Fundraising and Communications Director

Job Posting Date: November 14, 2023

Application Deadline: December 15, 2023

Start Date: Immediate, not later than January 31, 2024

Position: Onsite, full-time, exempt employee, with occasional weekends and evenings

Overview: 

Santa Monica Mountains Fund (SAMO Fund) is seeking a full-time Donor and Communications Director to help execute the Fund’s events and donor membership program, advance annual fundraising strategies, and implement communications to reach organizational benchmarks. This position reports to the Executive Director. In this role, you will be responsible for, but are not limited to:

Strategic Planning

• Create annual strategic fundraising and outreach plans
• Plan development and implement measurable objectives, strategies, budgets, and fundraising initiatives and timelines informed by the National Park Service, SAMO Fund’s Executive Director and Board

Donor Engagement and Program Coordination

• Oversee donor membership program including strategic processes, logistics, and communications to achieve fundraising revenue goals
• Oversee processes and communications for donor recruitment, onboarding, and retention
• Process membership renewal letters & donor acknowledgments

·       Research donor cultivation opportunities with relevant businesses, funding entities, and partners

·       Attend outreach events to cultivate relationships and prospects

·       Provide the highest level of customer service to donors and the community

·       Develop a strong case for the Park and SAMO Fund initiatives

·       Create Donor Recognition Plan

·       Cultivate relationships with philanthropic sector

·       Strategically steward new donors

·       Assist in development of new strategies to increase donor and volunteer engagement, retention and revenue

·       Build relationships to cultivate, solicit and steward donors

Communications/Outreach:

• Work with Executive Director to develop annual communications strategy and marketing materials to achieve goals
• Prepare mailings, brochures and other promotional materials including annual reports, website content, event and campaign materials, fact sheets and other program information in collaboration with graphics artist
• Oversee communications content and processes including weekly social media posts, website, newsletters, MailChimp campaigns, annual reports, etc.
• Craft compelling stories
• Cooperate with Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area personnel
• Work with other community partners to accomplish organization and fundraising goals
• Represent SAMO Fund at limited number of community events and festivals
• Engage volunteers and other key stakeholders to support fundraising and outreach programs

Committee Support: 

• Attend and coordinate with Executive Director scheduling and administrative needs for SAMO Fund’s Fundraising and Outreach Committee
• Provide leadership and act as a team partner with committee members to raise funds and generate outreach

Events:

• Strategize, design, coordinate, manage logistics to implement donor events, including annual gala events
• Work to achieve fundraising goals through mission-based activities events for community engagement
• Manage event revenue and expense budgets for events
• Coordinate and manage event staff and volunteers-in-parks

Database Management:

• Manage CRM Little Green Light database to maintain donor records, track gift and engagement history, generate reports effectively to monitor development strategy
• Oversee gift processing and acknowledgment process, as well as maintain all donor files including call notes and correspondence
• Maintain and update mailing lists in Little Green Light and MailChimp
• Create content to update webpages on SAMO Fund website

Other Duties:

• Collaborate and communicate with Executive Director and team, park personnel, volunteers-in parks, vendors, partners, visitors, community, and other individuals as needed to coordinate events, exchange information, or resolve problems.
• Collaborate with Finance to ensure all gifts are represented and reconciled in financial management systems
• Prepare fundraising reports, including progress towards financial goals, revenue and expenses related to fundraising
• Maintain an awareness of NPS rules and procedures, Director’s Order 32 and 21, SAMO FUND branding standards, new event trends, best practices, and advances in the field; read professional literature; attend workshops and training sessions, as appropriate.
• Manage marketing intern(s) to undertake specific projects

Competencies:

• Self-starter able to work in fast-paced environment with minimal supervision
• Must enjoy detail-oriented work and possess exceptional organizational skills, including the ability to set up processes, systems, and workflow
• Strong written and verbal communication; excellent writing and editing skills
• People person with enthusiasm for providing the highest level of customer service to our members and community partners.
• Proven ability to support and lead committees and volunteers
• Ability to plan and execute events, including logistics and day-of coordination
• Open to change, highly adaptable as situations might require
• Strong interest in working in the nonprofit field, passion for national parks and public lands, and desire to help SAMO Fund meet its mission
• Possess an “entrepreneurial spirit”
• Participate positively in an organizational culture valuing creativity, collaboration, strategic thinking and planning
• Navigate through challenges
• Build partnerships
• Strive to continually expand your knowledge of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
• Exceptional interpersonal skills
• High level of professionalism

Required Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advance degree preferred.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in a non-profit progressively responsible fundraising experience
• Experience in developing compelling, cohesive campaigns, fundraising plans and strategies
• Demonstration of ability to write effective promotional materials for donors
• Success in managing donor/prospect portfolios
• Experience with current and evolving trends in major gifts giving and solicitation
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with strong attention to detail
• Experience working in donor relations for a not-for-profit organization required
• Experience and proficiency with computer software applications: MS Windows, MS Office Suite, Canva, MailChimp, Google products, Adobe and other common platforms
• Database management experience, preferably with Little Green Light
• Experience managing Mailchimp communications and social media platforms

Why Work for Us:

SAMO Fund’s office is located in Thousand Oaks, CA. Work closely with smart, talented community-minded people that truly love the park and want everyone to enjoy all the park has to offer.  We are a small team, so you will have the opportunity to use your diverse skillset to directly benefit the work and impact of SAMO FUND. We offer a work-life balance, flexibility, and excitement of a small nonprofit, with the support, stability, and professionalism of a large organization through our partnership with the National Park Service.

Special Conditions:

• Employees are required to drive personal vehicles for official business
• Must be willing to commute to various Park locations in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
• Ability to work evenings and weekends, limited, but as needed for special programs
• Employees need to be able to walk a half mile up and down a steep grade on an uneven surface
• Ability to lift up-to-25 pounds

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary is set at $70,000. We offer PTO, paid holidays, flexible work schedule, as well as professional development opportunities.

About SAMO FUND:

Santa Monica Mountains Fund (SAMO Fund) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an essential partner to the National Park Service (NPS) that supports habitat restoration, hiking trail improvement, educational programs, and wildlife conservation in the Santa Monica Mountains – our Nation’s largest urban national park, located in the greater Los Angeles area of Southern California.

Application:

Send cover letter and resume with your name saved as the document, i.e. “Jane Doe Resume/John Doe Cover Letter” to contact@samofund.org. Indicate in Subject Line: Donor and Communications Director

Santa Monica Mountains Fund