Foundation Relations Officer, Trout Unlimited, Arlington, VA
Trout Unlimited -
Arlington, VA,
US
Foundation Relations Officer
Date Posted: 2024-06-01
Job description
Job Type
Full-time
Description
Healthy fish rely on healthy water. We all do. Today, 1.5 million miles of trout and salmon waters in America are degraded. These are not only home waters to iconic native and wild fish, but they are also the very rivers and streams that supply the water we drink, irrigation for our lands, and endless opportunities to get outside and connect with nature. For anglers, they are prized places.
Trout Unlimited is uniquely positioned to create common ground among diverse interests. Trout Unlimited overcomes obstacles with grassroots credibility, professional skill, non-partisanship, and scientific expertise. We are a local, on-the-ground force and a national player building meaningful relationships with decision-makers, land and resource stewards, community members and other stakeholders.
Foundation Relations Officer
Join a successful and growing team of development professionals to develop and manage a portfolio of current and new foundation donors. Working collaboratively with program staff, responsibilities include coordinating and executing the identification, strategic cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and other activities related to seeking foundation investment in Trout Unlimited's work to protect, care for, and restore rivers so our children can experience the joy of natural and wild trout and salmon. Two positions at this level are available. These positions will report to the Director of Foundation Relations, and the location is flexible.
Scope of Role and Duties
Skills/Abilities
Our Commitment to Diversity
At TU, we value a diverse representation of staff, and we actively seek candidates for this position who come from communities that have been historically under-represented in conservation and those who have been most impacted by degraded rivers and streams. We are committed to building space for all people to participate in our work to care for trout and salmon and clean our shared waters. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome you to read more about TU's equity practice and values at
Requirements
HOW TO APPLY
Please provide resume, cover letter, a writing sample that represents your strategic approach to soliciting or stewarding a foundation donor, and the names and contact information for three references to Trout Unlimited via our online job application system. We will begin reviewing applications on immediately. The positions are open until filled.
Full-time
Description
Healthy fish rely on healthy water. We all do. Today, 1.5 million miles of trout and salmon waters in America are degraded. These are not only home waters to iconic native and wild fish, but they are also the very rivers and streams that supply the water we drink, irrigation for our lands, and endless opportunities to get outside and connect with nature. For anglers, they are prized places.
Trout Unlimited is uniquely positioned to create common ground among diverse interests. Trout Unlimited overcomes obstacles with grassroots credibility, professional skill, non-partisanship, and scientific expertise. We are a local, on-the-ground force and a national player building meaningful relationships with decision-makers, land and resource stewards, community members and other stakeholders.
Foundation Relations Officer
Join a successful and growing team of development professionals to develop and manage a portfolio of current and new foundation donors. Working collaboratively with program staff, responsibilities include coordinating and executing the identification, strategic cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and other activities related to seeking foundation investment in Trout Unlimited's work to protect, care for, and restore rivers so our children can experience the joy of natural and wild trout and salmon. Two positions at this level are available. These positions will report to the Director of Foundation Relations, and the location is flexible.
Scope of Role and Duties
- Plan and execute cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activities in close coordination with program staff to engage foundation prospects and recruit increased investment in Trout Unlimited's work.
- Proactively identify, engage and build long-term relationships with existing foundation donors and new prospects to build a portfolio with an annual value between $2.5 and $5 million.
- Manage grant application process from inquiry through proposal to reporting, ensuring that all deadlines are met and that we are building the platform for long term partnership with our funders. Ensure that written materials submitted are consistent with Trout Unlimited's brand and message, of high quality, compelling and polished.
- Work closely with the Director of Foundation Relations to develop individual portfolio and revenue goals that support the Development team's overall fundraising goal. Ensure we partner with our program peers to help deliver revenue where it's most needed and can have the greatest impact to our work.
- Over time, build a thorough understanding of Trout Unlimited's work, to facilitate productive relationships both internally and externally, and to increase revenue generation and impact.
- Ensure appropriate documentation of relationship history, grant requirements and agreements, deliverables in our database (NetForum).
- Work collaboratively with program and finance partners to ensure effective grants management and spending consistent with proposal budgets.
Skills/Abilities
- Demonstrated understanding of and passion for Trout Unlimited's work.
- Excellent written and oral communication and the ability to compellingly articulate complex scientific and policy information to diverse constituencies.
- Proven ability to grow a portfolio from a core set of existing foundation donors and prospects.
- Capacity to identify new strategic funding opportunities, utilizing tools such as FoundationSearch and GrantStation to research and qualify new prospects for Trout Unlimited's programs and priorities.
- Ability to draft, edit, and produce exceptional final products such as grant proposals and reports.
- Ability to reconcile short-term budget needs with long-term strategy, relationship development and thinking. Support and enhance organizational program development capacity, by helping programs to articulate compelling strategies, milestones and outcomes.
- Thoughtful and strategic approach to budget development, and ability to manage highly sensitive organizational information.
- Ability to collaborate and partner effectively with a wide variety of donor prospects, internal stakeholders and senior leadership.
- Must be highly organized, self-motivated, adaptable and able to prioritize competing deadlines.
- Ability to innovate and manage multiple projects simultaneously. Ability to think strategically as well as operationally.
- Ability to function effectively in a largely remote team environment, with peers and colleagues spread across the country.
- Ability to travel domestically when required, strategic and while remaining safe.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office software, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive and Sharepoint.
- Proficiency in utilizing CRM (NetForum, RaisersEdge, Salesforce, etc.) and grants management tools to track and manage donor relationships and budget planning.
Our Commitment to Diversity
At TU, we value a diverse representation of staff, and we actively seek candidates for this position who come from communities that have been historically under-represented in conservation and those who have been most impacted by degraded rivers and streams. We are committed to building space for all people to participate in our work to care for trout and salmon and clean our shared waters. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome you to read more about TU's equity practice and values at
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 6 - 10 years of experience, with a successful track record of fundraising, writing and grants management.
- Preferred: Experience with conservation and/or science and policy issues; demonstrated success working within the Environmental Grantmakers community of funders.
HOW TO APPLY
Please provide resume, cover letter, a writing sample that represents your strategic approach to soliciting or stewarding a foundation donor, and the names and contact information for three references to Trout Unlimited via our online job application system. We will begin reviewing applications on immediately. The positions are open until filled.