Ecology Center Background

The Ecology Center’s mission is to inspire and build a sustainable, healthy, and just future for the East Bay, California, and beyond. The Ecology Center transforms the ideas of sustainability into everyday practice. We offer information you can act on, infrastructure you can count on, and leadership for lasting change. We are working toward a world of resilient communities, zero waste and toxics, equal access to healthy food, sustainable resource use, and a safe and stable climate.

Founded in the run-up to the first Earth Day in 1970, the Ecology Center has been a regional and national leader on a wide range of issues, turning vision into action and cementing it with advocacy. We operate the nation’s first and longest running curbside recycling service, nationally recognized food and farming programs, and model education and engagement activities.

We are a committed, congenial, and diverse staff dedicated to making the world a better place through action. Every employee is integral to the success of our organization. We value vision, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. We have low staff turnover and provide great benefits. If you are passionate, talented, and qualified, we encourage you to apply to be part of our team.

Fund Development

The Ecology Center is a membership organization built on direct services, strong community connections, face-to-face client engagement, on-line communications, strong administration, and deep organizational relationships. For the last decade, our membership has been solid and steady, allowing us to survive the economic challenges and branch out into new areas. Our service, quality, visibility, and impact have grown significantly while our membership has remained static. The Ecology Center is seeking to build a sustainable, long-term fund development program that steadily increases both numbers of members and total giving. We are seeking a Development Director who can lead a quantum leap in turning our engagement into membership growth, thereby increasing our organizational capacity to achieve ambitious goals. Initially, the Development Director will be directly responsible for securing $250,000 annually in memberships and donations, grants, and sponsorships.

Summary of Responsibilities

The Ecology Center Development Director is responsible for developing and maintaining a highly effective fundraising and fund development program. The Development Director is part of the Senior Management Team, reporting to the Executive Director and assisting in visioning and executing the overall development of the organization in alignment with the Strategic Plan. The Development Director engages Program Directors and staff to plan, execute, and report on all charitable fund development strategies including membership, major donor, sponsors, and foundations.

Essential Duties

Work with Executive Director and Senior Management Team to create annual fundraising goals and plan; participate in organizational strategic planning
Lead member cultivation and acquisition strategies within existing program contacts
Seek out, research, and cultivate existing and potential new major donors
Develop and execute systems to increase number of members and total giving
Play a leadership role in donor engagement and face-to-face meetings
Ensure timely and efficient fulfillment of all grant and contract submissions, reporting, and acknowledgement requirements; provide oversight of and direction to contracted Institutional Grants Director
Develop and maintain foundation and donor tracking systems that provide the infrastructure for increased private funding
Work with Executive Director and Board of Directors to expand and develop fundraising skills and capacity
Plan and execute effective annual fundraising events

Qualifications

We are seeking a seasoned, dedicated, and ambitious self-starter with strong leadership and management skills. This is a senior position that will also engage in long-term strategic visioning and planning. This position requires an exceptional capacity for teamwork as well as the ability to be self-directed. In addition, qualified candidates will have the following:

Proven management experience in a non-profit environment
Demonstrated success in fundraising and membership development
Demonstrated cultural competency engaging individuals of high net worth
Strong knowledge of and commitment to environmental and social justices issues and values
Experience in developing and managing complex budgets
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
Demonstrated skills in developing social and digital media strategies, with successful on-line giving cultivation experience
High computer proficiency in Microsoft Office and web research in a Mac environment
Strong knowledge of membership / donor databases, tracking, and reporting
Strong abilities to research, gather, and analyze funder information for strategic purposes
Proactive worker with excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Management professional who pays attention to both detail and bigger picture goals
Intelligent, hard-working, and “Can Do” attitude
Flexible, responsive, and able to manage diverse priorities
Ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions of a highly responsible nature
Ability to manage confidential information in a responsible and discreet manner
Ability to solve complex problems where no standardization exists
Ability to interpret and apply federal, state, and local laws, rules and ordinances

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in marketing, communications, or related field. Graduate level or non-profit educational credentials a plus
Minimum 5 years progressive non-profit development experience required

Full Time, Exempt, Salaried Position

Competitive annual salary, plus generous benefits including full medical and dental insurance, vacation & holiday leave, employer matched 401k plan

To apply, please submit an Ecology Center application (found on our website), resume, writing sample, and cover letter to DevelopmentDirector@ecologycenter.org

Deadline To Apply:

November 30th, 2014

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE
We value diversity. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply. EOE/AA