Amazon Watch is a California-based nonprofit organization working to protect the rainforest, advance the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin, and demand corporate accountability to address the climate crisis. Amazon Watch works in partnership and solidarity with Indigenous Peoples across the Amazon as part of the international climate justice movement. Many of our allies across the rainforest are currently facing and resisting climate change-related catastrophes, the onslaught of extreme government regimes, and the expansion of fossil fuels, mining and other extractive industries.
Amazon Watch is seeking a seasoned Director of Philanthropy to lead the organization’s fund development team and multi-year fundraising strategy to help fulfill the organization’s mission. An ideal candidate will embrace, uphold and help advance decolonization in fundraising and philanthropy, ensuring that Indigenous views inform our donor relationship-building and day-to-day fundraising operations.
This position is a match for you if you believe in:
- The transformative power of Indigenous-led activism and solutions to climate change
- Holding accountable financial institutions and governments complicit in the destruction of the rainforest and human rights violations
- The importance of decolonizing philanthropic and fundraising structures to advance real, lasting change
- A team-led approach to meeting shared objectives and goals
- Partnerships free of unhealthy and counterproductive power dynamics are one of the keys to unlocking true social change
- A work environment where staff can be their authentic selves and understand how their leadership contributes to the organization’s mission
Responsibilities:
- Build and manage donor relationships, including an extensive donor pipeline.
- Increase donor recognition, stewardship and retention, and cultivate relationships with new potential supporters.
- Oversee all fundraising initiatives, grow fundraising efforts with a solid strategy and execution plan.
- Manage and personally solicit a group of major gifts donors and coordinate the cultivation of new prospects; develop a strategy around how the organization engages its next level of philanthropic partnerships.
- Create fundraising strategies to wrap around appropriate events, initiatives, and programmatic work; develop strong communications and recognition of donors and prospects to ensure donors know and understand the powerful impact of their giving.
- Lead and over time build out Amazon Watch’s Division of Fundraising and Development, motivating a hybrid team that works in cooperation towards shared goals, but independently.
- Enroll and engage the Amazon Watch Board of Directors in the organization’s Donor Stewardship Program. Equip them to serve as strong ambassadors for the mission.
- Establish annual goals and objectives, and be accountable for ensuring that set goals and objectives are met and create fundraising pivots when needed.
- Support executive staff in all aspects of donor stewardship and solicitation; provide training/coaching as needed.
- Be an exceptional communicator and an articulate, passionate and credible public presence for Amazon Watch and an effective, strong, inspirational and focused leader within the community.
- Uphold, champion and advance Amazon Watch’s commitment to decolonizing fundraising and philanthropy in its day to day operations and its fund development plan.
- Serve as a member of the Amazon Watch Senior Leadership team, providing leadership oversight and support to ensure a healthy workplace for a growing global team.
Qualifications:
- Eight to ten years in development with proven ability to raise significant amounts of funding from individual donors, family and institutional foundations, and business supporters;
- Exceptionally strong leadership and management experience with demonstrated ability to lead productive and vibrant teams, manage multiple priorities and deadlines, and guide decision-making processes;
- Strong organizational skills, excellent multi-tasker and planner;
- Experience preparing budgets and producing reports (financial updates and projections);
- Proficiency with Salesforce and Excel highly desirable;
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
- Spanish or Portuguese proficiency a plus;
- Possess strong cross-cultural awareness and the ability to build strategic alliances that move the work forward;
- Capacity to help the organization and development team mitigate stress and burnout and maximize joyful productivity.
Salary and benefits:
$150,000 – 180,000 (Amazon Watch is on a mission to create an inclusive financial future, with transparency at its core. We consider a wide variety of elements when creating our compensation ranges and total compensation packages.)
The compensation range is specific to San Francisco, CA. Actual starting pay is determined by various factors, including but not limited to: relevant experience, skill set, qualifications, and other business and organizational needs.
Current benefits include:
Full coverage family health care (including vision and dental), voluntary life and AD&D insurance, employee assistance program, generous vacation time, sick time, paid parental leave, paid holidays,12 week paid sabbatical after 5 years, employer-matched retirement plan plus budget for professional development and home office supplies for ergonomic work.
To apply:
Please, no calls. Send résumé, three references, and a cover letter about why you would like to join our team and why you are the best candidate for the job to [email protected]. Please name and save your attachments with your first and last name in the title, such as:
“Ana_Martinez_Cover_Letter.doc” and “Ana_Martinez_Resume.doc.”
Amazon Watch is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, political belief, age, gender, sexual orientation, or class. We strive to build an organization that is inclusive and representative of our partners and the larger world. To that end, we strongly encourage self-identified people of color, people with disabilities, Indigenous, queer and transgender people to apply. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.