Manager of Cultivation and Special Events
About The Friends of the Blue Hills
The Friends of the Blue Hills (Friends) is a dynamic and growing non-profit organization devoted to preserving and protecting the Blue Hills Reservation’s natural beauty, diverse natural habitats, and many recreational opportunities. You are the perfect candidate if you are outgoing, passionate about our public conservation land. You will love this job if you would like to develop relationships to engage people to improve the Blue Hills. We currently have over 1,000 members, a Board of ten, two full-time and one part-time staff, and a budget of $350,000.
About the opportunity
The Friends of the Blue Hills is looking for a relationship builder, event manager, community connector, and systems thinker to build a culture of fundraising in the organization. The Friends is at a time in its development when it will benefit from creative and strategic fundraising expertise to support the organization as it experiences a significant and exciting period of growth.
Primary Responsibilities:
Donor Solicitation & Engagement (50%)
- Manage all aspects of the grassroots donor engagement strategy including enrollment, cultivation, solicitation, and communications (identified under $500)
- Serve as the lead fundraiser for donors and prospects and feed the prospect pipeline regularly
- Establish a metrics-driven strategy for their portfolio and work toward annual growth goals developed in partnership with the ED
- Build on current cultivation and engagement strategies for current and prospective individual and corporate donors
- Cultivate and expand relationships with existing and lapsed donors to grow their annual giving, encouraging regular and/ or sustaining gifts
- Develop, manage, and oversee all aspects of the corporate giving program, working closely with program staff to ensure there is reciprocal investment and meaningful stewardship activities
Communication (25%)
- Manage fundraising campaigns and appeals, vendors, and timelines, and coordinate the production and distribution of recurring appeals and stewardship materials
- Write compelling appeals, sponsorship packets, acknowledgments, donor news, reports, and proposals
- Ensure professional, timely, and consistent communication with donors, in support of an overall development strategy
Event Management (25%)
- Design and execute Friends of the Blue Hills’ fundraising events, including the Annual Celebration and donor cultivation events
- Staff the Development and Annual Celebration Committees. Including preparation and management of invitation lists, calendar invites, event/meeting materials, event mailings, and coordinating details with vendors
Skills, qualifications, and qualities
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- A natural and demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize tasks with strong attention to detail and follow-through
- Effective time management and a love of juggling between multiple tasks and initiatives
- Collaborative and flexible working style
- Capable of working independently and taking initiative
- Proven ability of achieving annual revenue targets in nonprofit sector or comparable sales role
- Exposure to the process of how relationships with donors and potential donors are formed and cultivated toward contributing to financial growth
- Demonstrated technical competency and the capacity to learn new software systems
- Knowledge of Google Docs and Google Sheets, and fundraising database systems (eTapestry) preferred
- Familiarity with and a love of the outdoors a plus
Compensation, Benefits, and Working Conditions
Compensation: $30 – $35/hour for approximately 20 hours/week. The Friends offers generous vacation benefits, holidays, sick time, a flexible, supportive, and family-friendly work environment, and a commitment to continued professional development.
This is a remote position as the Friends of the Blue Hills has no office space. Travel to and from the Blue Hills for events and meetings with donors will be necessary on occasion. Hiking in the Blue Hills will also be occasionally necessary. The ability to set up events, including carry tables, merchandise, and banners etc. with help from volunteers and other staff is required.
To apply: send a resume and cover letter to: Judy@friendsoftheBlueHills.org, with the subject line ‘Manager of Cultivation and Special Events Application.’
Photo: Brian Gentry (Canton)
