Description

SALARY AND TERM: $75,000 to $90,000/year for a Full Time / 1 FTE, exempt position.

POSITION SUMMARY: River Network seeks an experienced and proactive philanthropic strategist and fundraising professional, capable of aligning River Network’s strategic plan and program goals with the priorities and interests of institutional funding partners (foundations and government sources). The Philanthropy Director works closely with the Vice President of Philanthropy, Vice President of Programs and President/CEO and will lead River Network’s efforts to meet annual institutional revenue goals, averaging $2.5 - $4M annually. The Philanthropy Director joins the organization at a pivotal moment in time: recently named as one of 12 National Pass-Through Partners by USDA and USFS in their Urban and Community Forestry Program and serving as a partner organization in a recently announced $50 million National Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program from EPA.

This position is external facing by design with a focus on building relationships with and growing revenue from new and existing foundation and government partners and seeking opportunities to leverage historic levels of federal investment. Comfort and experience managing remote projects and teams is a must with supervisory responsibility for our Corporate Partnerships Manager and Philanthropy and Operations Manager positions. This position will also work closely with River Network’s Board of Directors and serve as the liaison to the board’s Development Committee helping to direct efforts to identify, qualify and cultivate funders and inspire the board to help meet our revenue targets.

Our ideal candidate has experience designing and leading fundraising strategies and campaigns, the ability to strategically position the organization as a reliable partner and key ally with funders, and an inherent desire to attract critical resources to River Network to continue to grow and strengthen the nationwide network of water, justice, and river advocates.

ABOUT RIVER NETWORK: River Network envisions a powerful and inclusive movement that ensures abundant clean water for all people and nature to thrive. Our mission is to grow and strengthen a transformational

national network of water, justice, and river advocates. Central to our approach is our commitment to principles for equitable and inclusive work. Through our programs, River Network strengthens organizations and leaders to improve and protect their waterways, create climate-resilient communities, and ensure equitable access to safe, affordable drinking water. We accomplish this locally and nationally by responding to the capacity and training needs of organizations and communities, and by synthesizing, elevating, and activating proven and promising practices from the field. We equip and connect advocates at the local, state, and federal levels to advance and implement policy, increase investments, and build power for greater collective impact and action.

Our staff is fully remote and based in communities across the U.S. While we are a dispersed staff team, we are highly collaborative, and value distributed leadership approaches that aim to disperse authority and responsibility to the staff closest to the work. We aspire toward humility, collaboration, equity, and inclusion, both internally and externally, and honor the contributions of diverse voices. We believe the sustainability of our staff and their well-being is directly linked to our capacity to impact the protection and sustainability of our waterways, simultaneously supporting a system of healthy people and environment.

Find information about our financials here (annual reports, financial statement, 990).

Please apply by March 22, 2024.

Requirements

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

At least seven years professional fundraising and/or grants management experience.
Strong and effective oral and written communication skills with a proven ability to nurture and expand relationships with internal colleagues, key external partners, and board members.
Extensive experience developing and delivering successful proposals to various foundation and government agencies over $100,000.
Demonstrated experience as a manager or supervisor, including managing teams.
Ability to work closely with organizational leadership, program staff, and finance to develop compelling and clear grant proposals, including participation in budget development as needed.  
Detail-oriented, with proven experience managing multiple projects simultaneously and delivering assignments with specific deadlines.
Highly technologically savvy, with proficiency in donor management systems (Salesforce), grant research systems (Foundation Center), and MS Office programs (Word, Excel, PPT, Outlook, SharePoint). 
Commitment to values of mutual respect and collaboration, teamwork and embracing and promoting diversity and ability to operate with discretion and confidentiality as needed.
Willingness to travel for current and potential funder visits, River Network board meetings and other conferences and events to aid in relationship building and fundraising efforts.

PREFERED QUALIFICATIONS:

Knowledge of current and evolving trends in charitable giving, particularly in the foundation, corporate, and government funding arenas. 
Knowledge of river conservation, current issues within the water arena, and equity, inclusion and diversity. 
Experience engaging with and managing a fully remote team.

WHAT TO EXPECT: We’ll review your application materials for experience, knowledge, and abilities required to successfully perform the job. Only those selected to advance in this process will be contacted for an interview. Candidates must possess current and valid U.S. Work Authorization and be eligible to work for any U.S. employer without sponsorship. As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every qualification. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with each qualification in the job description, please go ahead and apply anyway! You might be just the right candidate for this role. Consistent with our values and our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as stated above,

River Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Benefits

River Network offers medical, dental, and vision health insurance; 403b retirement savings plan; vacation and well-being leave; life insurance; technology stipend; and paid holidays. River Network operates on a 32-hour work week, with all our offices closed on Fridays.

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