The Chesapeake Bay Foundation seeks a Director of Development to be based at its Philip Merrill Environmental Center headquarters located in Annapolis, MD.
THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION
Established in 1967, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest regional nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to saving the Chesapeake Bay, its rivers and streams, and the wildlife that call it home through education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration. Since 2010, CBF has engaged in a focused effort to defend and implement the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, a binding federal and state collaborative agreement aimed at reducing pollution to the science-based, legally-affirmed levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Blueprint is expected to be fully implemented by 2025. If the states and the federal government achieve Blueprint goals, the Bay will finally—after decades of failed efforts—be removed from the Clean Water Act’s impaired waters list. Successfully implementing the Blueprint depends on a well-informed, engaged, active, and diverse constituency of members, advocates, and volunteers who speak up and take action to save the Bay.
CBF has a staff of approximately 190 employees working in offices in Annapolis, Maryland; Richmond and Virginia Beach, Virginia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C. as well as 15 field education program locations. Our staff and volunteer corps work throughout the region educating students and adults, advocating for clean water policies, restoring waterways, and litigating when necessary.
CBF’s headquarters office in Annapolis, Maryland is the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, the world’s first U.S. Green Build Council’s LEED platinum building. In 2014, CBF opened the Brock Environmental Center—one of the world’s most energy efficient, environmentally smart buildings—in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
CBF has an annual budget of approximately $26 million and is supported by 300,000 members and e-subscribers. For more information on CBF, please visit cbf.org.
CONTEXT OF THE POSITION
As a key contributor to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and as a senior staff member within its Development program, the Director of Development oversees a $15M+ fundraising program and provides leadership to the major gifts, foundations, and planned giving programs. This position is responsible for establishing program strategy, recommending annual fundraising goals, and building a long-term vision for the program. In addition, the Director of Development generates gifts from a portfolio of donors and prospects and works with trustees and other leadership volunteers to identify prospects and secure gifts. The Director serves as a programmatic expert, effectively communicating CBF initiatives, accomplishments, and return on investment to donors.
Salary: Base salary is $100,000 but is negotiable.
Essential functions include:
Oversees and provides leadership for the major gifts, foundations, and planned giving programs.
· Works to establish effective day-to-day strategy and long-term vision to maximize revenue through the major and planned giving programs.
· Monitors and evaluates program performance, utilizing metrics, industry trends, and best practices to ensure the programs reach their full potential.
· Serves as a major giving and planned giving subject matter expert.
· Works with program staff to understand and support organizational funding priorities.
· Supports strategic solicitations that incorporate operating, campaign, and planned giving asks as appropriate.
· Provides strategy for prospecting efforts related to major and planned gift fundraising and fosters regular reviews of portfolios.
· Works with the Stewardship team to produce impactful donor engagement and recognition opportunities.
Provides effective management to regional major gift officers, the Associate Director of Foundations, Associate Director of Planned Giving, Senior Development Writer, and the team’s Senior Administrative Assistant.
· Ensures staff members receive adequate direction, training, and oversight to maximize their potential and benefit to the overall program, while fulfilling core job responsibilities.
· Fosters accountability, strategic thinking, relationship building skills, collaboration, and attention to detail.
· Serves as a programmatic expert, providing guidance to the team on effectively communicating initiatives, accomplishments, and challenges.
· Oversees the Senior Administrative Assistant’s processes, ensuring accuracy of materials and consistency of process.
· Works with the team to identify and maintain progress toward priorities.
Provides operational support to the Vice President for Development.
· Supports solicitations for the Vice President, President, and volunteer leadership.
· Serves as a member of the Development Management Team, helping to establish goals, objectives, and procedures for the department, address operating and strategic issues, and evaluate return on investment for new initiatives.
· Provides timely and frequent revenue analysis and tracking to the Vice President.
· Works closely with Vice President to develop and execute strategy to achieve goals of campaigns.
Generates major gifts from a portfolio of donors and prospects.
· Maintains a personal portfolio of major gift donors and prospects.
· Develops individual cultivation and solicitation strategies and timelines for donor prospects and gifts.
· Solicits and closes gifts.
· Ensures proper engagement to build and sustain donor relations.
· Trains and works with staff, volunteers, and trustees to maximize opportunities for both operating and campaign support.
Develops expense and revenue budgets.
· Leads annual operating, campaign, and planned giving revenue goals in consultation with the major gift directors, the Associate Director of Planned Giving, Director of Research and Prospect Management, Director of Development Operations, and the Vice President for Development.
· Monitors and helps develop program expense budgets and ensures proper approval and coding of expenses and annual fiscal discipline.
• Work to ensure that systems, organizational culture, and practices are aligned with CBF’s mission, values and commitments related to DEIJ.
• Develop and refine programs and activities to ensure equitable practices and support the development of a diverse and effective team.
• Ensure an inclusive working environments that supports diverse populations.
PREFERRED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s or master’s degree (or equivalent experience), with a minimum of five years’ experience in contributing at the leadership level to a successful Development office. Strong management skills, critical thinking, and attention to detail required. Excellent oral/written communication skills. Experience developing strategic plans and communicating program vision. Working knowledge of tax laws related to charitable contributions of cash, property, and securities along with planned giving experience. Thorough knowledge of development department functions, including donor identification and solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Ability to communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Ability to receive and give supportive feedback to foster equity and inclusion in working relationships.
• Ability to recognize, nurture, and learn from strengths in co-workers.
• Having flexibility to accomplish job responsibilities in several work environments, whether it be from home, on the road, or in an office.
To apply, please send resume and cover letter no later than January 8, 2021.
CBF offers a comprehensive benefits package to include: 20 vacation days, 10 sick days, health, vision, dental, life insurance, and a tax deferred retirement plan.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND JUSTICE
Just as biodiversity is the key to a thriving ecosystem, human diversity is the key to saving the Bay. Success depends on people from widely diverse backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, identities, and races taking collective action. Clean water, clean air, and a safe environment are rights we all share.
To increase diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will:
· Recruit and retain a staff, board, and membership that reflect the diversity of people living within the Chesapeake Bay region;
· Strengthen and broaden the diversity of our partnerships;
· Celebrate and value the diversity of staff; and
· Fight to ensure that everyone has equal access to clean water, clean air, and a safe environment.
CBF is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
