Community Engagement & Fundraising Director

Description

Community Engagement & Fundraising Director

Direct Supervisor:
Executive Director, Hub Knott

Who We Are:
The Living Earth School draws from both ancient and modern wisdom to empower students of all ages to become better caretakers, mentors, and leaders. We help people connect with each other and the natural world through meaningful relationships and experiences. There’s a nature-based education program for everyone, from summer camps and weekly homeschool groups to an array of weekend workshops and expeditions. The Living Earth School has been serving central Virginia since 2002.

Position Summary:
We’re looking for a dynamic and thoughtful individual who is experienced in fundraising, grant-writing, marketing, and communication to join our team. A successful person in this role is passionate about nature, loves connecting with their community, and is dedicated to personal and organizational growth. Applying Community-Centric Fundraising principles is part of the role. If you have some of these skills and are eager to learn some of the others, we welcome your application too. The personal “fit” is most important.

Essential Responsibilities:
-Be a Voice of LES: Demonstrate our values of people care, community care, and earth care in all communications. Your job is to attract new community members to connect more deeply with the earth while keeping our existing community buzzing with enthusiasm and engagement.

-Spread the Word: You’ll have the fun of crafting awesome content following our brand guidelines—think website updates, newsletters, social media magic, and eye-catching marketing brochures and annual reports. Your mission: make sure our messaging and branding is timely, consistent, engaging and results in increased engagement while staying on budget and hitting our enrollment and fundraising targets.

-Fundraising: Join forces with the Executive Director and team to dream up and achieve friendraising and fundraising goals. Find new sources of financial support and craft and lead compelling fundraising campaigns that are exciting, memorable, and in line with our nature- and community-centric values. Serve as our lead event organizer.

-Grant writing: Find and apply for grants that support our nature programming and overall growth as an organization.

-Donor Relationship Management: Build and nurture strong connections with our funders and donors. Work closely with our donor database to cultivate strong donor and grantor relationships, track contributions, and craft personalized follow-up plans that help each donor know they are valued by LES.

-Program Evaluation: Gather feedback. Set up systems to gather and analyze data on how our programs are meeting community wants and needs. Keep tabs on what’s working and share the results that demonstrate our impact and outcomes.

-Volunteer Management: Create and lead a fun, engaging volunteer program that gets people excited and gives them an opportunity to help out and be a part of our mission.

-Administrative Support: Have a sense of the nitty-gritty of administrative tasks and systems, and be ready to back up the team if needed.

Qualifications:
We encourage you to apply, even if you don’t have all of these qualifications, as long as you are eager to learn the others. Your personal fit for this role and our organization is what is most important to us.

-Experience: 3-5 years of success in communications, community-building, fundraising, marketing, or similar related roles.

-Communication: Exceptional written and interpersonal skills that make you a standout storyteller and team player. Talent for building and nurturing relationships with donors and grantors, always keeping our mission and community needs at the heart of it all.

-Fundraising: Proven track record of achieving fundraising goals. Strong familiarity with planning and executing a foundation grant strategy.

-Relationship Building: Demonstrated skill in building and nurturing donor/funder relationships which center the organizational mission as well as community needs.

-Tech Wizard: Skilled with G-Suite, donor management software (like Bloomerang), design platforms, and communication tools (like Mailchimp). Can create buzz-worthy content across social media channels.

-Self-Starter: Able to work and solve problems independently while regularly collaborating with the team. Multitask, prioritize, and bring creativity to everything you do.

-People Person: Great at giving and receiving honest, compassionate feedback, tackling challenges with curiosity, and connecting with a diverse crowd.

-Flexibility: Ready to adapt and support in the ever-changing world of nature education, where surprises are part of the fun!

-Local: Must be within easy commuting distance to Charlottesville. Bonus points for having a built-in network and knowledge of Central Virginia

Compensation and Start:
-This role is full-time and expected to work an average of 40 hours per week but hours are flexible and include comp time.
-Hybrid optional, must be available for some work days in our Charlottesville office.
-Salary range: $42,500 – $50,000
-Paid Vacation – 3 weeks a year
-3% match retirement plan (403B fund)
-$125 healthcare stipend per month
-$500 annual professional development fund
-Staff discount on LES programs
-Following Fed/State holidays off: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, National Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

Excited to join our team? Send your cover letter and resume to: workwithus@livingearthva.org and include “Community Engagement & Fundraising Director” in the subject line.
Want to learn more about us before you hit send? Check out our world at www.livingearthva.org.

We’re on the lookout for awesome talent and will keep the position open until we find the right fit. The Living Earth School is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from everyone who can help us reflect the vibrant community we serve.

Deadline: Applications are requested no later than 10/4.