Development Director
About EarthCorps
EarthCorps is a non-profit organization based in Seattle, Washington that develops environmental leaders to strengthen community and restore the health of our environment. We believe in the power of people – acting through their collective responsibility to one another and our planet – to tackle the most pressing challenges facing our world, and we envision a world in which people and nature thrive together.
To cultivate this important work, we train young leaders in ecological restoration. We bring together young adults – who we call corps members - from the US and across the globe for an environmental leadership development and green-jobs training program where we care for the lands and waters of Puget Sound. Corps members gain hands-on leadership experience, cross-cultural skills, and learn technical environmental restoration while building a close-knit community as they care for our natural world. These emerging environmental leaders “think globally and act locally” in leading community volunteers to complete restoration projects such as native tree planting, invasive plant removal, salmon stream restoration, wetland and shoreline restoration, and trail construction.
At the conclusion of the program, these leaders return to their local communities with the skills and enthusiasm required to tackle the pressing issues of our time – including climate change, pollution and ecological degradation – to help create a better world for all of us. Since its inception in 1993, EarthCorps has trained more than 1,000 environmental leaders from the US and nearly 80 countries around the world.
EarthCorps is embarking on our next chapter: we just hired a bold and visionary new executive director and are in the process of creating our new strategic plan to guide us as we transform our organization to meet the environmental justice and racial equity needs of today.
Come be a part of the transformation of this organization!
Commitment to Racial Equity
EarthCorps strongly believes in the values of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. EarthCorps works to ensure that everyone feels engaged and supported in all areas of the organization's operations as we work to become a fully inclusive, multi-cultural, and anti-racist organization.
Position Summary
As we turn 30-years old next year, we are looking for an experienced relationship builder and fundraising strategist to partner with our executive director (ED) and board to raise significant funding to support our new strategic plan, including building deeper partnerships with community-led and Indigenous-led organizations across the Puget Sound region.
The Development Director (DD) serves as a key leadership team member and an active participant in making strategic decisions affecting EarthCorps. In partnership with the ED, this position is responsible for all fundraising and development activities. The successful candidate will help forge new and existing relationships to build EarthCorps’ visibility, impact, and financial resources. This role reports directly to the executive director and serves as a critical thought partner to her as the organization implements its new strategic plan.
The DD will have primary responsibility for strengthening and building a fundraising team that will raise $1M+ in 2023 with a steady increase year over year through the solicitation of major gifts, special events, and corporate and foundation support. The DD oversees private fundraising, communications, and alumni relations for all of EarthCorps.
The DD will expand and diversify EarthCorps’ donor base and funding pipeline as well as work closely with other team members to secure funding for new initiatives, with a focus on unrestricted funding. In addition, the DD will work closely with the board of directors and support board members as they take on a more active fundraising role.
It is expected that funding raised by EarthCorps will increase significantly in future years as the development director systematically and effectively strengthens the organization's overall fundraising capacity.
Duties & Responsibilities
Strategy, Vision & Leadership
· Serve as a member of EarthCorps’ leadership team which includes participation in organizational planning.
· Collaborate with the finance director, strategic partnerships director, and field director to develop and implement EarthCorps’ philanthropic financial strategy.
· Develop and implement a comprehensive development strategy to include corporate, foundation, special events, and individual donors (alumni, annual, major, and planned giving).
· Oversee the creation of metrics and KPIs for the development team to track and analyze progress towards achieving revenue and communications goals.
· Monitor and report regularly on the progress of the development program to board and executive team.
· Serves as an external staff ambassador on behalf of the organization
Resource Development
· Lead efforts to identify, cultivate, steward, and solicit new and existing donors; leverage and engage both the ED and board members to support those efforts.
· Manage portfolio of leadership and major donors, actively soliciting, securing, and growing the number of six-figure individual donors and foundations contributing to EarthCorps.
· Support the reimagination of EarthCorps’ events strategy and in collaboration with the development team, decide if current annual fall gala will continue (for the past two years the event has been virtual).
· Manage foundation and corporate relationships and oversee strategy development of foundation/corporate proposals; supervise a seasoned contract grant writer to execute on all proposals/reports.
· Develop and implement a stewardship program aimed at cultivating deeper ties with donors.
· Oversee prospecting and donor research. Strategize and work with the ED to implement cultivation techniques to inspire prospective supporters to become donors and increase the number of donors giving annually.
· Oversee research of funding sources and trends, with foresight, to help position EarthCorps ahead of major funding changes or trends.
· Ensure that the organization is operating in Salesforce in ways that ensure strong data integrity and accurate reporting.
Communications
· Responsible for overseeing and measuring the success of a comprehensive marketing, communications, and public relations program that enhances EarthCorps’ image and position within the marketplace and the general public.
· Support Communications Manager in maintaining and strengthening EarthCorps’ brand and style in all external communications.
Team Leadership and Development
· Supervise development team including development manager, alumni & communications manager, and contract grant writer.
· Hire, train, inspire, motivate, and retain members of the development team.
· Build a collaborative team and culture of philanthropy, both within the development team and between development and the rest of the organization.
Required Qualifications
· Significant experience in development, fundraising, or other revenue-generating activities in nonprofit organizations
· Experience directly soliciting and securing six-figure gifts from individuals and building meaningful relationships with donors
· Tangible experience of having expanded and cultivated existing donor relationships over time; strong preference to those with experience working with donors/funders in the Seattle region
· High energy and passion for EarthCorps’ mission and environmental justice is essential
· Deep and authentic commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and eager to manage staff, serve on our leadership team, and lead our development efforts in ways that are fully centered on these values
· Experience with large multi-year capital campaigns is preferred, but not required
· Flexible and adaptable style; a leader who can positively impact both strategic and tactical fundraising initiatives
· Demonstrated management skills including staff supervision and staff development
· Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and build long-term relationships
· Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects at a time, without missing deadlines
· Ability to construct, articulate, and implement an annual strategic development plan
· Ability to work both independently without close oversight, but also a team player who will productively engage with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside EarthCorps
· An entrepreneurial self-starter, creative risk-taker, who is excited to innovate
· Ability to travel regionally including car and ferry trips
· Must be able to relocate to Seattle
Terms of Employment
COVID-19 Considerations
We are requiring all employees to be fully COVID-19 vaccinated prior to the start of employment. Proof of a completed COVID-19 vaccination should be submitted on or no later than your scheduled start date. If you believe you are entitled to either a medical or religious exemption to our vaccination requirement, please contact Human Resources and your situation will be evaluated.
Benefits
Competitive benefits package includes: employer provided health insurance, dental insurance, 403(b), paid vacation, paid sick time, paid holidays, subsidized transit pass and staff training.
Compensation
Salary Range -- $100,000 - $120,000
To Apply
· Please submit your cover letter and resume by clicking on “Apply Now” on our website. In your cover letter, please describe as specifically as you can how your experience, interests, and values are a good fit for this position and with EarthCorps. In addition, please share how your lived and/or professional experiences inform your understanding of what it means to be anti-racist.
· The priority deadline will be 5/2/22. All applications will be reviewed on the priority deadline. Any applications submitted after the priority deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We expect first round interviews to start early to mid-May. Top candidates will be invited to a second-round interview with the Directors team and a final interview with the Executive Director. We hope to extend an offer by 6/2/22 with a start date by early Summer 2022, but the position will remain open until we find the right candidate. If you have any questions, please contact Vincent Kwan, Human Resources Generalist, at vincent@earthcorps.org.