Director of External Affairs

Director of External Affairs

Farm Foundation is a 92-year-old organization with the energy and spirit of a startup. Our team, made up of board members, staff and volunteers, are driven with passion to fulfill our mission of building trust and understanding at the intersection of agriculture and society. We are in a significant period of growth in order to have greater impact, and that is why we are seeking a dynamic and passionate Director of External Affairs.The Director of External Affairs will be empowered to identify, cultivate, and solicit donor prospects for the Farm Foundation across a variety of channels. They will grow and manage a pool of important corporate relationships from introduction to giving. They will work as part of a larger Management team to create strategies and use personal meetings, peers, direct mail, and electronic tools to solicit both restricted and unrestricted support for Farm Foundation.

The Director of External Affairs will be part of a dynamic and innovative team and will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, and soliciting new donor prospects for the Farm Foundation and for the stewardship of existing donors. The Director will grow and manage a pool of prospects. From that pool, they will create strategies and use personal meetings, volunteers, direct mail, and electronic tools to solicit both restricted and unrestricted support for Farm Foundation. While our work environment is hybrid, the Director will be expected to commute regularly to our Innovation and Education Campus/Headquarters in Libertyville, Illinois.

This position reports to the President and CEO and supervises the Development Manager.

Specific responsibilities include:

Primary Annual Fund (15%)

• Coordinate the production of appeals, digital and print, from initial concept to completion.
• Manage an annual giving and stewardship calendar for all donors, with primary focus in the fourth quarter of the year.
• Keep track of and report annual giving progress.
• Regularly analyze and report data on donor retention, appeal ROI, and other progress indicators.
• Seek out new annual fund prospect pools that align with the mission and vision of Farm Foundation.
• Develop new and creative approaches to annual giving using tools such as social media campaigns, auctions, and special events .
• Provide fundraising training for volunteer leadership.

Primary Corporate Engagement (35%)

• Identifying, cultivating and soliciting engagement from corporations for our suite of opportunities, from sponsorship, or our corporate Seeders engagement, to our programs and projects, including our new Ag101 Bootcamps, and rentals on our Innovation and Education Campus.
• Retaining and stewarding repeat engagement with current corporate partners
• Manage our corporate membership program, Farm Foundation Seeders.

Primary Major Giving (30%)

• • Identify, cultivate & solicit major gifts from new donors for Farm Foundation, including bringing them to the Innovation and Education Campus.
  • Maintain regular contact and create cultivation activities with a pool of prospective new donors.
  • Carefully track, document and maintain meticulous gift records in our CRM, Little Green Light.
  • Travel as needed and when appropriate to attend Farm Foundation functions, meet donors or attend industry events

Teamwork (20%)

• Assist the Development Committee Chair with planning and execution of regular committee meeting and Board reporting.
  • Responsible for assisting in the research and creation of a department annual budget and for expenditure oversight
  • Oversee the Farm Foundation merchandise retail offerings
• Assist in researching, writing, and submitting grant proposals.
• Meet regularly with the CEO and Vice President of Programs and Strategic Impact to set goals, integrate solicitation strategies, and review prospects and plans.
• Ensure ethical and appropriate financial administration of contributed income.
• Participate in Farm Foundation events, both locally and throughout the US

Compensation range is $90,000 - $110,000 commensurate with experience.

Core Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required
  • Minimum of 5-7 years of nonprofit fundraising experience required
  • Progressive leadership and supervisory experience required
  • Reliability, drive, and a focus on results
  • Ability to serve as an articulate, passionate, and visible spokesperson for Farm Foundation
  • Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated success in soliciting and closing multiple 5- and 6-figure gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations, along with evidence of moving donors from one level to the next
  • Proven ability to build strong external relationships with a variety of constituents, with a strong focus on corporate partnerships
  • Capital campaign experience and success highly desirable
  • Experience / knowledge in the fields of the food system, agriculture, and rural regions is desirable
  • Experience managing government grants preferred
  • Integrity and ability to handle highly confidential and sensitive materials and situations
  • Strong emotional intelligence and ability to work well across a team, contributing to a healthy work environment
  • Passion for details and processes with proactive attention to detail
  • Proactive communication and problem solving
  • Strong, professional communication skills, both verbal and written
  • Demonstrated ability at handling multiple projects and managing deadlines
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Loop, SharePoint, Word, and Excel
  • CRM management experience required

Please send cover letter and resume to careers@farmfoundation.org with the position title and your name in the subject line.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.