CAREER OPPORTUNITY: Development Director

Job Opening Announcement: Development Director
Reports to: Executive Director
Location: Western U.S.
Timeline: Position opened January 13, 2022; review of applications will begin February 15, 2023, and continue on a rolling basis thereafter until the position is filled.

ABOUT THE WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER

The Western Environmental Law Center is a leading nonprofit, public-interest environmental law firm rooted in the landscapes and communities of the Western U.S. Founded in 1993, WELC has been celebrated as an Outside Magazine Best Place to Work for the last four consecutive years (#9, #13, #3, #21), Oregon Business Magazine Best Nonprofit, Law360 Environmental Group of the Year, and Better Business Bureau Torch Award winner for ethics.

We envision a thriving, resilient Western U.S., abundant with protected public lands and wildlife, powered by renewable energy, defended by communities rooted in an ethic of conservation, and committed to equity, inclusion, and justice. We achieve this vision with steady, strategic, and bold legal advocacy using the right tool, in the right place, and at the right time to turn the wheels of power at all levels of government.

WELC seeks a Development Director to lead our fundraising team. We strongly encourage people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants to apply.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Development Director is an exempt, full-time position responsible for leading our fundraising team and cultivating foundation and donor support in service of WELC’s mission. The position’s primary responsibilities include the following:

• Implement and adapt a compelling, forward-looking, and values-based fundraising strategy consonant with WELC’s strategic direction, goals, and in coordination with leadership and staff.
• Lead WELC’s fundraising team, currently comprised of three staff, inclusive of the Development Director position.
• Provide a full range of fundraising leadership and capacity for the foundation grants program. This includes cultivation of and communication with funders, drafting and submitting funder proposals and reports, coordinating with WELC staff, and management of grant deadlines.
• Provide a full range of fundraising leadership and capacity for the individual donor program. This includes stewarding donors, cultivating and growing various individual giving methods (annual fund, monthly giving, legacy giving, etc.), writing appeal letters, and keeping our supporters updated on our victories.
• Maintain and grow our existing support from donor advised funds, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, businesses, and workplace giving.
• Create and review the organization’s fundraising-related revenue projections.
• Serve as a member of WELC’s leadership team to shape WELC’s strategic direction and ensure team cohesion.

The Development Director is a regular, 40-hour per week position, based out of an existing WELC office location, primarily working during Monday to Friday business hours, though some night and weekend hours may be required depending on case needs. Limited travel may also be required, including overnight and weekend travel for foundation meetings, donor visits, staff retreats, and events. The position also involves standard office physical demands. WELC will provide all reasonable accommodations to the extent possible or required under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

QUALIFICATIONS

We are keenly interested in considering a range of applicants with diverse lived experiences who approach the world with kindness, imagination, and vision. We will happily consider applicants who offer an equivalent or alternative set of qualifications to fulfill this position’s responsibilities.

• A demonstrated ability to cultivate foundation, major gifts, and individual donor funding in service of the public interest.
• Experience in building and managing foundation relationships, grant proposals, and reporting.
• Experience managing an individual giving program.
• A commitment to WELC’s mission and strategies and the public interest as well as lived experience in and a love for the Western U.S.
• A commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice as a key facet of all organizational programs and operations.
• Strong interpersonal skills to foster team-based relationships with WELC’s board, management and leadership teams, staff, and external partners and allies.
• The ability to synthesize and communicate complex program advocacy strategies through a compelling, forward-looking, and values-based narrative.
• Familiarity with CRM database best practices and management.
• Highly organized, detail oriented, and intellectually curious with ability to adhere to deadlines, and manage and prioritize multiple projects in a fast-paced work environment.
• Excellent oral, written, professional, and technical communication skills.
• Strong ability or interest in leading a team.
• Ability to work independently and proactively, including a willingness to be flexible and adaptive when needed.
• Practical knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office, Google Docs, Adobe Acrobat, and other office administration programs.
• Certificate or college degree and at least five (5) years of relevant fundraising experience.
• An advanced degree or lived experience of relevance to WELC’s mission and programs in the Western U.S. a significant plus.

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION

Western Environmental Law Center is an equal opportunity employer. We offer a flexible, friendly, team-based environment with immediate opportunities to shape organizational strategies, competitive salaries (starting salary range of $80,000 – $120,000, commensurate with experience and location). WELC offers an excellent benefits package, including health, vision, dental, life, and disability coverage (with 100% employer paid premiums), a 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% employer match, and 22 days combined of paid annual vacation and personal leave on top of 13 days of paid holiday leave, paid sick leave, and a paid long-term leave policy (3 months sabbatical leave for every 5 years of employment).

TO APPLY

We strongly encourage people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants to apply. Please submit the following via our careers page with ApplicantPro by, ideally, no later than February 15, 2023:

• Cover letter addressed to Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, Executive Director;
• Resume;
• A short, compelling, fundraising-related writing sample (roughly 2-6 pages).
• List of 2-4 professional references.

Cover letters should communicate the applicant’s interest in WELC’s mission and advocacy and their motivation to work in this specific position. Applicants are strongly encouraged to tell us about their lived experience as a human being.