Development Director, Bay Nature Institute

Development Director, Bay Nature Institute  

Bay Nature Institute, an established Berkeley-based nonprofit, is looking for an experienced development professional. This is an exciting opportunity for a development generalist or for an individual who wants to expand their fundraising experience and responsibility. This role will be of particular interest to an individual who cares deeply about nature, conservation, and environmental issues in the Bay Area.

Bay Nature is a 20-year-old nonprofit connecting people to the natural world of the Bay Area through a:

• Beloved quarterly print magazine, Bay Nature, and website, baynature.org
• Weekly e-newsletter and social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
• Annual event celebrating local conservation heroes
• Series of educational webinars and local hikes (when safe)

Bay Nature's operational budget of just under $1 million is divided between earned income (subscriptions, advertisements) and donated income­­ (individual donations, events, grants).

Our small staff has a passion for Bay Area nature and believes positive change happens when people connect with the natural world. We work to make a difference by inspiring all people to explore the outdoors and encouraging their engagement with conservation and important environmental issues. Our vision is that all people have a close relationship with nature. We are committed to equity and inclusion in everything we do, externally and internally, and are working on ways we can expand this commitment.

We’re looking to hire the right person for the role of development director — not the right resume. We encourage those with diverse and nontraditional experience to apply.

What You'll Do

The development director, working with the executive director and annual giving & events manager, is responsible for donated income, which makes up more than half of Bay Nature's annual income. As a lead role in the organization, the development director will be responsible for key duties, including management, fundraising, and administration.

More specifically, you will:

Management/Leadership

• Serve on the senior management team with the executive director (ED) and editor in chief.
• Be responsible for day-to-day implementation and achievement of agreed-upon development goals.
• Supervise the annual giving & events manager and work closely with marketing and outreach director.

Fundraising

• Partner with the ED to create strategic and operational fundraising plans and set the annual revenue and expense budget.
• Cultivate and steward major donor relationships through email, phone, Zoom, and in-person visits (when safe).
• Work closely with annual giving & events manager on digital and print fundraising efforts from beginning to end, including setting campaign goals, segmenting donors and prospects, drafting campaign copy, and analyzing results.
• Work with the annual giving & events manager on the annual Local Hero Awards celebration. This includes developing a robust events committee, overseeing the program, collateral, and ticket prices and sales. Sell individual and organizational sponsorships and be responsible for the event’s bottom line.
• Grow Bay Nature’s grant portfolio through researching foundations, communicating with foundation staff members, drafting letters of intent, submitting grant requests, and generating reports to funders.
• Partner with ED and editorial staff to identify speakers for Bay Nature Talks. Work with speakers, editorial staff, and annual giving & events manager to advertise and produce the Talks.  
• When hiking is safe again, partner with editorial team to identify hikes that Bay Nature will lead. Work with annual giving & events manager to organize and advertise hikes. Go on hikes that include major donors.
• Consistently express Bay Nature’s mission, vision, focus on impact (positive change in the world), and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all communication.

Administration

• Support the ED in responding to board requests and preparing for quarterly board meetings.
• Membership in the Board Revenue Committee, guiding and supporting committee members with data, narrative information, and other resources as needed.

We’re Looking for Someone Who:

• Embodies the vision and mission of Bay Nature Institute.
• Is independent, intrinsically motivated, creative, tenacious, optimistic, and inspiring.
• Is comfortable with a fast-paced environment; thinks entrepreneurially.
• Is a strong writer.
• Enjoys and has solid experience working collaboratively in a team, as well as independently.

Basic Qualifications:

Education: A Bachelor’s degree is required; Classes/seminars/self-education in fundraising is desirable.

Development/Fundraising: Ideally, you have five or more years of fundraising experience with increasing responsibilities. You have successful, relevant experience in in fundraising from individuals and foundations. You have experience managing events, including selling event sponsorships. You have excellent donor relation skills and understanding of the fundraising community.

Administration: You have strong financial management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision making. You are proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Drive, Zoom, and CRM software (ideally Salesforce).

Additional Considerations:

This is a full-time, exempt position that reports to the executive director. For the time being, this position is remote, but you must be able to work out of our Berkeley office some days a week (when it’s safe, likely sometime in 2021).

Benefits:

Bay Nature Institute offers healthcare, pre-tax transit benefits, a 403(b) plan, flexible work hours, and holiday, sick, and vacation leave.

To apply, please send by November 30th:

• Your resume
• A thoughtful cover letter that describes

         - your interest in Bay Nature Institute

         - why you are well-suited for this role

• Salary requirements

to hiring@baynature.org. Please put Development Director in the subject line.

No phone calls please. Position will remain open until filled.

Bay Nature Institute is an equal opportunity employer.