Associate Advancement Director, Chapter Fundraising

IMPORTANT:  This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders.  Other applicants need not apply.

 

Job Title: Associate Advancement Director, Chapter Fundraising 

Reports To: Director, Membership & Direct Marketing

Department: Office of Advancement

Supervises: TBD
  
Context: The Associate Advancement Director, Chapter Fundraising will serve as the chief liaison and resource for chapter fundraising activities. This position will ensure coordination of national and chapter fundraising goals, objectives, and programs, and will provide chapters with the tools they need to better serve their fundraising needs. The Associate Advancement Director will work with the chapters to develop comprehensive annual fundraising goals with a focus on those activities that build a strong foundation of recurring chapter support.

Scope: The Associate Advancement Director, Chapter Fundraising will provide both strategic advice and tactical expertise in order to maximize the success of the full spectrum of chapter fundraising. This position will provide a focus to this important Club fundraising priority and serve as a key resource on fundraising matters. The Associate Advancement Director should be a fundraising generalist, with broad knowledge of the strategies available to grow online and direct mail marketing as well as experience with a national organization working with individual donor or planned giving solicitations. This position will serve as the major point of contact for staff involved in all aspects of chapter fundraising and will interact with many departments within the Sierra Club.

Job Activities:

1. Tap the expertise and experience of the national Advancement team in major gift, planned giving, foundation grant writing, direct mail, telemarketing, and online fundraising to maximize chapter fundraising activities.

2. Serve as “whip” to follow up on chapter-related fundraising initiatives and projects with relevant Advancement staff across the spectrum of fundraising activities.

3. Ensure national/local coordination of timing and execution of campaigns; partner with local leaders to develop cohesive and strategic fundraising plans that can be scaled and customized by chapter.

4. Provide training and mentorship to encourage chapter-based personal solicitation (includes solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship activities).

5. Align national and local resources on key fundraising objectives (e.g. increasing the number of monthly donors acquired at both national and local levels, encourage deferred giving, etc.)

6. Achieve economies of scale/cost reduction by assessing the consolidation of vendor relationships across the country (i.e. printers, letter shop, data or creative services).

7. Focus on the creation and dissemination of best practices (tools, services, successes) and training for Sierra Club chapters to optimize their fundraising success—particularly in the Digital Fundraising space.

8. Provide chapters with easy-to-implement tools and techniques to cultivate relationships with new members that encourage both chapter and national support as well as strengthen member retention.

9. Develop national/local fundraising protocols to establish a shared understanding of the ‘rules of the road.’

10. Create national-chapter fundraising drives, events, or campaigns with localized tie-in/participation.

11. Serve as the staff lead for the implementation of the recommendations of the Chapter-National Fundraising Task Force.

12. Act as Advancement liaison/go-to person fielding chapter requests for information and assistance. 

Knowledge & Skills:

-- Bachelor’s degree and 3+ years of professional work experience coordinating and implementing fundraising program(s), preferably in a large, non-profit setting.
 
-- Tech skills and experience that ideally include an understanding of: large-scale database management; nonprofit constituency relationship management systems (e.g. Convio); and web-application development processes.

-- Direct marketing experience relating to direct mail campaigns.

-- Experience and knowledge of personal solicitation techniques.  

-- Experience collaborating with others in a complex, dynamic organizational environment.

-- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to write and speak clearly and effectively, with excellent listening skills.

-- Self-starter with an entrepreneurial and creative approach to problem-solving, and the ability to take advantage of emerging opportunities and trends.

-- Individual with high energy level, self-confidence and a positive “can-do” attitude are essential.

-- The highly collaborative nature of this position requires exceptional communication and relationship building skills along with excellent project management skills.

-- Ability to travel approximately 40% of time.

-- Passion for and commitment to the Sierra Club mission.

The Sierra Club offers competitive salary package commensurate with skills and experience plus excellent benefits that include medical, dental, and vision coverage, a pension, and a retirement savings 401(k) plan. This is a category 4 exempt position.

Sierra Club is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a diverse workforce.

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*If you are applying for one than one position with us, please attach your job-specific cover letters in the 'Attachments' section.