Senior Fundraising Specialist- Volunteer Position

Wildlife Restoration Foundation

www.wildlifeandparks.org

 SENIOR FUNDRAISING SPECIALIST – Volunteer Position

The Senior Fundraising Specialist (SFRS) volunteer will be an integral part of the Wildlife Restoration Foundation (WRF) team. Work to build WRF’s organizational capacity, resource base, and impact on America’s park wildlife as you contribute your talents and years of experience fundraising for conservation. Every WRF team member plays an important part in meeting the WRF mission, which is to increase park wildlife population viability both ex situ and in situ, working closely with National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, Marine Sanctuaries and Forests, zoo and aquarium partners, and park gateway communities. Our goal is to ensure WRF operates effectively and efficiently and generates resources that enable measurable, boots-on-the-ground and fins-in-the-water wildlife conservation results. 

The Senior Fundraising Specialist volunteer will assist the WRF President and Director of Conservation & Operations with the development, implementation, and delivery of fundraising strategies and initiatives in line with WRF’s strategic plan and board direction so that WRF builds capacity for its primary program work:

• Zoo-Park Partnerships (ZPPs) for America’s Keystone Wildlife™
• WildLifeLine™
• “I Am Bear Safe” Project
• Wildlife Coexistence Strategies and Workshops.

Throughout the volunteer period, the SFRS volunteer will help WRF tackle prospect research and cultivation, themed fundraising campaigns, and major and individual donor recruitment as well as planned giving.

Key Position Responsibilities 

• Secure an increase in funding and other resources needed to sustain WRF’s work in the long term and significantly increase WRF’s member and supporter base.
• Support the President and Director of Conservation & Operations with the management of relationships with foundations, trusts, sponsors, major donors, and bequests.
• Investigate and help WRF act upon opportunities to attract funds through proposals, appeals, fundraising activities that are efficient and effective fundraising mechanisms.
• Assess and help develop opportunities for government contracts for WRF services and assist with the reporting required.
• Develop relationships with appropriate corporate partners, growing the breadth and scale of corporate offerings and partnerships.
• Help develop new revenue-generating opportunities for WRF, including professional services and products and SWAG sales.
• Ensure that members of the WRF team that are fundraising comply with current fundraising, data protection, and other relevant legislation, standards, and best practices.

WRF requests a dedicated 16 hours per week (flexible schedule) and an agreement to work with WRF for 4 months. The Senior Fundraising Specialist must be a self-starter, ambitious, creative, productive, and dedicated to WRF’s mission. The volunteer work is unpaid, but certain expenses can be covered as approved by the WRF President. Volunteer work may include visits to project work in National Parks and on other public land and at zoos and aquariums.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant subject required; Master’s degree preferred.
• At least 10 years’ fundraising experience preferred.
• Philanthropic network ideal.
• Proficiency in Word and Excel and developing budgets and reports.
• Passion for wildlife and conservation required!

The Senior Fundraising Specialist will report to Julie Anton Randall, WRF President, and for special projects, to Scott Wilkerson, Director of Partnership Development. Hours are flexible within the week, but participation in the occasional full WRF team meeting by Zoom is helpful. 

Thank you for your interest in being such a vital part of the Wildlife Restoration Foundation team!