Hiring Organization Information
Position Information
Per its tax-exempt mission, “Verde serves communities by building environmental wealth through social enterprise, outreach and advocacy.” Our institutional practice is multicultural, multilingual, dynamic, and entrepreneurial.
Through Social Enterprise, Verde establishes environmental businesses to employ folks in our community to build technical capacity to participate in the green economy, create contracting opportunities for minority-owned and women-owned businesses, and bring environmental assets to low-income neighborhoods. Structured as Verde program areas with assumed business names on file with the State of Oregon, these enterprises sell environmental products and services in support of Verde’s tax-exempt mission.
Through Outreach, Verde uses a community organizing model to engage community members, peer organizations, and policymakers about the connection between protecting the environment and building community. We do this by advocating and organizing with low-income people and people of color to drive environmental resources into their neighborhoods to address long-standing needs.
Through our advocacy work, Verde builds power for environmental justice communities. We combine organizing, leadership development, and popular education to build community capacity to craft policies that reflect their needs and that have the political momentum to win. We help build coalitions of frontline communities at the local, state, and national level to collectively move our work forward with a focus on energy justice, transportation, air quality, and water.
The Development Director is responsible for coordinating all aspects of Verde’s fundraising, including ensuring efficient and timely submission of grant proposals and reports, oversight of individual giving work, developing a fundraising plan for our new 501(c)(4), managing annual giving events such as Give!Guide, building and maintaining relationships with foundation program officers, and coordinating prospecting for new funding sources. Verde’s total budget is about $3.5 million annually.
The Development Director works closely with the Verde leadership team (Directors and Managers), program staff, and communications staff to maintain and develop structures and processes that facilitate effective and smooth grant proposal development and reporting. The Director possesses abilities and skills to work with diverse individuals and ensure strong responsiveness to request for information. The Development Director works in a busy environment and must have strong skills in managing multiple, time-bound priorities, and be able to manage the Development Team—the Grants Coordinator and the Communications and Donor Relations Coordinator—to ensure implementation of fundraising strategies and priorities.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Overall Development Management
- Work with the Directors and Management team to develop an annual work plan for raising funds to support Verde’s budget and financial reserves.
- Coordinate all development activities (grants, individual giving, annual giving events, and corporate giving).
- Ensure we are prepared to apply for national grants from large foundations and federal government agencies.
- Continue to develop the Development team through identifying training opportunities.
- Participate in the hiring process for development staff.
- As needed, add personnel, consultants, interns, or volunteers to the development team.
- Supervise and support development staff, consultants, interns and/or volunteers.
- Report status updates to the Executive Director, Management team, and Board.
- Grantmaking responsibilities
- Sustain and further relationships and care of foundations, corporations, and other donors, keeping them engaged, informed, and inspired to grow long-term funding relationships.
- Manage grant prospecting and work with program staff to identify and evaluate potential funders.
- To be strategic in seeking funding opportunities, work with the Finance Director throughout the year to help program managers identify clearly which programs need further funding.
- Coordinate annual planning for individual programs and the organization as a whole.
- Coordinate site visits and prepare relevant staff to participate.
- Manage and refine grant proposal development processes.
- Ensure appropriate staff are notified of grant proposal deadlines and manage their inputs for program specific and general operating support proposals.
- Coordinate production of grant proposals including narrative content, budget content, attachments, submission, and follow up.
- Write grant proposals as necessary.
- Edit grant proposals as necessary.
- Review grants agreements for accuracy and reporting purposes.
- Grant reporting coordination
- Ensure on time delivery of grant reports.
- Partner with program staff to generate content for grant reports.
- Complete grant report content, as necessary.
- Data management
- Responsible for maintaining grant-related files for all funders, an archiving plan, and managing access to the files.
- Maintain and track the Grants calendar.
- Manage the EveryAction database.
- Keep program case statements up to date.
- Work with Finance to keep budget templates up to date.
- Support Verde Program Staff
- Hold monthly grants committee meetings with Development, Communications, Program staff, and Finance staff.
- Train and manage Development staff.
- Support and guide Program staff in their development of proposals.
Demonstrated ability to:
- Thrive as a member of a multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-lingual team with diverse abilities, experiences, and educational backgrounds.
- Perform in an environment that is energized by pursuing and developing mission-driven opportunities.
- Establish strong relationships with current and prospective funders by attending events, maintaining regular contact, and connecting relevant Verde staff to funders.
- Exercise strong attention to detail, effective time management, , organization, and planning.
- Work independently, delegate tasks, assign roles, exercise sound judgment and problem solving.
Knowledge of:
- Nonprofit, small business, and/or hybrid governance and management structures and related regulations.
- Understanding of, exposure to, or interest in social justice, entrepreneurship, and systems change strongly preferred.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.
Our office officially opened its doors on March 14, 2022 and our staff are currently allowed the flexibility to make decisions on how often and when they use the office space. This position does require occasional in person activities such as filing paperwork, meeting with donors, and attending fundraising events. We will continue to adjust in person expectations as guidance from public health officials evolves.