Director of Development

Director of Development and Membership

Michigan United Conservation Clubs is the largest statewide conservation organization in the nation with more than 200 affiliate clubs and 40,000 paid members. MUCC seeks a Director of Development and Membership to grow financial stability and long-term viability for the organization into the future through the development of MUCC’s donor and membership programs.

This position will focus on membership growth initiatives, donor stewardship, major and planned giving, direct mail campaigns, special events, corporate sponsorships, peer-to-peer fundraising, and market engagement with a focus on growing individual membership and membership retention. The position requires demonstrated experience in relationship building, writing, project management, financial tracking, communication and collaboration. This position will report to the Executive Director.

MUCC Organizational Objectives

Fosters a conservation stewardship ethic in the public Protects the rights of the public to hunt, fish, trap and recreate outdoors Encourages the public to connect to our resources through active recreation Advocates for sustainable conservation practices and resource stewardship through sound scientific management

Responsibilities:

Development

Identify, qualify, cultivate, and solicit major and planned gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations that are part of an identified prospect portfolio to help support the conservation mission of MUCC.  

Manage and prioritize strategic fund development efforts to grow financial support overall  Cultivate and maintain relationships with foundations, private donors and corporate sponsors. Create, grow and sustain a major donor portfolio. Implement segmentation strategies to facilitate member/donor growth and retention. Engage in targeted campaign strategies for major gifts, planned giving, matching gifts, recurring donations, social fundraising, lapsed supporters, etc. Oversee proper acknowledgment and stewardship of all gifts Identify opportunities to leverage the current database more efficiently. Oversee special events as they relate to donors, prospective donors and membership  Work closely with the Public Information Officer/Magazine Editor to plan, draft and execute regular communications, including emails, direct mail pieces, newsletters, annual reports, magazine content, acknowledgments and social media

Membership

Develop and help to execute all aspects of membership growth, relations and sustainability into the future

Support MUCC efforts to recruit, retain and engage membership Collaborates with the staff and members to:

Create a roadmap for sustainable membership growth with an emphasis on individual membership; Establish short- and long-range plans and goals to achieve organizational membership objectives; Outline a data-driven member engagement, retention, and recruitment strategy and implementation plan. Develop strategies and programs to stimulate member engagement as a means of membership renewal and attraction.

Identify opportunities to enhance member benefits and services offered by MUCC. Work with both staff and members to develop and manage processes for feedback on MUCC’s membership, programs and services.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of five years of fundraising or related experience with an emphasis on personal major gift solicitation and a strong conservation ethic.

Minimum bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, including marketing/communications, public or non-profit administration, finance, business administration  Excellent interpersonal, relationship and team-building skills Experience, coursework, or other training in fundraising principles and best practices Strong oral and written communication skills Ability to provide leadership and guidance to other fundraising professionals and volunteers Computer literacy with a proficiency in word processing, spreadsheet, and database management programs Eligible to purchase a Michigan hunting and fishing license

A successful candidate will be a self-starter who can work independently as well as part of a team and is driven to succeed. Familiarity with planned giving, experience with comprehensive fundraising campaigns, relationships in and a working knowledge of Michigan's philanthropic community, and an interest in hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation activities are also desired.  The selected candidate should have the desire and ability to travel extensively within the state and will be expected to reside in a mutually agreed upon location within the state, with preference given to the Lansing, Michigan area.

Compensation:

A base salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. The MUCC Executive Director will work with the selected candidate to outline a plan with very clear goals and objectives, both short-term and long-term, and based upon mutual agreement to ensure the collective success of the organization. Performance-based compensation bonuses (as a percentage of the base salary) will be offered after six months of employment. 

MUCC offers an excellent package of health (high-deductible plan with HSA), vision and dental insurance.  Participation in a TIAA-Cref 403b retirement plan is optional.  MUCC also has a generous leave and time-off policy that includes major holidays, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, and most Fridays off from July 1 through Labor Day. 

Minimum Physical Expectations:

Physical activity that always requires keyboarding, sitting, phone work and filing. Physical activity often requires extensive time working on a computer. Physical activity that sometimes requires travel – car, and/or air. Physical activity that sometimes requires lifting under 25 lbs. Physical activity that sometimes requires bending, stooping, reaching, climbing, kneeling and/or twisting when filing.

To apply please submit resume, cover letter and three references to education director Shaun McKeon at smckeon@mucc.org

Resume review will begin on February 1, and continue until the position is filled.

MUCC is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.