Associate Development Director, Strategic Partnerships

POSITION TITLE: Associate Development Director, Strategic Partnerships

LOCATION: San Francisco, California

POSITION REPORTS TO: Foundation and Corporate Giving Director

POSITION CLOSES: November 13, 2020

WHO WE ARE: The Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF) is a national non-profit organization headquartered in Durango, Colorado with staff in Alaska, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington, DC. Established in 2007, CLF was founded on the belief that our public lands are best protected when there is a national network of local advocates working to advance a common conservation vision. CLF works hand-in-hand with 80 grassroots groups - our Friends Grassroots Network - to protect the National Conservation Lands, our nation’s newest collection of premier lands and waters under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s jurisdiction. These lands encompass 36 million acres and 2,400 miles of National Monuments and National Conservation Areas, Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Scenic and Historic Trails, and are found throughout the West and Alaska.

Our mission is to protect, restore and expand the National Conservation Lands through education, advocacy and partnerships.

This position will play a key role within CLF’s Development Team to effectively cultivate and grow key donor relationships in California and beyond, support CLF’s work to build and maintain institutional funding, and spearhead the inception and growth of a corporate partnership program. The ideal candidate will enhance the Development Team’s capacity to articulate, advance, and convey a clear and compelling vision that supports an annual revenue goal of $6 million and related execution strategies. The Associate Development Director, Strategic Partnerships will manage a portfolio of individual donors as well as support the team in implementing our collective annual strategic fundraising plans as part of a dynamic, fast-paced organization. This is an excellent opportunity for an emerging development leader to engage in all aspects of fund development while growing new partnerships for a national organization.

OBJECTIVES & RESPONSIBILITIES:  The Associate Development Director, Strategic Partnerships is a new position responding to organizational growth, ambitious fundraising goals, and the potential for partnership opportunities. Reporting to the Foundation and Corporate Giving Director, the position will join CLF’s four-person Development Team, and will work closely with the Board Development Committee, Communications Team, and advisory groups. Core responsibilities include: 

Strategy Execution: Work collaboratively with the Development Team to implement annual fundraising plans, and develop strategies to execute and achieve these goals. Provide key support to and participation in the implementation of California-specific fundraising.

• Individual Fundraising and Portfolio Management: Cultivate, steward and increase giving from a defined portfolio of current individual donors, affinity groups, and/or prospective donors. Assist planning and implementation of special events and donor trips (when appropriate). Support other team members in their work as needed.

Corporate Partnership Development: Lead the creation and implementation of the organization’s corporate partnership strategy that drives revenue, while creating meaningful, well-aligned, and mutually beneficial partnerships. Work closely with the Development and Communications Teams to ensure corporate partnerships maximize opportunities for outreach, awareness-building, and advocacy. Proposal Development and Grant Reporting: Work closely with the Foundation and Corporate Giving Director to help hone and align CLF’s donor-facing language with our strategic vision. Craft and refine letters of inquiry, grant reports and proposals, major donor proposals, and other written pieces. Research and Analytical Support: Research current and prospective individual and institutional donors to gain insights into priorities, relationships, and other charitable giving to most effectively position the organization for funding. Work with CLF’s other Associate Development Director to streamline systems for organizing and utilizing institutional funding data within our CRM (NationBuilder), tracking funder and donor relationships, and relationship tracking/management tools.

Ability to work occasional nights and weekends (when appropriate and as needed). Travel estimated up to 20 percent (when safe to do so).

WHO YOU ARE: The successful candidate is committed to the Conservation Lands Foundation’s mission and to advancing equity, inclusion, and justice within the organization and in the environmental movement. Helpful qualifications include:

At least 3 years of professional fundraising experience in a non-profit setting. Demonstrated familiarity with non-profit fundraising best practices. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. Excellent relationship management, interpersonal, and communication skills (written and oral). Ability to inspire and build positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Demonstrated experience and agility with a wide variety of written communications. Strong track record writing clear, structured, articulate, and persuasive proposals/reports highly desired. Proficiency with donor management software strongly preferred; CRM systems preferred. Fluency with MS Office and Google Suites (Excel, Word and PowerPoint) strongly preferred. Self-motivated and committed to follow-through with minimal supervision. Comfortable working in a team-oriented environment. Equally adept at working behind the scenes as in the spotlight. Ability to monitor and meet deadlines, and prioritize and organize work assignments. Keen analytic, organization, and problem-solving skills which support and enable sound decision making. Creative problem solver with ability to be innovative and think outside the box. High degree of attention to detail, discretion, and sound judgement.

Salary Range and Benefits*: 

The salary for this position is $70-$75,000, based on qualifications. The Conservation Lands Foundation offers a competitive compensation package, with an organizational culture that supports staff well-being and professional development. Benefits include: Generous vacation and sick time; 401(k) plan with employer match; Health, dental, vision insurance plan; Health and dependent care Flex Spending program; and Short-term disability.

*Please note:  Due to COVID-19, the Conservation Lands Foundation is operating on a 32-hour work week. Paid time off will accrue at 80% until we resume to a 40 hour work week. Salary will remain at 100% (1FTE) and 401(k)plan and health/dental/vision insurance will be covered at 100%. 

To Apply:

Email a resume and targeted cover letter with your first and last name and Associate Development Director, Strategic Partnerships in the subject line to: strategicpartnerdirector@conservationlands.org 

No phone calls, please. 

The Conservation Lands Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability or status as a U.S. veteran.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

This job description reflects the assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.