Director, Grants & Funder Impact

Position Title:  Director, Grants & Funder Impact

Reports to: Vice President, Development & Engagement

Location: Preference for candidates based in Portland, OR; open to remote work from WA, OR, and CA with monthly travel to SE Portland office.  

Starting Salary: $85,000 - $96,000 → Starting placement will not exceed this starting salary range and is based on qualifications, experience, and internal equity

Full salary range for level 2: $85,000-$129,000

Posting Date: 12/11/24

Application Deadline:  Open until filled, hiring team will begin reviewing applications 1/9/25

Anticipated Start Date: 2/25/25

***Learn more about this position by viewing our Information Session on January 6, 2025. Scroll to bottom of job posting for details.***

Overview 

Who we are 

Ecotrust creates and accelerates triple-bottom-line innovations to benefit our region and inspire the world. On the farm, at the coast, in the forest, and across our cities, we work in partnership towards an equitable, prosperous, climate-smart future. Since 1991, we have created durable change and sparked ideas across the globe. Ecotrust holds a deep commitment to equity and diversity as core principles integral to the work we do. As we add new members across all levels of the organization, we seek diverse perspectives and lived experiences that we believe foster learning, creativity, innovation, and equity. Learn more at Ecotrust.org. 

Job summary 

The Director, Grants & Funder Impact designs the systems and strategy for institutional funder and grant management at Ecotrust, and manages grants deliverables and funder development activities through coordination with executive leadership, development, program, and finance teams. Ecotrust is at an exciting time of evolution and this role is someone who is adept at leveraging strengths and designing new processes based on opportunity. The Director directly engages with and provides strategic support for private foundation and government grant identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. They work collaboratively to facilitate funding partnership opportunities in alignment with Ecotrust’s mission, values, and strategic plan. They play a key role on the Development Team, and are an active contributor to strategies and policies, and they also manage, mentor, and support the career development of the Grants Coordinator and 1-3 additional staff. 

Who you are

You are a leader with a track-record of independently and collaboratively managing nonprofit funder engagement, and have the knowledge and confidence to win major private and government grants and to provide feedback and guidance to colleagues to support fundraising efforts. You have experience creating fundraising strategies and systems, and building internal and external relationships that advance social equity, economic opportunity, and environmental well-being. You enjoy collaborative processes, are an adept facilitator and delegator, and have proven experience as a manager and mentor. You have the utmost integrity, and the ability to nurture a culture of transparency and belonging. You are proactive, analytical, curious, creative, and solutions-oriented. You have a commitment to and passion for Ecotrust’s mission and are eager to use your experience and influence to build a robust grants program and funder community.

Primary Responsibilities 

(The activities listed below represent the core functions of this position.)

• Develop and manage grants process and systems

Manage grant deliverable systems, processes and policies (in coordination with development, program, and finance teams) including clarifying workflows and roles, and ensuring key data points for grant deliverables are consistently tracked and outcomes are evaluated and reported on quarterly.

Develop, monitor, and articulate the value of grants-related fundraising strategies, and integrate the wisdom of colleagues and practitioners to test, improve, and expand fundraising successes.

Identify and address issues that have significant impacts on the success of grants-based fundraising strategies. Proactively work as a strategic partner to identify solutions, address challenges, and pursue opportunities. 

• Contribute to the creation of compelling grant deliverables 

Lead and support proposal content creation, and manage the editing, finalization, and submission of proposals and reports.

Oversee the recruitment, onboarding, management, and offboarding of contract grant writers, when appropriate.

Creatively engage with colleagues to understand the resourcing needs for our programmatic work, align and focus on fundraising priorities, and identify and develop funding proposals.

Maintain landscape knowledge of funder audiences, track on lessons learned, and share emerging opportunities to inform prospecting strategies and fundraising efforts.
 

• Coordinate engagement with funding partners to raise an average of $3M+ in annual support for Ecotrust programming.

Support the development of funding partnerships, and work closely with the VP of Development & Engagement, Executive Director, program leaders, and Development Team to design strategy and implement cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities. 

Coordinate regular engagement with funding partners, including the development of outreach strategies, facilitating meeting preparation and debriefs, and advising on and participating in personalized funder cultivation and stewardship activities.

Understand and represent funder priorities and guidelines with program colleagues, and proactively provide feedback and guidance on proposal scope and funding guidelines.

Employ community-centric and partner-centric fundraising approaches to strategies and activities.

Build and maintain a robust pipeline of funding prospects based on program priorities and budget needs.

Support general fundraising communications, events, special projects, and campaigns as assigned.

• Supervise and mentor staff 

Directly manage 1-4 staff at the associate, coordinator, and/or manager levels.

Provide guidance and accountability for direct reports’ workplans. Conduct annual performance evaluations and regular check-ins to monitor and track on direct reports’ goals, and ensure essential supports are provided for their success.

Serve as a mentor and coach, providing support and feedback to help the direct reports meet core objectives, experiment, adapt, learn, maintain balance, and develop professionally

Support direct reports’ career development, and help them in identifying their strengths and interests to co-create growth opportunities, including training and other relevant resources.

• Engage in our organization-wide goals to be an anti-racist organization and maintain a culture of belonging, power-sharing, collaboration, transparency, and accountability.  Strive for racially equitable processes and outcomes. 

Responsibilities and tasks outlined in this document are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the organization or employee.

Key Qualifications and Transferable Skills

Transferable skills may be gained through education, work experience (including the military) or life experience that are relevant for this position. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for positions where they do not meet 100% of the listed skills and qualifications. Even if you do not meet all of the requirements described, if you believe you are a good fit for the position, we encourage you to apply. A candidate will be assessed on their ability to successfully fulfill or quickly learn these functions.

• Authentic commitment to Ecotrust’s mission to inspire fresh thinking that creates economic opportunity, social equity, and environmental well-being. Demonstrated experience advancing racial equity and addressing climate change. 
• 8+ years of development experience with a record of success in independently and collaboratively managing foundation and government grant identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• 3+ years managing direct reports, leading with empathy and collaboration. Demonstrated ability to manage with a racial equity and social justice lens.
• Experience integrating equity and inclusion practices into strategic planning and project management.
• Fluency in cultural constructions, awareness of social inequality, and demonstrated knowledge about the relationship between fundraising practices, inequality, and their impacts on communities of color.
• Demonstrated initiative and achievement with annual revenue goals of $1,000,000+.
• Shown skill with database applications (Raiser’s Edge and/or Instrumentl a plus), Microsoft Office suite, Google Suite, and digital project management tools.
• Experience collaborating and building generative partnerships with staff and board leadership.
• Proactive and solutions oriented, with the ability to anticipate and identify gaps in information, prioritize and meet competing deadlines, and take action to find solutions. 

Other Useful Qualifications:

The items listed below represent qualifications that are desirable in a candidate, but are not required.  Some of these may be gained through professional development and coaching once in the role.

• Proven success in identifying, developing, submitting, and overseeing government grants, particularly complex USDA and/or EPA grants.
• Familiarity with Ecotrust programming and our communities of partners (programmatic, philanthropic, etc).
• Experience with virtual collaboration tools that build transparency and foster collaboration, including Asana, Slack, and Zoom.
• Experience with large, collaborative grant proposals (cross-team, and with external partners).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This is a full-time, exempt position.

Please be aware that applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

We believe great benefits make work better: Ecotrust offers equity-centered benefits that strive to recognize employees as whole people and prioritize their overall wellbeing. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance with employee contributions scaled to income, tax-deferred and Roth retirement plans with employer base contributions, term life insurance, and disability coverage. Ecotrust invests in employees' professional development and personal growth. We also offer plentiful paid time off, retreats, and summer fun days.

At the discretion of Ecotrust, relocation expenses may be reimbursed to the selected candidate.

Working conditions: 

• Occasional travel and evening work to attend site visits, events, or other external engagements. 
• At least quarterly travel to Ecotrust office in SE Portland. 
• Long periods of time spent at a computer.
• Engage in regular communication through electronic channels and in person.
• Flexible hybrid schedule available: remote (from home or suitable work space) and/or in-office in SE Portland (open cubicles). 

Ecotrust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a diverse staff of qualified, highly-skilled, and creative individuals is necessary to achieve the vision and mission of the organization. Individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, or other People of Color, people who are queer, trans, non-binary, people with disabilities, people who are immigrants, veterans, people from poor and working class backgrounds, and people who are/have been system-impacted are strongly encouraged to apply.

Click here to learn more about equity at Ecotrust. 

Accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act: We gladly provide reasonable accommodation to anyone whose specific disability prevents them from completing an application or participating in this recruitment process.  Please reach out to [email protected]  in advance to request assistance. 

How to Apply:  Apply here and submit a cover letter. Your cover letter should clearly explain your commitment to Ecotrust’s mission and how you meet or exceed the key qualifications for this position. Please limit your cover letter to 1-page maximum.

The Selection Process: In an effort to be as transparent as possible in our selection process as well as to help expedite bringing new staff on board, below is a tentative timeline of key events:

• Review of Resumes: January 9-15
• First Round Interviews: January 20 - 24
• Second Round Interviews: January 27 - Jan 31
• Reference checks: February 5 - 9
• Extend offer: February 7 - 11

While we will proactively communicate these dates and any changes to you throughout the process, please consider placing tentative holds on your calendars for the initial screening and face-to-face interviews.

Learn more about this position by attending an Information Session: Ecotrust is hosting an informational webinar about this position. You can call in to listen and ask questions.

• Date: January 6th, 12 - 12:45 PT
• Click this link to join by computer audio/video:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87552046788
• Webinar ID: 875 5204 6788
• Dial this number to join by phone and enter the meeting ID: +12532050468

We will record the session and post the recording to the job posting shortly afterwards.

To mitigate privileged access to information about the position, our policy is that hiring team members may not meet with candidates who are considering applying for that role. Instead, we offer the information session as a way to equalize access to information about the role for all candidates.