Department: Philanthropy
Reports To: Chief Philanthropy Officer
Location: Remote
FLSA Category: Exempt
Posted On: August 30, 2024
Application Deadline: September 27, 2024
Candidates Selected for Interviews Will Be Notified: The week of September 30, 2024

ABOUT US
American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests from cities to wilderness, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water, and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. We envision a world in which the significant environmental, societal, and economic benefits of forests are fully realized and equitably available to all people. Established in 1875, American Forests is the oldest national non-profit conservation organization in the U.S. working to restoring urban forests and forested landscapes for nearly 150 years.

American Forests is proud to be a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplace. These are our shared values. We welcome individuals who bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences to be a part of our team to help make a difference individually and collectively as we work toward achieving our mission. We are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and respectful and provides opportunities for advancement and professional growth for every team member.

POSITION SUMMARY
Charged with managing and optimizing systems and processes to increase fundraising revenue, the Director of Philanthropy Operations has lead responsibility for the oversight, management, and integrity of the donor database, including demographic information, gift records, market analysis and research. This position is also responsible for training relationship managers across the department and ensuring that the database is optimized to support their strategies and steward their donors. Other duties will include designing dashboards, reports, queries, and mailing lists; leading special database projects; developing and documenting fundraising policies and procedures; and ensuring the timely implementation of the gift processing and acknowledgement process. Reporting directly to the Chief Philanthropy Officer, the Director of Philanthropy Operations will supervise the Philanthropy Specialist, serve as the primary Philanthropy liaison with the Finance Department, and manage key consultant relationships, including the caging, CRM (Raiser’s Edge), and other related providers.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
Strategic Planning and Leadership

• Develop and implement strategic plans for fundraising operations, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. This includes overseeing the infrastructure for donor management, data analytics, and gift processing.
• Lead all aspects of philanthropy operations, including donor services, database management, and compliance. Foster a collaborative and efficient work environment.
• Continuously assess and improve operational processes, leveraging technology and best practices to increase efficiency and effectiveness in fundraising operations.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the effectiveness of fundraising operations. Use data-driven insights to inform decision-making and strategy adjustments.

Operations and Process Management

• Oversee the maintenance and optimization of the CRM (Raiser’s Edge) to ensure data integrity, accuracy, and security. This includes managing data entry processes, generating reports, and leveraging data analytics for strategic insights.
• Oversee the integration of various technology systems that support fundraising, including online donation platforms, financial software, and CRM systems. Ensure that these systems are optimized and work seamlessly together.

Financial Management and Compliance

• Monitor and manage the budget for philanthropy operations, ensuring cost-effective use of resources.
• Collaborate with Finance to reconcile gift records, manage grants, and ensure compliance with financial regulations.
• Ensure that all fundraising activities comply with legal, ethical, and regulatory standards, including tax laws, data protection regulations, and donor confidentiality agreements.

Team Collaboration and Stakeholder Management

• Maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders, such as philanthropy, program, marketing and communications teams, finance departments, and external vendors.
• Ensure smooth coordination across departments to support fundraising efforts.
• Prepare reports for the Philanthropy Department, senior leadership and board.

QUALIFICATIONS
While we do not expect any one candidate to possess all of these qualifications, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal skills and qualities:

• 7+ years of relevant experience managing philanthropy operations, ideally remotely
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required; equivalent experience considered in lieu of
• Strategic and systems-level thinking, project management, and a deep understanding of fundraising processes
• Proficiency in CRM software (Raiser’s Edge), entering relevant and sensitive data, data analysis, and attention to detail
• Financial management, budget planning, and understanding of nonprofit accounting principles
• Knowledge of nonprofit law, compliance, and strong reporting skills. Ensures ethical compliance with fundraising best practices, as defined by the Association for Fundraising Professionals
• Process improvement, innovation, and familiarity with the latest technology and tools in nonprofit fundraising
• Communication, relationship management, and the ability to work collaboratively across teams
• Data analysis, KPI management, and results-oriented thinking. Technical proficiency, systems integration, and IT management
• Strategic, hardworking and able to work with a degree of flexibility in a highly collaborative, fast-paced, goal-oriented environment.
• Demonstrated ability to accept and apply feedback
• Computer proficiency with various Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and project management software (ClickUp)
• Self-motivated; able to juggle multiple tasks and deadlines; can perform successfully without regular supervision
• High integrity and commitment to excellence, along with superb organizational skills and keen attention to detail
• Passion and commitment to the mission, vision and culture of American Forests
• A genuine and proven commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and to the principles of community-centric fundraising
• Willingness to work flexible hours

AMERICAN FORESTS’ CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Attitude: Brings a positive outlook to the work and helps inspires others to achieve excellence.
• Communication: Produces strong written documents, edits documents effectively, engages in effective verbal communication—1-on-1 and small group—and conducts effective large group presentations.
• Organization: Prioritizes tasks effectively, accomplishes tasks efficiently, follows through on all commitments, breaks down large projects to make them manageable, and effectively manages complex projects involving multiple actors.
• Problem-Solving & Creativity: Identifies issues, effectively structures problems, analyzes data to produce insights, and generates wise, actionable recommendations. Understands the limited resources available and produces creative solutions.
• Representing the Organization: Serves as an effective ambassador, builds connections, and maintains relationships with outside partners, vendors and donors. Brings credibility to the organization in how they present themselves.

LOCATION & WORKING CONDITIONS
This is a remote position. Up to 5% of travel throughout the U.S. and/or to American Forests’ headquarters in Washington D.C for key stakeholder meetings, events and projects may be required.

Subject to applicable laws, American Forests requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. We will consider requests for accommodation to this vaccination requirement during the recruiting process. Any requested accommodation(s) must be reviewed and approved (if applicable) in advance of your start date.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The individual must be comfortable with prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing at a desk and working on a computer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.

SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS
This position has supervisory requirements.

BENEFITS
American Forests offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental and vision; disability and life insurance; 401(k) retirement plan with a 6% employer match; paid leave including 16 holidays, vacation, sick, parental leave, FMLA, bereavement and military leave; pet benefits and employee assistance programs.

American Forests is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.
Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/LGBTQ+
In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information is also available in languages other than English.