Regional Representative, Southern California

ABOUT US

Plant with Purpose is a global Christian organization that addresses issues of deforestation and climate change, while empowering people to lift their communities out of rural poverty. For more than 30 years, Plant With Purpose has been a leader in operating at the nexus of Environmental Restoration, Economic Development, and Spiritual Impact. We believe that we honor God when we honor people and our planet. Come join our growing team and make a difference at this critical time in human history.

Plant With Purpose THRIVE 25 Strategy Statement: Inspired by the impact of our work in service to rural communities around the world, we are driven to grow our programs to help address the rising need. By 2025, we plan to work in 10 countries, 60 watersheds, and with nearly 900,000 people globally; and project growing past our current goal of $22 million as we seek to become the premier organization operating at the nexus of environmental restoration and poverty alleviation.

OUR NEED

On July 1, 2020 we launched a new strategic period where we plan to ambitiously grow 80% over the next 5 years, and this position is a significant part of achieving this goal. The Regional Representative for Southern California cares for the family of supporters that we’ve built in the Southern California region and helps to build the Plant With Purpose name in this region. The Southern California region extends from Santa Barbara County to Orange County, with a heavy emphasis on donors located within Los Angeles and Orange Counties. It does not include San Diego County supporters. 

YOUR OPPORTUNITY

As a Regional Representative, you are the critical link in initiating and cultivating relationships with potential major donors (individuals, corporations, churches, and foundations) who have the capability of making significant financial contributions to the mission of Plant With Purpose. You will work collaboratively with the fundraising team to build an effective development strategy in the Southern California region, with a strong emphasis on major gifts. This will include: identifying new prospective donors throughout Southern California; building and maintaining strong relationships with existing Plant With Purpose churches, major donors, and foundations in Southern California; and professionally and effectively asking for financial gifts to further the mission and program of Plant With Purpose. As this role covers a regional area across multiple counties, it will require traveling within the region to hold meetings with supporters and represent Plant With Purpose at fundraising and outreach events.* 

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

Location: Southern California

Type: Full-time, exempt

Level: Associate Professional

Department: Development Department

Reports to: Director of Development

Travel Expectations: International Travel: Approximately 2 - 3 trips per year to project sites which at times may be in difficult and physically arduous environments.

Salary Range: Offer will be based on a market rate criteria of experience, qualifications, and work location. 

Benefits: We offer a full “better than industry standard” benefits package. Details are listed at the end.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

As a member of the fundraising team, you will report to the Director of Development. Your responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

Donor cultivation and stewardship.  As a regional representative, you will manage a portfolio of donor relationships for major gift identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. By following the Plant With Purpose donor stewardship process, you will be expected to retain 80%+ of major donors and 65% of other relationships in your region, as well as to raise an additional $250,000 in your first three years at Plant With Purpose. The 5 core responsibilities of a Regional Representative that should lead to those targets are to:
1. Qualify donors for a caseload.  2. Create individual goals for each donor on caseload.  3. Create a contact/communication plan for each donor focused on fulfilling their interests and passions.  4. Create effective donor opportunities and follow up to communicate how their giving has made a difference. 5. Perform other major gifts officer duties as required, including recording/reporting activity to management, donor site visits, and domestic travel as needed.

Lead donor Vision Trips to our international programs. As part of cultivating donor relationships and church partnerships, you will be expected to lead up to 2-3 international trips per year to our projects sites. On these trips, you will need to interpret cross cultural differences and help trip participants build a vision for how they can uniquely impact communities by partnering with Plant With Purpose.

Build the Plant With Purpose reputation within the Southern California region. You will leverage Plant With Purpose’s friends and supporters based in Southern California to be effective ambassadors for     Plant With Purpose. You will need to articulate your personal walk with Jesus Christ and relate it to the ministry of Plant With Purpose in conversations with individual donors and churches. You will generate speaking opportunities, implement marketing strategies, and execute outreach strategies in the Southern California area, which also includes  developing  partnerships with local churches and host events as needed.

Cultivate new donors. Succeeding in this position will require you to build and leverage a professional network to strategically open doors for new opportunities. As part of this, you will need to conduct research on prospect individuals, business partners, and foundations in partnership with the grants team and the broader development team. 

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The above duties are not exclusive and with consideration of the job requirements and employee skills, this job description can be added to or taken away from at the discretion of the employee’s immediate supervisor.

WHAT WE'LL LOVE ABOUT YOU

• You have a Bachelor’s degree in a related field 
• You have at least 2 years of experience in fundraising and development 
• You are diplomatic and respectful of others, which is seen in your ability to build effective working relationships with donors, board members, and US and foreign colleagues 
• You maintain persistence and sensitivity in building donor relationships that lead to major gifts
• You have outstanding written and verbal communication skills 
• You have a keen ability to adapt communication techniques to different audiences 
• You are able to listen, synthesize, and develop ideas and information 
• You have an acute attention to detail and organization, which is visible in your ability to meet deadlines 
• You have the ability to initiate, self start, work independently, and seek out solutions 
• You are innovative and willing to take risks 
• You approach team-based work as a servant leader 
• You have been described by others as having cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity 
• You are enthusiastic about traveling domestically and internationally, and willing to occasionally work overtime and at events on weekends, as needed 
• You are eligible to work legally in the United States without employer sponsorship 
• You are fluent in the use of Mac operating systems, Microsoft Office Products (Excel, Word, Powerpoint) and Google Suite products (GDrive, GDocs, GSheets). 

Bonus Points: 

• You have experience living or working in a developing country or cross-cultural setting 
• You are competent in using Bloomerang or other donor database systems (CRMs) 
• You have demonstrated experience in seeking and securing major gifts

COMPETENCIES & ATTRIBUTES

We are a collaborative, interdependent team that relies on relating and supporting each other to achieve our goals. Through the way we live within and shape our culture, we seek to build community and a sense of inclusion and belonging in  our local, national, and global families. We are committed to expanding diversity, cultural and lived experience, and expertise on our team. We want people who bring diverse perspectives, backgrounds, cultures, and lived experiences to the work we do. Diversity helps make our system-improvement efforts more informed and effective.

Being a member of the Plant With Purpose team as the Regional Representative, Southern California will require you to be a communicator, a learner, a servant leader, and an includer in the following ways: 

You have a deep connection with the holistic mission of Plant With Purpose and the diverse communities we seek to empower You have a personal alignment with our organizational core values of faith, collaboration, empowerment, innovation, stewardship, and sustainability You have a love for humanity, including those who live in poverty, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or culture You intentionally build community and a team mentality by pursuing the "we" over the "me" You understand the priority of relationships in getting work done You feel most successful as a team member when each person on the team succeeds. As a team member, you pay attention to diversity of thinking and psychological safety, and believe you play an active role in team cohesion. You reflexively express gratitude and growth-oriented feedback. You demonstrate humility as a leader by admitting mistakes, knowing when to step back, and creating spaces for others to speak up and contribute. You accept feedback with a growth mindset You listen with an intent to understand by asking clarifying questions  You seek out learning and development opportunities for yourself  You strive to be an inclusive person by being aware of the existence and impact of your unconscious biases, and working daily to check them

BENEFITS PACKAGE

Health, dental, and vision insurances (base plan is 100% covered by Plant With Purpose) Group life insurance 401k match, up to 8% after a 6-month waiting period 15 paid vacation days 8 paid sick days 12 paid holidays $75/month home office stipend Education reimbursement plan Wellness app membership; seasonal team wellness challenges

START DATE: September 12, 2022

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  July 16, 2022

All interviews will be conducted virtually via Zoom.

If this sounds like you, please apply on our website here.  Please include a Cover Letter with your application that shows us how you are a great fit for this position, the organization, and our culture.  

Plant With Purpose is an EEO/AA employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a positive and inclusive work environment for all employees.

If you have any questions regarding this position, or need reasonable accommodation in order to complete the application, please email Human Resources at careers@plantwithpurpose.org. No phone calls please.