Development Director

Reports to: Executive Director

Location: Select locations in Washington or Oregon. BMLT’s office is located in Walla Walla, WA. The candidate may work from the Walla Walla office or remotely from a home office in the following Oregon and Washington counties: Garfield, Columbia, Asotin, and Walla Walla counties in Washington, and Umatilla, Union, Baker, Grant, Wheeler, Morrow, and Gilliam counties in Oregon.

Position status: Full-time, exempt

Salary range: $70-$80,000, dependent on experience

Posting date: February 27, 2024

Application deadline: Open until filled; applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.

Job Summary

Blue Mountain Trust (BMLT) is searching for a development director to strategize, plan, organize, and lead BMLT’s fundraising efforts across a range of initiatives.

We are looking for an experienced development director who can lead and grow BMLT’s fundraising efforts to support its conservation, stewardship, and community engagement programs with integrity, collaboration, creativity, and enthusiasm. The development director is responsible for developing and executing a strategic long-term development plan to advance BMLT’s institutional goals, including annual giving, major gifts, foundation grants, corporate support, special events, and building relationships in the community. The development director works closely with the executive director, marketing and communications director, other staff, and board of directors to lead donor engagement, monthly and planned giving programs, grant strategy, annual campaign, and 25th-anniversary fundraising events.

About Blue Mountain Land Trust

Protecting the land you love. Forever. Blue Mountain Land Trust (BMLT) is a nationally accredited land trust working in southeastern Washington and Eastern Oregon. Our mission is to protect the scenic, natural, and working lands of the Blue Mountain region through conservation and stewardship and connect communities to nature through education and recreation. Since our founding in 1999, we have acquired 21 conservation easements and one fee title property, protecting over 23,300 acres.

Our team is passionate, collaborative, curious, and committed to conserving clean water, open spaces, vital habitat, healthy soils, and livelihoods for agricultural communities across the Blue Mountain region.

We work to:

• Safeguard our community’s agricultural heritage
• Protect spawning streams for native fish
• Preserve important wildlife corridors
• Connect people with the land and its abundant natural resources
• Improve access to outdoor recreation with trail maintenance.
• Expand environmental education offerings across the Blues for children, families, and adults.
• Help present and future communities thrive

Job Role & Responsibilities

Fundraising

• Create, direct, and lead annual development strategy including annual giving campaigns, donor cultivation, monthly and planned giving, major gifts, and other special events such as BMLT’s 25th anniversary campaign. Track and analyze progress towards achieving revenue and communications goals.
• Collaborate with the executive director, marketing and communications director, other staff and BMLT’s board to fulfill fundraising plans and meet projected financial needs.
• Maintain a portfolio of key individual and institutional supporters. Develop and build relationships with donors, community members, corporate sponsors, partners, grantors and foundations through a meaningful stewardship strategy to communicate BMLT’s mission, goals, and programs and garner support. Identify and steward new and existing donor relationships with authenticity and transparency.
• Build and maintain systems for cyclical giving campaigns, corporate support, donor stewardship, grant applications, grant reports, and more.
• Lead and work collaboratively with BMLT’s development and donor database consultants to manage confidential donor information, track progress, and ensure secure and accurate data management.
• Work collaboratively with the marketing and communications director to create fundraising campaign messaging, fundraising collateral, and donor communication touchpoints with the goal of reaching new supporters, and growing community understanding of BMLT’s impact.

Grants Management

• Lead foundation, corporate, and government grant application efforts, workflows, and report follow-up. Collaborate with BMLT staff to determine funding opportunities and provide assistance on grants to support the organization’s goals and projects.
• Identify and pursue new funding opportunities and programs. Build relationships with funders, manage awarded grants, and maintain detailed records of awarded funds.

Partnership Building & Management

• Meet and establish clear and consistent communication with community members, partners and stakeholders, including making public appearances or accepting speaking engagements, to share information about BMLT with the community.
• Participate in and contribute to internal and external organizational diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) work. Ensure DEIJ principles are integrated into BMLT’s fundraising and outreach efforts.

General & Financial

• Assist the executive director with developing the annual fundraising and organizational budget. In collaboration with the executive director and finance committee, manage development revenue and expense budgets and forecasts.
• Manage awarded grants, grant reporting, and track project deliverables, contracts, and expenditures.
• Work with the executive director and other staff to ensure compliance with program policies and Land Trust Alliance (LTA) accreditation best practices and requirements.
• Assist other work and program tasks as needed to support BMLT funding goals, priorities, and needs.

Desired Experiences, Skills & Attributes

Qualifications for this position can come from professional and/or lived experiences. Below, we describe important qualifications for a candidate while remaining open to diverse experiences that can lead to these skill sets. We strongly encourage anyone who feels passionate about this work to apply.

Don’t check off every box in the qualifications and skills section? Please consider applying anyway. Studies have shown that marginalized communities, such as women, LGBTQ+, and people of color, are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging.

• Bachelor’s degree and five-years progressive experience in nonprofit development management.
• Strong commitment to BMLT’s land and water conservation mission.
• Demonstrated experience working and building relationships with people of different backgrounds and a wide range of perspectives, views, and ideas. Strong sense of ethics, integrity, and commitment to DEIJ principles.
• An influencer with strong relationship-building skills able to motivate others to take action
• Strong writing skills and proven ability to deliver messaging that is high-quality, thorough, and strategic; someone who takes pride in what they produce
• A detail-oriented and reliable project manager with consistent follow-through.
• Experience working with donor databases, CRM, and tracking fundraising efforts. Strong sense of ethics, integrity, discretion, and ability to maintain confidentiality of donor and project information.
• A proven track record of securing corporate, foundation and government grant funds.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written skills and attention to detail. Ability to manage multiple, complex projects simultaneously.
• Independently motivated, innovative problem solver. Ability to work individually and collaboratively with a team, lead colleagues and volunteers.
• Experience working with state and federal funding agencies and private foundations.
• Experience working with rural communities, Tribes, landowners, and agricultural producers.

ADA Requirements/Working Conditions

• Valid, insurable driver’s license and clean driving record. Ability to regularly travel throughout BMLT’s 11-county service area, often to remote locations, for site visits to properties and project meetings. BMLT has a work vehicle for use and offers mileage reimbursement at State Government rates for personal vehicle use.
• Flexibility to work occasional weekend or evening hours on an as-needed basis.
• Occasional site visits are performed outdoors in conditions that include steep and rough terrain, dense vegetation, inclement weather, and on muddy, uneven, or rocky surfaces. Position may include occasional physical exertion, such as hiking, crouching, stooping, reaching, or other similar activities.
• Ability to lift up to 30 lbs.

Benefits

BMLT strives to create a collaborative and supportive workplace that encourages and inspires professional growth. You will be supported by our team in the onboarding process and throughout your tenure. This position has opportunities for growth and advancement within the organization. Benefits include:

• 11 paid holidays (including eight organizational and three floating holidays),

• Accrued paid vacation, 15 days in year 1, 20 days in years 2-5, and increasing in years 6+
• Accrued wellness time, 10 days per year
• Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Cell phone stipend
• Employer-paid elective contributions to a qualified retirement plan, currently at 5% of salary
• Flexible work schedule and opportunities for professional development throughout the year
• This position can be fully remote within BMLT’s service area in Oregon or Washington, with occasional office-based work at the Walla Walla office