Director of Development
Employer: Urban Roots Position: Director of Development
Application Deadline: September 7, 2012
Location: Austin, TX Website: http://www.urbanrootsatx.org
Contact: jobs@urbanrootsatx.org
Who We Are: In 2008 Urban Roots was born as a program of the non-profit organization, YouthLaunch, and is now emerging as its own independent agency. Urban Roots is a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture as a means to transform the lives of young people and to increase the access of healthy food in Austin. On 3 ½ acres of urban farmland, Urban Roots’ Core Youth Program provides thirty Austin teenagers with paid internships, leadership and service opportunities, and teaches them important life skills. Urban Roots engages young people to learn about hard work, to connect with the land and food, and to serve their community. Through additional programming we engage hundreds of volunteers through team-building farmwork days on the land, provide educational tours to school and community youth groups, and donate thousands of pounds of farm-fresh produce to local hunger relief agencies.
Job Summary: We are seeking a high-energy, creative individual to join our team and as the primary fundraiser and communications professional for the organization. This full-time staff person works closely with the Executive Director and supervises a volunteer Development Intern. This position requires extensive contact with major donors, board members, and corporate and foundation leaders. The successful candidate should have experience managing a portfolio of prospects, achieving annual and campaign-related fundraising goals and possess a personal commitment to youth development and sustainable food systems. It is essential that this individual be a self-motivated, confident and accomplished development professional, able to work independently and collaborate with a team. Strong communications and writing skills are also required.
Primary Responsibilities: • Understand organizational goals and mission, develop donor-centric fundraising strategies, package proposals (including grants), build and manage a portfolio of 50 top potential donors. • Work with Board members, current donors, foundation and corporate contacts to identify and engage new funding sources. • Coordinate annual fundraising campaign, including solicitations, and plan and coordinate signature and third party events. • Cultivate relationships with businesses, grant officers, and potential major donors. • Assist Executive Director in major donor solicitation, including grant writing and reporting. • Communicate regularly with supporters, board, public, media. • Maintain development plan/strategy. • Maintain consistency of messaging, tone, and character for Urban Roots through print, electronic, and interpersonal communications. • Regularly create and edit Urban Roots communications. • Manage and update website • Assist with office management and administrative tasks • Attend and help coordinate Development Committee and appropriate Development Task Force meetings.
Job Requirements • Three-years of direct fundraising experience at a non-profit organization. • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in business, marketing, public relations or social work desirable. • Entrepreneurial spirit and successful experience building or enlarging fundraising programs, as well as ability to manage independently and set and achieve benchmarks. • Major gifts fundraising experience required. • Experience in managing and tracking multiple prospects and donors. • Experience building and maintaining long-term relationships with fundraising constituents such as major donors, foundations, and corporations. • Ability to meet deadlines and work independently. • Competency with social media outlets. • Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously. • Evident interest in and passion for youth development and sustainable food systems. • Willingness and ability to work some weekends and evenings. • Ability to give and receive feedback from Urban Roots staff. • Competency with GiftWorks (or similar donor database management system), Wordpress, and Constant Contact is helpful. Because Urban Roots is a small organization, all staff share in the administrative duties of running the office and assisting the Executive Director as needed.
Term of Position: This is a full-time, year-round position.
Compensation: Competitive salary commensurate with experience and background.
To Apply: Submit a resume, cover letter, and one-page writing sample to jobs@urbanrootsatx.org. No phone calls, please. Please reference Urban Roots Director of Development Search in the subject line.
Approximate start date: mid October, 2012.
We will review all submissions, identify viable candidates and contact ONLY those individuals selected to continue in the interview process. To learn more about Urban Roots, go to www.urbanrootsatx.org Urban Roots is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to creating a multicultural organization. We actively seek a diverse pool of candidates for this position, especially candidates of color. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply. We will not discriminate in our hiring on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.
Submitted by Urban Roots on Mon, 08/06/2012 - 10:36am
