Organizational Background:
The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) is a nonprofit organization located in Western Connecticut and serving the entire 1,948 square mile tristate Housatonic River Watershed (western Massachusetts, western Connecticut, eastern New York and south to Long Island Sound. HVA has worked for over 75 years to protect and enhance environmental health of the rivers, streams and waters, and surrounding lands, of the Housatonic Watershed. We have diverse programs in collaborative land conservation, water quality and quantity, education and advocacy. HVA’s annual budget is about $1.7 million. To learn more please explore our website (hvatoday.org) or find us on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @hvatoday.
Position title: Director of Development and Major Gifts
Reports to: Executive Director (CEO)
Classification: Full-time, exempt
Desired start: December 2018
Salary & benefits: Salary commensurate with experience. Benefits include health Insurance, retirement savings with company match, and paid time off.
Summary: Put your passion to work for the Housatonic River Watershed!
HVA seeks a dynamic, strategic-thinking, self-starting and articulate individual to serve as its Director of Development to lead its fundraising program, with an emphasis on major giving. The position is part of the senior management team, reports to the ED, and is responsible for creating and executing strategies for major gifts, annual giving, donor stewardship and recognition, planned giving and special campaign (including corporate) initiatives. The Director of Development manages a team including the annual giving and grants manager, communications and marketing director, and part-time auction manager; and works closely and coordinates with the Board of Directors and development committee.
Specific Duties include creating and implementing development goals, plans, strategies and timelines, in consultation with the ED, to meet HVA’s operating, program and sustainability needs with emphasis on:
- Developing and executing an annual major gifts ($2,500 to $100,000) plan including donor acquisition and retention, and prospect research and identification; initiating donor contact and executing donor cultivation/relationship building strategies, solicitation, and stewardship to increase major gift revenue goals annually.
- Leading and supervising the development team and overseeing all development projects and events to ensure that communication and development messaging is consistent, strengthened and mutually supporting.
- Articulating the vision, purpose/mission, goals and core values of the organization
Key Qualifications:
- Demonstrated leadership, organizational, management, training, supervisory and evaluations skills
- Demonstrated success in soliciting and closing major gifts (5-7 years)
- Goal driven, with the initiative, ability and desire to conduct donor visits and calls, track and build donor relationships, develop new and creative methods for reaching key new prospects, and regularly measure and report results to ED and board
- Leadership experience and success with special campaigns (capital, program, endowment)
- Team player with strong interpersonal skills including the proven ability to develop and manage productive relationships with donors, partners, staff, board, and others
- Strong people-centric communication skills (verbal and written)
- Experience using a sophisticated donor management/tracking database; Office suite proficient
Send cover letter and resume to Lynn Werner, Executive Director at lynnhva@hotmail.com.
