public and political discourse. Deeds is an intersectional community that stands for freedom from violence, reproductive autonomy, economic opportunity, and equitable representation. Guided by intersectional core values rooted in gender justice, we envision a future for young leaders of color where they have the autonomy to reach their full potential. Through college and high school civic engagement and advocacy programs, young people can gain real-world advocacy training. Deeds believes in providing the next generation with the tools needed to make change today, while also developing the skills needed to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Millennials and Gen Zers represent one of the largest untapped voting blocks in the country. Deeds provides them with resources and support so that they will not only vote themselves but also enlist their peers. The work of Deeds is rooted in connecting the desire to drive change on issues with participation at the ballot box. Creating today’s Changemakers and tomorrow’s leaders is achieved by galvanizing the power and building the leadership of young people through organizing, policy-making, art, and voting.

 

THE ROLE

The Finance Director, while a new role at Deeds Not Words, will be a crucial member of the Executive Team. Historically this role has been filled by the Executive Director working in tandem with a financial consultant and board support. However, with the addition of a permanent Finance Director, Deeds will be able to have someone fully focused on developing financial plans and reporting systems. 

This role manages Deed’s accounting and reporting. Additionally, as a member of Executive Leadership, along with the current acting Executive Director and soon-to-be-hired Managing Director, the Finance Director will play a significant role in shaping the long-term vision and strategic plan for Deeds Not Words. Overall this role is responsible for the organization’s accounting needs, while also supporting the Executive Team in developing a strategic vision.

 

DUTIES + RESPONSIBILITIES

As the Finance Director, this role is predominately responsible for the accounting needs of Deeds Not Words. The Finance Director will develop, implement, and manage systems for internal and external reporting, as well as organizational growth. This typically involves:

• Completing general finance and accounting responsibilities as they relate to recording allocations of payroll and benefits, accounts payable and receivable clerking, accounting, general ledger management, cash disbursements, cash receipts, banking, fixed assets, and depreciation.
• Preparing monthly reports which include statements of financial position, statement of activities budget vs actual, statements of functional expenses and cash flows, and annual total net asset projections for the Executive Director, board, and funders.
• Managing monthly bank reconciliation and monitoring monthly cash flow. Month-end close processes completed by the 15th of the following month. 
• Ensuring C4 & C3 financial compliance standards are met and maintained, as well as tracking restricted funding, department expenses, political expenses, functional expenses, and sub-accounts for funder requirements.
• Managing the ~$1 mil consolidated (c3 +c4) budget.
• Maintaining accounting systems such as Quickbooks and ADP.
• Creating and documenting financial processes within a Policies and Procedures manual. 
• Working with an outside consultant to prepare the documentation needed for tax preparations and audits.

The Finance Director will also serve as a member of the Executive Team, alongside the Managing Director and Executive Director. This will require collaboration with various departments and external partners. This looks like:

• Working with the Managing Director and Programming Managers on annual budget creation, and preparing financial projections and forecasts quarterly.  
• Meeting regularly with the Executive Team to make strategic decisions for Deeds
• Creating quantitative reports and qualitative executive summaries for board meetings, funder reports, and partner organizations on the organization’s financial performance
• Identifying financial growth opportunities for Deeds

 

DAY IN THE LIFE

At its core, the Finance Director spends their day focused on numbers. While no two days will be the same, and urgent matters will inevitably arise, below is a general idea of how the Finance Director will spend their day.

• 35% Reporting- creating the monthly financial summary for the Executive Director, tracking c3 and c4 expenses, and identifying any gaps in reserve funds, 
• 30% Operations- creating systems within a policies and procedures manual 
• 15% Strategic Planning- meeting with the Executive Team to provide a financial forecast, connecting with programming managers to discuss training financial needs
• 10% Relationship Management- when needed to support the Executive Director or development consultant, responding to emails in the donor inbox, approving expenses for event materials
• 10% As Needed- miscellaneous tasks that come up throughout the day

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

• 6+ years of experience in accounting, bookkeeping, financial management and reporting, and internal controls
• Proven experience in developing new financial policies, procedures, and systems, with the ability to communicate them to both internal and external stakeholders
• Experience with 501c3/c4/PAC compliance and reporting
• Ability to perform all accounting duties per the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
• Deep understanding of organizational budgeting, cash flow management, and financial risk management
• Strong technological proficiency and ability to use programs such as Excel/other spreadsheet software, G-suite, and accounting software such as QuickBooks
• Ability to explain complex financial concepts to people with no financial knowledge
• Ability to set, communicate, and maintain boundaries while balancing the needs of the organization and your teammates
• Ability to spend the majority of your workday in front of a computer
• Committed to gender and racial justice and operates from an anti-racist framework
• You’re a creative thinker – you don’t limit yourself to what has been done before and are capable of designing new systems and procedures
• You’re an innovator and problem solver – you are not daunted by complex problems or ambiguity and instead, view these things as opportunities for growth and learning
• You’re honest and transparent – you openly communicate your thoughts, feelings, and ideas and aren’t afraid to admit when you don’t know the answer
• You’re analytical and diplomatic – you base your decisions on evidence and careful thought but don’t do so at the expense of others’ feelings
• You’re organized and systematic – you excel at creating efficient systems, time management, and independently completing multiple tasks at a time
• You’re a numbers person – you enjoy working with numbers 

 

NICE TO HAVE QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Experience with nonprofit or campaign financial management
• Experience managing others
• Experience with Action Network
• Experience with fundraising and donor relations
• Experience developing a multi-year strategic plan

 

HIRING PHILOSOPHY

Economic opportunity is a core tenant of Deeds Not Words. With that in mind, the Deeds hiring process has been thoughtfully designed in partnership with Disruptor Collaborative to foster a culture of equity, authenticity, and transparency from the beginning. While there are some core competencies outlined below, it is not expected that one person will have every required and nice-to-have skill. 

We not only encourage, but also boldly request that people who possess some, but not all of the skills and/or experiences outlined in this job description still apply. People from marginalized communities are especially encouraged to apply, because historically these groups have been kept from employment, despite consistently fighting for everyone’s liberation. 

 

EEOC STATEMENT

Deeds Not Words is an equal-opportunity employer. It does not discriminate based on race, color, faith, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, tribal affiliation, disability, veteran status, or record of arrest or conviction. It is committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment and one that honors and promotes a culture of equity and a wide array of diversity. It is engaging in ongoing equity and anti-racism work

Deeds Not Words is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to people living with disabilities. If you require accommodations, please email jobs@deedsnotwords.com with your needs. 

 

APPLICATION + HIRING PROCESS

To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, three references, and work samples (if you choose) as PDFs to jobs@deedsnotwords.com. More details on what to include are listed below. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. The hiring process is listed below. Please reach out with any accommodations needed to navigate the process.

• May 29- Priority application deadline
• Week of June 5- Phone interviews + Reference checks with Disruptor consultants
• Week of June 12- Virtual interview with the Deeds team
  • Those moving on to the final interview will be asked to complete a skills test. Candidates will be compensated for their time.
• Week of June 23- Virtual interview with Deeds Acting Executive Director, Andrea Reyas
• June 30- Make an offer

Please note, this is a tentative schedule, and subject to change.

 

RESUME

Here are aspects of a successful resume:

• It is only one page long.
• It includes your full name, email address, phone number, and where you’re located.
• Your work experience is listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent experience at the top. Each experience includes an organization name, title, and dates worked.
• Use action-oriented language when describing your duties and responsibilities at a job.
• Be specific when describing your duties and responsibilities. Give examples of goals and projects you accomplished on the job, with an emphasis on providing metrics.
  • Example: Organized a rally for abortion rights that was attended by 1,500 people
• Include experiences from non-work settings (such as volunteering), awards, trainings you’ve attended, speaking engagements, skills, or any other accomplishments that demonstrate relevant expertise.
• At a minimum, make sure your formatting is clean, consistent, and easy to read.
  • For best results, use a program such as Canva to make a more visually appealing resume. Using a template will also allow you to fit more information on one page.
  • Example: Sample Resume 

 

COVER LETTER

A cover letter is your opportunity to tell us your story, focusing on your why. Why did you take the path that you took? Why was that job or experience important in your professional growth? Illustrate examples of what you learned or how you accomplished something. The goal is to show, not tell, and to give a richer, fuller understanding of your experiences that can’t be conveyed through a resume. This is a chance for us to get to know your personality and hear your voice and perspective. There is no one right template or formula for a cover letter.

Example cover letter

Example cover letter

 

WORK SAMPLES

This section is optional, as not all people may have examples of their work that they are allowed to share. We encourage you to submit anything that demonstrates skills and expertise relevant to the position, it does not have to be a polished, public-facing document. A work sample could look like a spreadsheet you created to track expenses, a budget you wrote, or a training guide. Essentially, this is a chance to show off. 

You can include these samples as their own standalone PDF documents, or you could include links on the second page of your cover letter.

 

REFERENCES

Please list your references on the second page of your cover letter document. Make sure to include the person’s name, pronouns (if comfortable sharing), phone number, email address, organization, and title. Please also provide one to two sentences of context as to how this person worked with you. We would like at least one reference to come from someone who directly supervised you, and at least one reference from either someone you supervised or someone you worked with as a lateral teammate. 

Please ask for permission to list someone as a reference. Not doing so is not only disrespectful, it doesn’t set you up for success. We recommend sending this job posting to your references in advance so they know which of your experiences and skills are relevant for them to highlight. Your references should be people that have worked with you in a professional context, so please don’t list people that have only known you in a personal capacity.