Sierra Nevada Journeys: Development Director
Job Type
full_time
Job Location
Greater Sacramento Region
Website URL
Job Description
Job Description
Sierra Nevada Journeys (SNJ) is searching for a California Development Director who will support a highly functioning team with a strong organizational culture, great pay and benefits, a powerful mission and deep community impacts, and a fun professional environment. We are looking for someone who is committed to fundraising for important learning experiences for our community’s youth. In this position you will lead and direct our greater Sacramento region fundraising while also supporting and working with team members from our office in Reno, NV and camp in Portola, CA. Fundraising for Sierra Nevada Journeys means you are building access to outdoor and STEM education programs for local students whose families have financial barriers to participation.
A successful California Development Director will work collaboratively with colleagues on the fundraising team, seek and apply for large (i.e., $25k+) grants, manage and advance a donor portfolio, and solicit gifts. You will be on the ground floor of helping to establish a major giving program at Sierra Nevada Journeys. The Development Director will be responsible for creating and implementing short and long-term development strategies that focus on new donors that are excited about our mission and the children we serve. There is growth potential within the SNJ fundraising team for this role.
WHO WE ARE
Sierra Nevada Journeys has grown rapidly in our 15-year history, now serving over 30,000 youth annually. We are committed to delivering innovative outdoor, science-based education programs for youth to develop critical thinking skills and to inspire natural resource stewardship. Sierra Nevada Journeys prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that active reflection, engagement, and commitment to these principles is crucial to creating a workplace that has diverse perspectives.
Sierra Nevada Journeys is equity focused. We believe that environmental education and outdoor recreation should be accessible for all, and we are committed to prioritizing those in our community with the least access. We strive to build our workforce and programs around our ability to serve communities diverse in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical and mental ability, values and perspectives.
To achieve this vision, we focus on building sustainable partnerships with schools and communities that serve the youth who have the least access to high-quality science education and outdoor learning experiences. We invite continuous voice from these partners, and the youth and families they serve, to inform how we design and deliver culturally relevant and inclusive programs. It is with this vision in mind that we pursue our mission, striving to become the equitable and inclusive organization that the youth of our communities deserve.
WHO WE WANT
When you join our team at Sierra Nevada Journeys you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that requires broad collaboration among staff, administration, students and community partners. We value the ability to serve students from a broad range of cultural heritages, socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, abilities and orientations.
Development Director
Salary $75K - $90K per year
Full Time Position Located in the Greater Sacramento Area
Sierra Nevada Journeys is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Therefore, we prioritize applicants who demonstrate they understand the benefits diversity brings our organization. A successful candidate will be an equity-minded individual committed to collaborating with staff, administration, students and community partners to deliver innovative outdoor, science-based education programs for youth to develop critical thinking skills and to inspire natural resource stewardship.
We recruit a workforce that reflects our audience. We value our employees by fostering a culture where the unique backgrounds and perspectives of our staff are seen and heard, and by providing sustainable compensation, mentorship and professional development opportunities.
AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES
Your main professional duties will revolve around grants management and major giving, with an annual fundraising goal of $750k and an annual “ask” goal of $1+ million. You will be responsible for growing California-based funding for the organization and be at the ground level of a brand-new major gifts initiative, with significant growth potential.
Grants Management – 60%
• Research and apply for federal, state or local government grant opportunities.
• Develop successful grant proposals, including budget, aligning with needs of the education teams, and reporting.
• Supervise and manage grant deliverables, including partnership stewardship and internal programs team alignment.
• Maintain existing portfolio of grant funded projects.
• Independently ask and coordinate the production of written asks, collateral, donor recognition, reports, etc., with the fundraising support team. This includes but is not limited to developing and executing the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for individuals and corporations above the $10,000 level.
• Personally manage a portfolio of donors and prospects; schedule and conduct prospective donor visits to drive engagement in SNJ’s work.
Major Giving – 40%
• Develop and execute the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for individuals,
foundations, and corporations above the $5,000 level.
• Personally steward a portfolio of donors and prospects; schedule and conduct prospective calls to drive increased major donor engagement in SNJ’s work.
• Maintain understanding of SNJ programs and fiscal needs in order to identify donor engagement opportunities; work with the management team to maintain a current list of program and capital needs and project priorities.
• Ensure development strategies and philanthropic philosophies are embedded throughout the organization, including training, coaching and inspiring staff, board members and other interested parties towards the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors.
• Database management, including keeping SNJ’s CRM (DonorPerfect) up-to-date.
• Collaborate with the CEO to:
o Develop fundraising objectives, policies and budgets.
o Ensure deep team knowledge of SNJ programs, impacts, growth strategies, and giving
opportunities.
o Manage a forecast of donor opportunities and remaining funds to be raised.
o Develop and implement plans to successfully expand the number of donors including, but not limited to: annual campaign appeals and associated donor communications plans, online and monthly giving, special events, major gifts campaigns, corporate and business engagement and relations.
• Collaborate with Marketing to support strategies and tactics for stewardship, communications and mass solicitations, web-based fundraising, monthly giving, and program alumni engagement.
REPORTING STRUCTURE
• The Sacramento Development Director reports to the CEO, with room for growth into a VP role.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing or closely-related field or similar experience.
• Experience in a fundraising role demonstrating success in donor cultivation and stewardship, closing major gifts, campaign management, as well as knowledge of development techniques, principles, and ethics.
• Director level management experience.
• Proficiency with a development database.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• This job will require travel between Reno, Sacramento and Portola (rarely overnight).
• All employees and volunteers are required to attest in writing they have up-to-date immunizations against the diseases required for public school attendance in the state in which they work and have received a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment (medical and religious exemptions permitted).
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
• Competitive Compensation of $75k - $90K annually
• Annual discretionary bonus based on company and individual performance
• Medical, dental and vision benefits (covers 90% for employee and 25% for dependents)
• Optional 403(b) retirement plan and up to a 4% match by Sierra Nevada Journeys
• Bilingual fluency in Spanish differential of an additional 3% added to hourly rate/annual salary
• Paid time off and paid holidays, including 2 weeks of reduced hours coinciding with December/January holiday season.
• Employment with an innovative organization focused on improving outdoor education delivery
HOW TO APPLY
Join a team that is committed to constantly improving our outstanding outdoor education programs. Please email your resume and a cover letter to jobs@sierranevadajourneys.org. Include “Development Director” and your last name in the subject line.
EEO STATEMENT
Sierra Nevada Journeys is an Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks to employ individuals who represent the rich diversity of cultures, language groups, and abilities of its surrounding communities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status or genetic information.
