Development Associate

Job Title: DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

Reports To: Senior Foundations Officer

Job Type: FULL TIME - EXEMPT

Location: 100% Remote position to be located in the American West; preferred locations are Boise, ID; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; Denver, CO; and Santa Fe, NM.

Position Summary

The Development Associate (DA) is a new position that will help increase WildEarth Guardians’ capacity to grow donor, foundation, and corporate funding in support of the organization’s mission, filling a critical support role as a key member of Guardians’ Development Team. The DA will support the Senior Foundations Officer in expanding the organization’s pool of foundation and corporate funders through targeted prospect research and by assisting with all aspects of grants administration, including maintaining foundation records and tracking proposal and reporting deadlines in grant management software (Instrumentl). The DA will also work closely with the Senior Philanthropy Officer to manage and eventually take over planning the organization’s two main events, as well as other smaller in-person and virtual events throughout the year to build and enhance our relationship with our donors and funders. In addition, the DA will work within our donor database (Raiser’s Edge/NXT) to help maintain donor data and assist with other development tasks, as needed. This position will be managed by the Senior Foundations Officer. 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities 

Grants Support (50%)

• Help increase new foundation funding by conducting prospect research on foundations and corporations to identify and recommend priority grant prospects for engagement.
• Maintain current foundation records in Instrumentl/Raiser’s Edge and electronic files and help manage grant tracking and reporting calendars, in coordination with the Senior Foundations Officer.
• Manage and maintain common documents requested as part of grant proposal submission, such as foundation funding spreadsheet, staff biographies, media samples, board list, and other documents requested by foundations.
• Track and submit foundation acknowledgments and IRS letters for grant awards.
• Assist Senior Foundations Officer with the development and submission of grant proposals and reports, as needed.

Event Coordination and Development Support (50%)

• Manage the logistics of two major fundraising events each year, Howling Affair in Denver (April/May) and Guardians Gala in Santa Fe (September) including: working with the designer and printer on event invites, general event logistics, working with event vendors, auction package procurement, answering general event questions, coordinating program tables at the event, managing event signage and materials, coordinating with Comms to promote the events via email and on the website, etc. 
• Assist with smaller donor engagement events throughout the year such as house parties, regional membership events, film screenings, etc. 
• WildEarth Webinars - manage logistics and technology associated with these webinars for members throughout the year. 
• Support the Development Team with donor communications (email, letter drafting, printing and mailing), assembling donor packages, and researching individual donor prospects, as needed. 
• Enter data into the donor database and generate various reports related to donor engagement.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• At least 2 years experience coordinating events or large meetings. 
• 2-4 years experience in a non-profit fundraising support role.  
• Strong relational and verbal communications skills; must be comfortable communicating with people outside of the organization (funders, donors, vendors, etc.). 
• Excellent written communications skills.
• Proactive, creative thinker with proven ability to take initiative and work collaboratively. 
• Problem-solver with strong organizational skills and attention to detail. 
• Knowledge of and experience with research techniques for fundraising prospect research.
• Knowledge of and experience with Microsoft Office (Word and Excel proficiency required).
• Experience using, or ability to learn and use, fundraising databases and grant management software; proficiency with Raiser’s Edge and/or Instrumentl a big plus.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize work to meet deadlines.
• Passion for and commitment to WildEarth Guardians’ mission.

Compensation

$63,000 - $71,000 Based on experience.

Benefits

WildEarth Guardians offers a flexible and generous benefits package for staff. Benefits for full-time staff include 100% medical and dental employee coverage paid for by the employer, vision, life, and disability coverage, a 403(b)-retirement plan with a 3% match after 2 years of full-time employment, paid and unpaid health and family leave, a sabbatical policy, sick leave, three weeks paid vacation to start, and fourteen holidays including 5 floating holidays to be taken at any time. Benefits are prorated for part-time employees to correspond to the employee’s schedule: holiday, vacation, sick time, 403(b) retirement plan with a 3% match after 2 years of full-time employment. Part-time employees are not eligible for health coverage or sabbatical leave.

Equal Opportunity Employer

WildEarth Guardians is an Equal Opportunity Organization and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, family/marital status, religion or other protected classes. We strongly encourage applications from historically excluded communities.

Studies have shown that women, non-binary people, and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet all of the qualifications listed. Guardians will consider lived experience and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item is labeled as required. We are most interested in finding the best candidates for the job. If you think you’d be a great fit for this position, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications.

ADA Statement

WildEarth Guardians committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with

our commitment, WildEarth Guardians, will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact us through our website.

About WildEarth Guardians

Founded in 1989, WildEarth Guardians is a west-wide environmental advocacy organization headquartered in Santa Fe, NM. The organization has offices in Denver, CO, Missoula, MT, Boise, ID, Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, and Tucson, AZ, as well as several remote staff. We have a 33-year history of securing durable environmental protections that preserve endangered species and other wildlife, advance pioneering supply-side climate policy, ensure living rivers and protect public lands. We do this by pursuing innovative and sustained legal campaigns, bold and creative policy and legislative solutions at both the state and federal levels and by mobilizing grassroots and grasstops constituencies. All this work is in service of our mission to protect and restore wildlife, wild places, wild rivers, and health in the western U.S.

WildEarth Guardians offers a flexible and generous benefits package for staff. Benefits for full-time staff include 100% medical and dental employee coverage paid for by the employer, vision, life, and disability coverage, a 403(b)-retirement plan with a 3% match after 2 years of full-time employment, paid and unpaid health and family leave, a sabbatical policy, sick leave, three weeks paid vacation to start, and fourteen holidays including 5 floating holidays to be taken at any time. Benefits are prorated for part-time employees to correspond to the employee’s schedule: holiday, vacation, sick time, 403(b) retirement plan with a 3% match after 2 years of full-time employment. Part-time employees are not eligible for health coverage or sabbatical leave.

If possible - please remove dates from your employment history and only include length of time at each employer. Also, it is helpful to remove dates of educational achievement. This is only a request as we redact this information for our hiring committees to try and reduce bias. If not done, this will not hard stop your application - but will help speed up the review of your information.