Development Director

POSITION SUMMARY

The Development Director of Greenbelt Land Trust (Greenbelt) is a leader in the organization’s philanthropy program, helping to fuel and accelerate Greenbelt’s work.

The Director will thrive by providing strong, supportive leadership for the Development staff; directing overall membership growth; securing major gifts; nurturing foundation and agency grant support; and giving voice to the work of the Land Trust within the community. The Director will create, execute and evaluate comprehensive fundraising strategies and tactics that ensure diverse, growing, and sustainable revenue sources to support the Land Trust’s mission.

With an operating budget of $1.3M and 1,500-2,000 members, the Director is coming into an organization that has a dedicated and growing base of donors. The organization recently wrapped up a $7M Comprehensive Campaign and we are excited to be at a point of accelerated conservation and public engagement. The Director is joining a financially stable organization with opportunities to help define the next era of the Land Trust.

As a member of Greenbelt’s Leadership Team, the Development Director is integral to the development and implementation of the organization’s Conservation, Strategic, and Business Plans. The Development Director provides strategic direction and helps to align the Executive Director, Board of Directors and other staff and volunteers in donor retention and solicitation.

The Director will play an instrumental role in helping GLT attend to its growing commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice in its communications, fundraising and leadership.

WHO YOU ARE

The successful candidate will be one who brings a deep commitment to conservation, a passion for fundraising on behalf of mission-driven nonprofits, a strategic mind for philanthropy and emerging development topics, and a gift for nurturing authentic relationships.

The ideal candidate would reflect:

• Optimistic self-starter who can utilize their knowledge of fundraising and development best practices in alignment with Greenbelt’s mission and direction to further the organization’s goals
• A ‘horizon scanner’ with an eagerness to stay abreast of evolving best practices in fundraising and nonprofit leadership, including community-centered fundraising (CCF) models
• A feeling of being personally fulfilled and energized by being in contact with people, from large to small groups
• Personal accountability to goals and detailed workplans
• Ability to have honest and direct communication with colleagues and working to build trusted relationships
• A genuine passion for land conservation

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work as a member of a highly motivated and integrated staff Leadership Team that promotes an organizational culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Play a key role on Greenbelt’s Leadership Team to establish and implement organizational strategic, conservation, and fundraising goals and objectives
• Lead the creation and implementation of the Land Trust’s annual and long-range fundraising plans with clear deliverables and milestones for success
• Develop and maintain fundraising and outreach budget
• Oversee the Development program, which includes Outreach and Volunteer staff (current direct supervision includes Membership Manager and Outreach Manager)
• Prepare annual goals, work plans, and budgets for the Development and Outreach Team and with each team member for personal objectives and performance evaluations.
• Promote a positive culture of learning, initiative, and professional development/advancement across the Development and Outreach Teams
• Serve as lead liaison to the Board of Directors and the Development Committee to create a robust and resilient relationship management system and cultivate Board and Committee engagement in donor stewardship and cultivation to achieve our fundraising goals
• Develop and implement strategies for cultivating a culture of philanthropy across the organization’s staff and board
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit annual and major gifts from individuals, businesses and foundation prospects based on in-person communication, events, written proposals, and effective follow-up
• Maintain a high level of personalized engagement with a personal portfolio of 50-100 donors with the capacity to give $5,000+ annually
• Oversee the organization’s Planned Giving Program to engage and solicit support from donors
• Provide leadership and vision for the Land Trust’s outreach and communications, working with staff and consultants to ensure that fundraising and marketing materials are cohesive and are directly tied to fundraising goals and workplans
• Participate in foundation grant management, including developing and submitting proposals and stewarding funder relationships
• Participate in regional, state, and national fundraising planning for broader conservation initiatives and partnerships
• Provide leadership in organizational Campaign planning and implementation

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Passion for the mission of Greenbelt Land Trust and a commitment to working with the community to advance the Land Trust’s mission
• Demonstrated track record of fundraising success in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts, annual fundraising, and donor prospecting
• A minimum of 5 years’ of increasingly responsible management experience successfully supervising and motivating staff, managing the creation and oversight of department budgets and workplans, and multiple projects with varying deadlines and resources
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build trusting relationships with donors through thoughtful listening, a positive attitude, and honesty
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills
• Experience using relational databases, such as eTapestry, Raisers Edge, or Salesforce
• Experience in effective strategic communications and marketing for nonprofits
• Proficiency in the use of general office software
• A demonstrated commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity and equity in the workplace
• Demonstrated cultural competence with people of diverse races, ages, genders, abilities and economic backgrounds

Also helpful, but not required:

• A current Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) Certificate
• Experience working for a land trust or conservation partner
• Proficient in inclusive and equitable fundraising practices and fundraising as movement building

WORKING CONDITIONS

• This position will work from Greenbelt Land Trust’s office in Corvallis, Oregon. This position can be hybrid – working from the office and at home, with at least 50% being in-office
• This work requires minor physical exertion, but there may be situations that require being outdoors in all weather conditions and uneven terrain.
• A valid driver’s license and proof of auto insurance is required
• Some weekend and evening work will be required
• Work is often fast-paced and requiring attention to multiple detailed projects with deadline

COMPENSATION

Salary range is $80,000-$95,000

We believe great benefits make work better: Greenbelt Land Trust provides a group health plan, dental, vision, and short and long-term disability benefits, retirement, eleven floating holidays, and 16-hours per month accrued Paid Time Off. Greenbelt invests in employees' professional development and personal growth.

Greenbelt Land Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that a diverse staff of qualified, highly-skilled, and creative individuals is necessary to achieve the vision and mission of the organization. Individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, or other People of Color, people who are queer, trans, non-binary, people with disabilities, people who are immigrants, people from poor and working class backgrounds, and people who are/have been system-impacted are strongly encouraged to apply.

ABOUT GREENBELT LAND TRUST

Greenbelt vision is for a thriving, healthy environment for all and our work is oriented around three strategic areas: climate resilience, community wellbeing, and social justice. We believe that by protecting and taking care of the lands and waters of the Willamette Valley, we will all be better off. Our air and water will be cleaner, our fish and wildlife more abundant, our working lands more productive, and our communities and families will be healthier. That’s the vision that we’ve been making a reality for 35 years in the Willamette Valley and that has enabled us to permanently protect 6,000 acres of native prairies, forests, floodplain habitats, trails and working lands.

Greenbelt is committed to being adaptive and embraces change as a core value. We appreciate that the lands, waters, and people of the Willamette Valley are changing, and that success hinges on our ability to be poised to change as well (read Greenbelt’s current Strategic Framework).

Our Values: Values are the tenets that guide our work towards our conservation mission and vision.

• Build relationships with humility
• Embrace change
• Seek root causes
• Be fearless change-makers
• Welcome constructive conflict

Our vision of a thriving, healthy environment for all is inextricably linked to our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. We are in this for the long haul, and understand that for meaningful transformation, we must be steadfast, patient, and willing to make mistakes.

Greenbelt Land Trust is an accredited land trust. We are honored to have been listed within the top 100 Best Nonprofits to work for in Oregon.

HOW TO APPLY

With ‘Development Director’ in the subject line, email a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references (at least two from professional colleagues). At least one of your references should include an individual that can speak to your role as a supervisor. Your cover letter should clearly explain how your skills, experience, and interests fit this position, especially regarding your commitment to Greenbelt’s mission and to your demonstrated cultural competence with people of diverse races, ages, genders, abilities and economic backgrounds.

Send to: jobs@greenbeltlandtrust.org (applications are only accepted electronically).

Deadline: February 18, 2025. Application review will begin February 18, 2025, but the position will remain open until filled.