Position Description: Development Director
Overview
Client: Sustain Charlotte
Role: Full-Time
Current location: 2151 Hawkins St Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28203
Founded: 2010
Reports to: Executive Director
Mission & Vision
Our mission is to inspire choices that lead to a healthy, equitable, and vibrant community for generations to come. Our vision is to be a region in which everyone has the knowledge, resources and opportunity to make choices with a clear awareness of their combined social, economic and environmental impacts.
History
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg area lags other metro areas in many key sustainability measures which serve as an indicator of a community’s long-term economic, social, and environmental well-being. As the metro area continues to grow at a high rate, it is critical that efforts are made to raise awareness of the challenges the region will face now and into the future.
Founded in 2010, Sustain Charlotte is a nonprofit organization helping to advance a region-wide sustainability movement by serving as a catalyst for change. Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. In just short of a decade, Sustain Charlotte has become the metro area’s leading voice for sustainability.
With a focus on three strategies to educate, engage and unite, Sustain Charlotte has launched a number of initiatives. The Bicycle Program promotes sustainable transportation infrastructure, with a focus on bicycling in the region. Similarly, Walk Your Neighborhood promotes walking as a form of transportation. Sustainable Neighborhoods works with residents of motivated neighborhoods to set measurable sustainability goals and works to develop strategies and resources to meet them. The Transportation Choices Alliance works to increase transportation choices and their use throughout the Charlotte region. The Sustain Charlotte Awards recognize those in the community who are working toward the Charlotte 2030 Vision for Our Region. These are just a few of the many events, programs, public policy engagement and other outreach efforts Sustain Charlotte manages.
Opportunity
Sustain Charlotte has grown rapidly over the last several years, attracting both businesses as sponsors and individual donors as members. As the organization’s standing in the community has grown, so too has the opportunity to deepen relationships with institutions and individuals who share Sustain Charlotte’s passion for a sustainable community.
After spending several years expanding participation in its corporate and individual membership programs, the time has come to further develop these relationships and increase giving. Sustain Charlotte is seeking a Development Director who is adept at relational marketing to manage a portfolio of Sustain Charlotte members, focusing on expanding their engagement in 2019 ahead of another acquisition push in 2020. This is an ideal opportunity for a “people person” who is passionate about our community’s economic, social, and environmental well-being.
Professional Responsibilities
The Development Director is tasked with leading resource development activities toward generating $500,000 annually. Key responsibilities include:
Development Planning
- In partnership with the Executive Director, craft annual development plan outlining strategies to sustain and increase annual support from corporations, events, foundations and individuals.
- Create multi-year strategies for implementing a moves management model of resource development, prospecting, recruiting, engaging, soliciting and stewarding donors and sponsors
Corporate Membership
- Lead efforts to grow annual sponsorship from corporations and businesses, building relationships inside companies and creating win-win, business-centered partnerships
- Facilitate sponsor fulfillment to include human resources, marketing and public relations
Individual Fundraising
- Mine database of current and past individual members to source prospects for deepening engagement and giving
- Conduct face-to-face engagement, managing a portfolio of key individual relationships
- Work with Sustain Charlotte’s board of directors to identify individual donor recruitment strategies and prospects for cultivation
Development Operations
- Maintain timely records of all donor, sponsor and prospect contacts in donor database.
- Utilize database to identify sponsor and major donor prospects and inform marketing efforts.
- Assure accurate and timely member, donor, sponsor recognition, acknowledgements, and renewal letters for all financial and in-kind donations.
Required Qualifications & Competencies
The ideal candidate would have the following capabilities and qualities:
- Bachelor’s Degree
- An appreciation for sustainability and demonstrated commitment to it
- 3+ years’ experience in external relations or institutional advancement, including development/ high-touch sales, marketing, communications, and events management
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Strong leadership and strategic thinking skills
- Ability to execute a strategic development plan and when necessary turn broad goals into meaningful, actionable tasks.
- Ability to make connections easily and create authentic relationships with a wide variety of individuals and groups
- Solid analytical skills and basic understanding of financial levers
- Proficiency with CRM management is essential
Compensation
Salary commensurate with experience. Benefits include annual IRA match. Flexible, generous paid time off policy and opportunity for additional performance-based compensation.
To Apply
Sustain Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in its work and staff. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state or federal law. Sustain Charlotte encourages candidates of all groups and communities to apply for this position.
Beginning November 22, all inquiries, nominations and applications are to be directed via email to Next Stage Consulting: search@nextstage-consulting.com. Applications must include a custom cover letter and CV to be considered. Please indicate in the subject line of your email the position and organization to which you are applying and where you learned of the opportunity. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.
Please note that only those candidates invited for screening will be contacted.