Development Director

About the Position

As the leader of our dynamic development team, this position designs and implements a range of fundraising strategies to sustain and grow our organization’s revenue. This includes foundation and government grants, individual donors, business sponsors, events, legacy gifts and more. The successful candidate will feel a deep connection to RE Sources’ mission to mobilize people in Northwest Washington to build just and thriving communities and to protect the land, water and climate on which we all depend. They will also approach the position innovatively, looking for new opportunities to build funding support for environmental action. Enthusiasm for the role, creative thinking, attention to detail, excellent writing skills, digital savvy, and the ability to thrive in an energetic environment are all essential. This is a full-time (36 hours/week), exempt position that reports to the Executive Director.

About RE Sources

RE Sources is a non-profit environmental education and advocacy organization based in beautiful Bellingham, Washington. Our key priorities are Climate Action through halting fossil fuel expansion and catalyzing renewable energy; Protecting the Salish Sea including the watersheds and forests that sustain it; Fighting Pollution that degrades our waters; and Educating for the Environment to turn learning into action with kids and teens. 

RE Sources stands against racism, white supremacy and the ingrained structures and institutions that enable and perpetuate them. Indigenous, Black and other communities of color are frequently the most harmed by environmental degradation. We envision a future where every person benefits from clean energy, less pollution and thriving outdoor places. 

We face major environmental threats and opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. As a grassroots environmental advocacy nonprofit, we believe greater public insistence and engagement is necessary to pressure elected officials, businesses, and fellow community members to take the necessary level of action to turn the tide. RE Sources works to create strategic opportunities to protect our region’s environment and communities while elevating a unifying narrative of hope and resilience.

Additional Position Information

This position is based in Bellingham but working from other parts of Northwest Washington is possible as well, assuming at least one day a week in the office and availability for local meetings and events as needed. 

Our organization has moved to a 4.5 day work week schedule, with the office closed on Friday afternoons. 

Responsibilities:

• Department Coordination and Team Management (25%)
• In coordination with department staff, the Communications Director and Executive Director, develop the annual fundraising plan and longer-range funding strategy.
• Supervise the development department staff, including goal-setting and prioritization of tasks, developing and monitoring annual work plans, providing on-going feedback and support, and conducting annual performance reviews.

Private Foundations and Government Grants and Contracts (25%)

• Oversee the foundation and government grants program, monitoring all letters of intent (LOIs), proposals, and reports, and assuring excellence of submissions and deadline compliance.
• Drive the process to identify new foundation and government grant prospects.
• Work closely with the Executive Director and program team to proactively open doors to new funders.
• Help write key grant LOIs, proposals and reports, and review others to ensure accuracy, alignment with the funders’ priorities, and input from relevant staff.
• Guide project budget submissions with proposals.

Individual Donors and Business Sponsors (20%)

• Work with the Development and Communications departments to establish engagement goals and metrics to grow our donor base and to generate development-related materials including: website content, appeals, e-appeals, event collateral materials, and impact reports.
• Continue to expand and strengthen our business sponsor program with values-aligned local and regional businesses.
• Support planning of donor event organizing such as securing hosts, event program, sponsors and other logistics.

Major Gift Strategies and Solicitation (20%)

• Work closely with our Director of Leadership Giving to develop and implement major donor cultivation strategies including: major donor prospect research; creating incentives for major donor matching gifts; and engaging donors with the capacity to give $10K and above.
• Make personal engagement visits to solicit and grow major gifts from targeted donors.

Budget Management and Revenue Tracking (10%)

• Work with the Finance Director and Executive Director to oversee the preparation of the annual department budget including revenue and expenses.
• Track monthly budget performance, and monitor arrival of projected income to assure alignment with cash flow projections. 

Required Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated success in major gift solicitation and foundations and/or government grants;
• A minimum of five years experience in fundraising work with an emphasis on individual giving and/or foundation grants;
• A minimum of two years supervisory experience;
• Knowledge of local/regional environmental issues; 
• Commitment to RE Sources’ mission;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Ability to efficiently prioritize and complete a variety of tasks, meet deadlines, and work independently and as part of a team;
• Competency in utilizing digital platforms including CRMs (such as Salesforce), online donation platforms (such as Click & Pledge or Classy) and other giving software (such as FreeWill), email marketing (MailChimp or other) or others.
• Ability to track multiple program campaigns and development projects and competency with project management platforms (Asana or other);
• Ability to communicate information to donors in a friendly, informative manner and to manage a number of donor relationships at one time.

About working with RE Sources

Our mission has never been so critical and making an impact in the world starts with building and maintaining a healthy, vibrant organization. The working environment at RE Sources is fun, inspiring, and extremely rewarding. We offer a flexible work schedule and opportunities for professional growth. Our staff are passionate about protecting the environment, maintaining a supportive, friendly work culture, and modeling our organizational values of interdependence, accountability, justice, impact, and hope. 

We strive for a diverse workforce that is representative of our region’s communities. RE Sources encourages applications from Black, Indigenous, People of Color, persons with disabilities, women and gender-nonconforming people. Data shows that women and BIPOC candidates often hesitate to apply for a job because they may not meet all the qualifications listed. If you feel passionate about our efforts and believe that you have the skills to contribute to the growth of our organization, we want to hear from you!

Compensation and Benefits

The position is full-time (4.5 day work week) and reports to the Executive Director. The annual salary is $85,000 to $95,000 depending on qualifications and experience level and includes RE Sources’ full benefits package including medical, dental and vision insurance, generous amounts of paid time off and sick leave, and a 401(k) employer match. This position accrues vacation days and holidays as combined PTO at a rate of 30 days per year, and sick leave equal to 12 days per year. Health insurance coverage begins on the first day of the month that follows the work start date. 

Application and Start Date

Please send a resume and cover letter as PDFs to hr@re-sources.org with the subject line Development Director by September 25, 2023. This position starts by January 5th but potentially sooner as candidate availability allows.