Communications and Development Manager

Spark Northwest seeks a team member who will help us tell our story to raise awareness, cultivate existing supporters and secure new funding. Example activities include: design and distribute a high-quality annual report, lead a successful in-person event, investigate and pursue new funding opportunities, hold in-person meetings with major donors, and design communication materials to share our impact. This position reports to the Executive Director and works with other program staff.

Spark Northwest envisions a resilient Pacific Northwest where clean energy is abundant and its benefits are shared equitably. We engage with communities to build renewable energy and efficiency projects, prioritizing projects that benefit Black, Indigenous, people of color and people with low wealth. We also advocate for policy change to ensure a just transition to clean energy. We work in Oregon and Washington and have an office in Seattle. We are a small but mighty staff of twelve. Please visit sparknorthwest.org to learn more.

In keeping with our mission to advance clean energy that builds power and wealth for people impacted by racial and economic injustice, we especially value candidates who have lived or professional experience in BIPOC, immigrant, rural, Tribal and low-income communities that have been underrepresented in the sector. We highly encourage people with that knowledge and experience to apply.

Responsibilities

Development Activities (50%)

• Individual and Corporate Giving
  • Cultivate existing donors through touchpoints, sharing reports, thank you cards, meetings, etc.
  • Recruit and cultivate new supporters
  • Process gifts, create donor acknowledgements, and perform donor stewardship
  • Identify, cultivate, and solicit businesses in the community for corporate partnerships and employee engagement opportunities
• Events
  • Execute an annual fundraising event (usually 100-125 people for drinks and apps)
  • Plan a few smaller donor-cultivation or community-building events
• Grant Writing Support
  • Research and track foundation prospects in collaboration with the program team
  • Create application materials for general operating grants in collaboration with the Executive Director
  • Track reporting requirements and draft reports in collaboration with the Executive Director and program team

Communications (30%)

• Create and distribute Annual Report, bi-monthly newsletters, event communications
• Website updates and social media posts
• Support program staff with outreach materials and policy one-pagers
• Represent Spark Northwest at occasional networking and outreach events

Leadership and Strategy (10%)

• Develop an annual plan for Spark Northwest communications and development activities.
• Set goals and tactics to meet targets.
• Support the External Engagement Team by co-leading bi-monthly meetings and attending board meetings as requested.

Contribute to the success of Spark Northwest (10%)

• Join weekly staff meetings and participate in equity discussions and other learning activities
• Participate in developing organizational goals and strategic plans.
• Represent Spark Northwest at events, conferences, and other public forums.

Skills, Experience and Abilities

The successful candidate will share our passion for creating solutions for our most pressing energy, environmental, and social justice challenges. They will be a motivated self-starter, have great teamwork skills, and will thrive in a lively, nimble organization. Ideally, they will have substantial fundraising experience. We understand that no one person will have all of the skills and experiences listed below, so if you meet several categories and believe you would be a good fit for Spark Northwest, please consider applying. The following are desired skills and experiences, roughly in order of importance:

• Three years or more of fundraising or similar experience
• Three years or more of communications or similar experience
• Have lived and/or work experience in BIPOC, immigrant, rural, Tribal or low-wealth communities
• Experience working with a community of supporters
• Have strong execution skills and an inclusive, collaborative approach
• Be able to juggle multiple priorities and unexpected outcomes
• Experience with using MS Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
• Experience with using Saleforce, Airtable, Canva, Hootsuite, and/or Mailchimp

Benefits and Compensation

The Communications & Development Manager salary range is $82,000 to $87,000 annually. In addition to salary, benefits include: health and dental insurance, four weeks paid flexible time off, an additional 12 paid holidays, paid sick leave, retirement plan, professional development allowance, and public transit subsidy.

Location

We require that employees reside (or plan to reside) in Oregon or Washington. We offer a flexible work environment with a self-determined mix of in-person and remote work. We have an office located in downtown Seattle, where we gather for in-person collaboration. Some minimal travel for meetings with supporters is expected. For remote work, employees need access to internet and phone. If this is a barrier, we can make accommodations.

To Apply

Position will remain open until filled, but applications received by March 7 will receive priority consideration. Expected start date is early April. Note: Applicants must be authorized to lawfully work in the United States. Please submit the following to jobs@sparknorthwest.org with the subject line: “Your Name/ Communications & Development Manager:”

• A cover letter. Please select three things from the Skills, Experiences and Abilities listed above and provide examples of how your experiences align with those areas.
• A current resume with duration or dates of employment
• One work product example that you created (e.g., flyer, grant application, PPT presentation, video, etc.)
• Optional: please let us know in your email how you heard about this job announcement so that we can streamline future recruiting processes.

No phone inquiries please.

Spark Northwest is an equal opportunity employer who does not discriminate against any employee or job applicant due to gender, race, color, religion, national origin, political ideology, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected status. Background checks may be performed. An interesting past is not an exclusion for working with our team. We ask applicants to be open to discussing any findings with us as we may have questions. We believe in grace, forgiveness, and second chances.