Development Director

Reports to: Executive Director

Works with: Executive Director, Chairman of the McFadden Foundation Board of Directors, and Administrative Specialist

Employment Status: Full Time (40 hours/week)

This job is onsite in Donalsonville, GA. Please e-mail resume and cover letter to: Schelly@mcfaddennaturecenter.org

Applications accepted until June 30th, 2025

Will invest in fundraising training for the right candidate.

Organization Overview

In 1999, Pat McFadden established the Lokchasassa Wilderness Project, a 1,260-acre Seminole County Garden of Eden to protect the native plants and wildlife. This Project was renamed after his death in 2008 and is now known as the McFadden Nature Center. The property now will be protected for perpetuity. The nature center is tentatively planned to be open by August of 2026. www.mcfaddennaturecenter.com

Mission

To share and care for the land, air, water, and animals entrusted to us through meaningful environmental education, balanced conservation, and preservation, for the benefit of our community now and future generations.

Vision

Our vision is to share a responsibility to conserve and preserve our natural places and enhance appreciation and love for the land, water, and air that we share; to spark curiosity and joyfully share the quiet peace that comes from time and close attention to nature and our own human spirit; to link actions to hearts; to be a place to grow…for nature, for people, for community, for ideas, and for hope.

Values

• Stewardship – Pass it on. Considering what comes next in conservation and preservation, that envisions a sustainable future for generations to come.
• Educate – To cultivate curiosity and create opportunities for study, observation, research, awareness, and lifelong learning.
• Tranquility – Encouraging quietness, peace, and harmony for enjoyment and health.
• Respect – For the bigger picture that includes but is not limited to, land, water, air, farming, plants, animals, birds, reptiles, insects, and artifacts.
• Community – Sharing responsibility through connections and partnerships for our watershed and land, whether it’s in our backyards or farmlands, prairies, or forests.
• Passion – Excellence and enthusiasm in all we do, to the best of our ability. Asking ourselves – what is the next best thing?

Occupational Summary

Works closely with the Executive Director to develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising capital campaign and forthcoming annual operations fund-raising campaign for the McFadden Nature Center programs and upkeep. This includes donor research, solicitation and cultivation, public and private grant procurement, and planning and organizing special events for cultivating donors.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Creating engaging interactions with the organization’s donors and prospects
• Writing and developing fundraising materials in collaboration with leadership
• Cultivate a database of donor and member records, able to learn how to use a donor database software if you do not already know
• Conduct surveys and seek feedback leading to the capital fundraising campaign, donor initiatives, and annual fundraising events
• Plan and direct marketing and social media regarding the capital campaign, in collaboration with leadership as needed
• Conduct grant research, write grants, follow up on final grant reports

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• Excellent writing, research, speech, and communication skills
• Must be comfortable speaking to large groups and small groups alike
• Ability to articulate the mission of the McFadden Nature Center with passion and enthusiasm
• Excellent computer skills, knowledge of Office products, Zoom software, Google platform, and donor database software
• Must have good time management skills, capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously, and able to meet deadlines
• A self-starter able to work independently as well as being a team member
• Able to learn about the programs and mission of McFadden Nature Center and connect these to the education community, which includes public school teachers, private school teachers, and homeschool families
• Ability to communicate with fellow team members and leadership promptly and clearly through emails, phone calls, and texts

Educational/Experience Requirements

• Experience with Donor Dock preferred
• BA/BS degree or 4 years of equivalent experience in fundraising
• Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, development, or grant writing strongly preferred, as well as knowledge of donor and public relations
• Familiarity with capital campaign related fundraising techniques preferred

Characteristics

• Flexible with a growing organization that will experience change rapidly
• Patience working with a small team as we all stretch to get the work done
• Teachable and willing to learn new ways of doing things, but also willing to share knowledge with the team
• Honesty and loyalty to a team that is seeking to create an organization and educational experiences for our community and region for the long term
• Follow through, able to see a task through to its completion
• Optimistic and enthusiastic about the project and its future.

Time Commitments:

• Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. With 8 to 10 weekends a year and occasional evenings.
• Willingness to alter hours to meet the needs of the job.

Physical Demands:

• Able to lift, bend, stoop, kneel, and move
• Able to climb ramps or stairs, reach above and below shoulder level
• Able to lift 40 pounds
• Able to sit and use a computer (keyboarding), have visual acuity using computer screens, answer phones, and use a copier
• Able to walk and spend time in an outdoor natural environment, like a nature trail