Director of Development, Foundations

The Director of Development, Foundations directs staff and operations to coordinate and implement foundation fundraising strategies that advance the objectives of the organization’s conservation campaigns. This is an exciting opportunity to work with a talented, high energy team of professionals who are interested in making a difference in the field of conservation. The Director reports to the Senior Director of Development, Foundations and Corporations.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work with a team of development professionals to coordinate strategy, set goals, and prioritize foundation fundraising efforts.
• Maintain a portfolio of donors and prospects, and develop and implement solicitation and stewardship strategies to meet and exceed foundation fundraising budget goals.
• Collaborate with program staff to develop and submit compelling letters of inquiry and proposals to foundation prospects, and work with appropriate staff to develop narrative reports and briefings on existing and proposed funders.
• Lead conservation program strategy sessions regarding existing or prospective funders, review conservation program materials and stay current on conservation program developments as needed to develop effective proposals and reports.
• Supervise the Grants Associate, providing clear direction and specific objectives and priorities, as well as opportunities for professional growth.
• Oversee prospect research to identify foundation prospects aligned with program needs.
• Work with conservation and finance staff to produce accurate grant financial reports regarding revenue and expenses.
• Lead the Foundation team’s use of the development database:  maximizing its capacity to track revenue, donor relationships, and donor history; providing training and overseeing effective use the database.
• Oversee staff to maintain a schedule of proposal due dates and reporting requirements as part of a tracking system and ensure that staff members are aware of and meet their deadlines.
• Assume lead responsibility for tracking foundation revenue information.
• Demonstrate the initiative and creativity to continually strive to improve foundation relations and development operations in innovative ways.
• Perform other administrative and substantive duties as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and five to seven years of foundation fundraising and grant writing experience, or equivalent background.
• Demonstrated excellence in staff management, program leadership, strategic and critical thinking and judgment and dependability
• Superior written and verbal communication skills and ability to work with budget data.
• Must be detail-oriented, highly organized and able to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work both independently and to work effectively with a range of personalities and working styles, and with people at all levels of the organization, including staff, board, foundation officers, and donors.
• Strong knowledge of computer applications, including Word and Excel, and database programs.
• Excellent work ethic and a willingness to work extra hours as needed.
• Prefer candidate with some knowledge of and interest in conservation issues.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Salary is commensurate with experience.  Full-time and full-time equivalent employee benefits include health, dental, vision and life insurance, a retirement plan, and generous leave time.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications will be considered immediately. Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to: jobs@amrivers.org with “Foundations Position” in the subject line or to American Rivers, Attn: Human Resources, 1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 1400, Washington, DC 20005. No phone calls please.