The Opportunity | Three River Land Trust

Three River Land Trust operates in a fifteen – county region – Anson, Cabarrus, Davidson, Davie, Iredell, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Stanly, Moore, Hoke, Scotland, Cumberland, and Harnett – and believes that we must leave a legacy for future generations.

Our leadership represents a broad cross section of citizens who have come together to offer reasonable, attractive options to landowners who want to conserve their lands. Our mission is to protect and conserve natural areas, rural landscapes, family farms, scenic rivers, and historic places within North Carolina’s central Piedmont and Sandhills.

The Director of Development will focus on building and sustaining major donor and corporate donor relationships in support of the conservation mission of Three Rivers Land Trust (TRLT). This position is central to the continued growth and success of TRLT and local conservation.

First and foremost, we are looking for an authentic conservation minded person, who is passionate about the outdoors and local conservation.  Secondly, we are looking for a self-starter that has a natural ability to connect/communicate with donors/potential donors, with a proven track record of fundraising, preferably for a conservation non-profit organization.

The Director of Development is a member of the TRLT’s leadership team and a key strategist for all fundraising. The person in this position will work closely with the Executive Director to ensure the financial stability and growth of the organization.

Responsibilities:

• Lead, manage, oversee, and evaluate TRLT’s fundraising programs, including major donor, corporate, foundation, membership ($1K and above), planned giving, and other programs to support the annual operational needs of TRLT.
• Identify, research, cultivate, and solicit donors and donor prospects across Three Rivers’ 15-county footprint.
• Build and maintain relationships with donor prospects, donors, Board members, corporate and foundation program officers, business leaders, philanthropists, and others who may be instrumental in the financial well-being and growth of TRLT.
• Develop and implement capital campaigns, endowment campaigns, special fundraising campaigns, online campaigns, special events, and other fundraising activities; and work with Media and Outreach Associates to develop communications and outreach materials that support fundraising programs.
• Lead the Membership and Outreach team (staff of four) to implement the fundraising strategies and achieve the organizations development goals.
• Maintain thorough and up-to-date knowledge of TRLT donors, their giving histories, and priorities; along with philanthropy in the areas of land conservation, community support, natural resource conservation, nature-based programs, land protection, land management and restoration, natural resources, natural resource stewardship, and others.
• Prepare detailed revenue estimates and annual projected expenses for the development program and develop the development budget for each fiscal year. Prepare periodic updates, donor reports, projections, evaluations and recommendations for the Board, the Executive Director, and other staff as needed.
• Research and write grant proposals and produce grant reports to secure operational funding.
• Produce fundraising materials (e.g., solicitation letters, thank you letters, grant proposals, invitations, online fundraising content, progress reports, and other development and informational materials).
• Comply with all federal and state laws, rules and regulations, all professional standards, and best practices related to fund-raising; update and/or create new internal procedures as needed.
• Maintain the donor database, in conjunction with current membership staff, ensuring effective data utilization, records, reports, and donor files.
• Perform other duties that may be assigned.

• Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum of 3 – 5 years of non-profit development experience and demonstrated successes with major gift, corporate, foundation, grassroots, member-based, and online fundraising.
• Willingness to evaluate, adjust, and innovate to produce results. Ability to think strategically and attention to detail. Ability to listen perceptively and communicate effectively with a wide range of people.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven administrative and management skills.
• Strong organizational skills and strong working knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite. This includes the ability to create well-formatted documents in Word, analyze data in Excel, create professional presentations in PowerPoint, and effectively use Outlook for email communications and collaborative calendaring. Adobe Suite experience is preferred.
• Experience with donor database software, preferably Bloomerang.
• Ability to work independently and take initiative while maintaining confidentiality.
• Ability to travel and work on weekends, sometimes extensively, and/or on short notice.
• A strong, authentic interest in nature, conservation, North Carolina’s Piedmont and Sandhills, and outdoor recreation is required.
• Commitment to making the TRLT the best workplace possible, ensuring teamwork and continual growth, and to supporting colleagues in other tasks as needed.

Salary/Benefits

• Status: Full time exempt
• Salary Range: $60,000-$85,000
• Benefits include health, dental, and limited vision coverage.  Paid holidays and other paid time off (PTO).

Three Rivers Land Trust is headquartered in Salisbury with a satellite office located in Southern Pines.  This position would have the ability to work at either location. The atmosphere is collegial and collaborative. Travel is required within TRLT territory. 

The Three Rivers Land Trust has retained Capital Development Services to assist with professional recruitment. Candidates should include a cover letter, a resume, and a list of three references.  All material will be confidential.  Additional inquiries may be directed to Jen Tozier at Capital Development Services, 336-747-0133 x 208.  Application deadline is January 31, 2022.