Senior Foundations Officer

Put your passion and skills to work for the planet. Climate change is the most urgent issue of our time, and we need people like you to help us build a vital Earth — for everyone.

We’re Environmental Defense Fund, a fast-paced nonprofit with a growing staff of more than 850 people in nearly 30 countries. We deliver game-changing solutions that cut climate pollution and strengthen people’s ability to thrive despite the effects climate change is already having. We work wherever we can have the most impact, from local communities to top companies to governments worldwide, and even in space.

Our culture, values and commitment to diversity make EDF an exciting and meaningful place to work. Every job here makes a difference. Won’t you join us?

Overall Function

The Senior Foundations Officer will lead the fundraising efforts for a select portfolio of foundation donors and prospects (six- to eight-figure gifts), as well as provide effective leadership to up-and-coming fundraising and administrative staff on the Institutional Giving team.

Department, Location, and Reporting

This position is part of the Institutional Giving team within EDF’s Development Department.  This position can be located in EDF’s Washington DC, New York, Boston, Austin, or Boulder office (with an option of geographic flexibility for the right candidate).

Key Responsibilities

• Partner closely with program, finance, and executive staff to raise six- to eight-figure gifts from foundations to support the work and mission of EDF. This entails a range of strategic cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities, including but not limited to:

  • Developing and implementing plans to cultivate and solicit donors.

  • Preparing high-quality proposals, reports, and other donor-facing communications in collaboration with program staff and grant writers.

  • Crafting strategic talking points and other materials for program and executive staff to use in donor meetings.

  • Stewarding donor relationships and participating in funder meetings.

  • Ensuring accurate financial projections and donor information in our Salesforce database.

  • Leveraging the resources of department-wide research and donor engagement (communications/events) teams, as appropriate.

• Develop and maintain strong knowledge of EDF’s program work to effectively represent, through both written and oral communications, a wide array of regional, national, and global environmental programs to inspire donors to support EDF.
• Lead and/or facilitate frequent and ongoing internal communication within the development department, with program, finance, and administrative staff, and at times, with the executive team to ensure coordinated engagement with donors across the organization.
• Effectively make a wide range of both independent and collaborative decisions in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors, using his/her best judgment and the input of program staff and development leadership, where appropriate.
• Provide management oversight and mentoring to mid-level officers and/or administrative staff, as needed, including delegating and overseeing work, and providing guidance to ensure smooth operations and high performance.
• Work effectively with staff across all departments throughout all EDF offices.
• Participate in advancing EDF DEI goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.

 Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.

• A minimum of eight years of demonstrated success and progressive responsibility in nonprofit fundraising, including a strong track record of securing large gifts (at least six figures) from foundations.

• Strong strategic thinking and planning skills.

• Experiencing working with program staff to help design and coordinate development of complex, winning proposals and other donor-facing documents.

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.

• Self-motivated with the ability to work both as a team player and independently.

• Strong project management skills, including the ability to work effectively across the organization and among geographically-dispersed colleagues.

• Outstanding interpersonal and listening skills.

• Staff management experience preferred.

• Interest in environmental issues, and demonstrated ability to quickly develop a strong command of EDF’s issues and work.

• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Strong computer literacy, including Word, Excel, and donor management databases.
• The ability to travel as needed.

Hiring Range

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization.

The pay range for this role is 120,000 - 132,000 USD which takes into account factors such as candidate experience, skills, training, internal team equity and local norms.

Environmental Defense Fund is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.