Foundations & Major Gifts Manager, Center for Sustainability Solutions
Hours: 32 hours/week, flexible 4-work week (full time)
Salary: $56,000 - 66,000, contingent on experience
Benefits: Excellent benefits package, including health insurance, dental & vision coverage, sick days, holidays, and vacation
Supervisor: Director, Center for Sustainability Solutions
Deadline: January 31, 2018
Organizational Background
Green America is a national non-profit organization that mobilizes consumers, investors, and businesses to use their economic power to create an environmentally sustainable and socially just economy. We create change in the world with three strategic hubs: 1) Our Consumer Education & Action campaigns create consumer demand that sends signals to the market calling for change, 2) Our Green Business Network is proving that green innovation is not only good for people and our planet, it is also profitable and sustainable, and 3) Our Center for Sustainability Solutions brings together diverse stakeholders along entire supply chains to solve complex sustainability problems that no single business, organization, or leader can solve alone.
We organize our national network of 250,000+ consumer activists, 2,000 Green Business Network members, and our growing list of corporate and supply chain partners around four core issue areas: 1) Safe Food & Sustainable Agriculture, 2) Clean Energy & Climate Action, 3) Fair Labor & Social Justice, and 4) Responsible Finance & Better Banking.
The Center for Sustainability Solutions at Green America supports several “Innovation Networks” – focused groups of stakeholders with the objective of making significant, industry-wide system change. The program team of the Center for Sustainability Solutions provides strategic direction, stakeholder engagement, facilitation, and program management for participating individuals and companies in each Innovation Network. Our current networks are focused on sustainable agriculture (non-GMO and Carbon Farming supply chains) and Clean Electronics (removing toxic substances harmful to people and planet from supply chains).
Seeking a Foundations & Major Gifts Manager for the Center for Sustainability Solutions
We seek an experienced Foundations & Major Gifts Manager who can hit the ground running to play a major role in raising new major donor, foundation, and government grant support for Green America’s Center for Sustainability Solutions. This includes cultivation of new major donor prospects; researching and identifying possible foundation support, writing letters of inquiry and full proposals for foundation grant applications, exploring government grant opportunities, and the launching of a new initiative – the Thought Leader Network. We expect the Foundations & Major Gifts Manager to manage a portfolio of 20-30 major donors, build the major donor pipeline with increased and new gifts, oversee the Center’s foundation fundraising, and effectively coordinate with Green America’s President & CEO, the Center Director, and the Director of Development.
The position may involve frequent domestic travel (5-8 times per year; up to 15-20% of time). The position would be based in Washington, DC at the Green America offices.
Duties and Responsibilities
Design and Implementation of an effective development strategy. Create and execute a comprehensive plan to expand our base of support and achieve fundraising targets for the Center for Sustainability Solutions. Proactively identify and pursue foundations, relevant government grants, and prospective major funders with potential to support the Center and/or specific programs and initiatives in our sustainable agriculture, clean electronics, and other working groups as they develop. Expand the breadth and depth of major donor and foundation support, and continually grow the funding pipeline across time.
Coordinate with Innovation Networks within the Center to identify intersection of funder priorities and key program areas. Support Center team to identify new programs/initiatives based on the existing and emerging priority areas of foundations and existing/prospective major funders. Liaise with funders and program staff to provide insight and resources for Center program development strategy.
Take leading role in launch of Thought Leader Network. Help develop strategy and recruit members who will play both an advisory and funding role for the Center. Support Center Director and team with launch of this “President’s Council-like” network to grow the Center and Green America.
Play a direct, lead role in forging productive long-term relationships – yielding significant sustained support – with existing and prospective major donors and foundation executives and government agencies. Achieve fundraising targets for major donors, foundations and government funders. Build relationships based on credibility, trust, and knowledge/understanding of prospective supporters’ values and priorities and how they align with Green America’s mission.
Effectively articulate Green America’s mission, objectives, programs, and impacts. Participate in creating compelling, effective fundraising messages and collateral. Effectively convey the organization’s mission, objectives, programs, impacts and asks in one-on-one conversations and with larger groups. Play a significant role in helping to increase Green America’s profile as a green thought/action leader within funding networks.
Work with the President & CEO, Center Director, Development Director, and others in Green America’s fundraising efforts. Proactively identify when it will be effective to strategically involve leadership staff in fundraising efforts, and manage/coordinate their targeted participation. Track, manage and pursue leads, prospects and follow-ups passed on by others in the organization.
Skills/Experience
- Bachelor’s degree and at least 4-6 years of proven high-level major gift fundraising experience.
- Fundraising experience in the sustainable food/agricultural sector highly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience working with government grant and/or foundations, including conducting research, meeting with program officers, producing successful letters of inquiry, proposals and reports.
- Demonstrated relationship building experience and solicitation of major gifts ($10,000+).
- Strong experience with fundraising management tool Raiser’s Edge and Zoho CRM
- Demonstrated ability to utilize technology and donor databases to manage fundraising efforts, track actions, and build funder relationships.
- Donor research skills and the ability to effectively identify, segment, and prioritize prospective major donors and foundations.
- Proven ability to effectively work in coordination with other team leaders.
- Strong project management and organizational skills with ability to meet tight deadlines.
- Exemplary communications skills, interpersonal skills, professionalism, and ability to build long-term relationships with key stakeholders.
- Excellent written skills with demonstrated ability to craft compelling, effective messaging and collateral for fundraising purposes.
- Strong intrinsic interest in issues directly related to Green America’s mission.
- Ability to obtain a deep understanding of Green America’s main program areas (Safe Food & Sustainable Agriculture, Clean Energy & Climate Action, Fair Labor & Social Justice, and Responsible Finance & Better Banking), and communicate this understanding to donors.
- Sustainable Agriculture and Food experience and strong relationships in this field a plus.
- Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) certification (or working toward certification) also a plus.
How to Apply:
Send cover letter and resume to Center for Sustainability Solutions, Green America, 1612 K Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006, or email centerjobs@greenamerica.org.
No calls, please.
Green America is an equal opportunity employer.
