Eat for the Earth, a nonprofit organization, announces an opening for a Director of Development with primary responsibility for the organization’s institutional support and donation funding.
Organizational Description
Eat for the Earth makes it easier for people to eat more plants and less animal products to sustain all life on Earth. We educate about the health and environmental benefits of eating plant-based and provide practical tools and support for doing so. Examples include cooking classes, dietary immersions, nutrition presentations, and community education. Our annual Food as Medicine conference for healthcare professionals inspires and equips providers to recommend healthy plant-based diets to patients. Our program for K-12 students supplies young people with knowledge and skills to support a lifetime of health. We also advocate for systems change, supporting institutions to implement practices that support plant-based eating for human and planetary health.
Identified Need
Eat for the Earth is creating a Director of Development position as part of a broader strategy for sustainability and growth for the organization. Due to our small staff size, fundraising has historically been one of the myriad responsibilities of our Executive Director. The lack of dedicated staff for fund development has limited the organization's capacity for developing a diverse, robust, sustainable funding base. This newly defined position addresses this gap in capacity by bringing in a dedicated fund development professional for the first time.
Position Overview
- Job Type: Part-Time Contractor (with potential to transition to a staff position based on fundraising success)
- Location: Mostly remote. Requires intermittent travel for donor visits, occasional in-person meetings, visits to Eat for the Earth’s programs, and selected events in the Santa Cruz County area.
- Compensation: $2,500–$5,000 monthly retainer (commensurate with experience and negotiated deliverables)
- Timeline: Open until filled
Primary Responsibilities
The two main areas for which the Director of Development will have responsibility are increasing revenue from individual donations and generation of new funds through foundation, government, and corporate grants, sponsorships, and contracts. The following list of responsibilities is meant to be illustrative but is not necessarily inclusive of all possible functions of the role. It is understood that the Director of Development will personally execute many of these functions and will also delegate as appropriate and possible.
Strategic Leadership and Planning
- Develop and lead Eat for the Earth's comprehensive fundraising strategy in alignment with the organization’s mission, culture, and financial goals.
- Create an annual development plan with revenue targets, strategies, and execution timelines.
- Partner with the Executive Director and Board to identify funding priorities and shape the organization's case for support.
- Establish tracking systems to measure and report on overall fundraising progress.
Donor Cultivation and Campaigns
- Grow individual giving by identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major and mid-level donors.
- Increase recurring giving by expanding the "Stewardship Circle" monthly donor program to increase both the number of monthly donors and the total income.
- Lead the year-end campaign to acquire new donors and inspire existing supporters to contribute.
- Design and manage recognition programs to properly thank and retain donors.
Institutional Partnerships and Grants
- Identify mission-aligned grant opportunities across foundation, corporate, and government sectors.
- Write and submit compelling proposals and manage the full grant calendar, including compliance reporting.
- Secure corporate sponsorships that align with Eat for the Earth’s values, mission, and commitments.
- Cultivate relationships with institutional funding partners.
Board and Operations Support
- Build capacity within the Board of Directors to participate meaningfully in fundraising.
- Empower the Board by providing tools, talking points, and donor prospect data to foster a philanthropic culture and expand organizational development capacity beyond staff.
- Utilize the donor database to ensure accurate gift processing, communications and data history, and tax receipting.
- Prepare regular fundraising reports for the Executive Director and Board.
Required Qualifications and Skills
- Demonstrated success in securing individual major gifts, corporate sponsorships, and grant funding
- Strong strategic thinking with the ability to build development plans, set priorities, and work independently
- Exceptional communication skills to craft inspiring, persuasive cases for support.
- Mission alignment including enthusiastic support for plant-based eating and basic knowledge of its health and environmental benefits
- High integrity and absolute discretion when handling donor relationships and financial data
- Experience working as both a team member and team leader
- Strong capacity for collaboration
- Sensitivity towards, respect for, and understanding of individual and cultural differences
- Experience working with diverse individuals and groups with varying backgrounds, skills, and expectations
Strongly Preferred
- Bilingual fluency (written and verbal) in English and Spanish is highly preferred.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and résumé to Beth Love, Executive Director, at admin@eatfortheearth.org. Accepted file formats: Microsoft Word or PDF.
For questions regarding the position, please call (831) 466-3405.
Eat for the Earth is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The organization does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic group identification, national origin, religion, age, sex, race, color, physical or mental disability, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any classification protected by Local, State, or Federal laws in any of its employment policies, procedures, or practices.
