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If you're an entrepreneurial-minded builder who loves to work with great people to solve wicked problems that have a meaningful impact, read on to see if this position might be a good fit for you!
WHO WE ARE
Outdoor Afro celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. Our network also connects Black people with our lands, water, and wildlife through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Examples of Outdoor Afro’s year-round activities range from fishing, hiking, biking, kayaking, gardening, skiing and more! Visit: to learn more.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Strategic Development & Partnerships Director oversees the strategy and operational excellence of Outdoor Afro’s partnerships and development efforts. In addition to driving revenue generation and partnership opportunities, the role emphasizes building strong departmental processes, managing donor relations technology, streamlining grant administration, and ensuring alignment between development operations and organizational goals development goals of the organization.
Who You Are
You're a seasoned mentor, having guided your teams to excellence and ensuring they reach their full potential.
Entrepreneurial at heart, you're adept at shaping policies and strategies from the ground up while thriving in dynamic environments.
A strategic partnership aficionado, you blend process efficiency with genuine relationship-building, understanding the twin pillars of successful fundraising.
Your personal outdoor experiences align with our mission, emphasizing the importance of Black connections with nature and advocating for equitable access.
Data-driven, you see the overarching picture, and value analytics just as much as interpersonal connections in driving development success.
An operations enthusiast, you're always seeking ways to refine processes and heighten efficiency.
Trust is your watchword, and you cherish every relationship – from major donors to volunteers, understanding the intricate value of each.
Passionate about technology, you harness donor management tools to streamline operations and extract meaningful insights.
An empathetic leader, you motivate with understanding and collaboration, fostering an environment where every voice matters.
Adaptable and proactive, you revel in change, always ready to evolve for the organization's betterment.
Ever-curious, you're consistently exploring new trends, tools, and strategies in nonprofit operations and fundraising.
Fundraising and External Relationship Development
Collaborate closely with the CEO and Executive Director to shape and continuously refine long-term fundraising strategies, ensuring they align with the organization's overarching goals and set the groundwork for sustained funding sources.
Dive deep into the nuances of the fundraising process, leveraging data analytics and internal feedback to identify areas for improvement, and ensuring continuous enhancement of departmental operations.
Progressively take on a pivotal role in donor relationship management, eventually becoming the primary lead, allowing the organization's Founder to focus on high-level strategic endeavors and broad organizational vision.
Foster and nurture existing funder relationships, using advanced donor management tools to ensure consistent, impactful interactions and expanded recurring revenue streams.
Draw from data insights within donor relation platforms to discern vital trends, uncover fresh opportunities, and effectively guide and support donor engagements.
Oversee grant compliance and reporting, while coordinating with internal team members to ensure that grant utilization aligns seamlessly with available operational resources and organizational goals.
Lead the planning and execution of fundraising events, ensuring that event logistics harmoniously integrate with development objectives, while also ensuring that fundraising initiatives benefit from the most effective operational strategies and tools available.
Development Operations
Strengthen and optimize the business development department operations, processes, procedures, and infrastructure.
Oversee the implementation and management of donor relations software (e.g., Salesforce) to enhance donor engagement and improve data insights.
Evaluate and recommend technologies, tools, and platforms that can streamline development and fundraising operations.
Develop or refine development policies and procedures to ensure best practices. Create and continually refine fundraising SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the development department.
Collaborate with the CEO and senior management on financial planning, budgeting, cash flow, and other operational matters.
Coordinate closely with other departments to ensure seamless alignment of strategies and initiatives.
Partner with the program team to integrate fundraising initiatives with organizational programs and events - serving as the primary partner owner for the organization.
Manage regular reporting on partner needs, and deliverables; elevate issues to the Executive Team.
Serve as the primary Outdoor Afro representative and point of contact for partners, donors and the internal team driving all communications and follow-up items - sharing widely with the team as necessary.
Work with other departments to ensure that fundraising strategies are synchronized with organizational capabilities, resources, and timelines.
Oversee the day to day operational management of the Outdoor Afro’s partner relationships, ensuring donor and partner retention annually.
Develop strong relationships with corporate partner representatives.
Apply a customer centric approach to strategically approach partnership goals, ensuring alignment with Outdoor Afro’s mission.
Serve as an internal partner representative for the larger Outdoor Afro team to identify partner needs, deliverables and regular communications
Escalate potential conflicts of interest or issues to the Outdoor Afro Executive Team in a timely fashion as needed.
Leadership & Strategy
Participate in, and plan strategy meetings with the CEO and executive management team regarding exigent communications, partnerships, and large events.
Supervise fund development staff and consultants; develop individual goals, provide ongoing feedback, one-on-one meetings and conduct performance assessments
Actively participate in and provide leadership for strategic plan implementation in collaboration with the CEO and key staff. Coach staff as they implement strategic initiatives pertaining to fund development and partnership strategies.
Maintain continuous lines of communication within the Outdoor Afro HQ staff; identify and implement solutions to key issues; keep the CEO informed of critical issues and identify solutions.
Provide organizational leadership, insight, and expertise to the CEO and senior management on financial planning, budgeting, cash flow and other policy matters.
Provide leadership to the Board of Directors and relevant committees to communicate critical fund development matters. Write reports, including quarterly reports to the Board of Directors and its various operating committees.
Skills & Experience
Bachelor's Degree in a related field such as Nonprofit Management, Business Administration, Marketing, Public Relations, or another relevant area.
Master's Degree (Preferred but not mandatory): Advanced degrees like an MBA, Master's in Nonprofit Management, or a related discipline a plus.
8-10 years in fund and/or business development roles, w/ significant portion of time spent in leadership or managerial positions. Candidates with corporate sales, account management and corporate partnership development are encouraged to apply.
Demonstrated experience optimizing development department operations, including refining processes, implementing new technologies, and managing donor relations software.
Proven track record of successful fundraising, including cultivating and maintaining relationships, securing major gifts, planning fundraising events, and grant writing.
Demonstrated experience managing projects and tracking key performance indicators; experience using project management software such as Asana.
Advanced skills in the G-Suite and/or MS Office. Experience managing donor relations software (CRM), Salesforce, or similar software is required.
Core Competencies
Leadership & Strategic Vision: Guides, inspires, & develops teams to align with departmental and organizational objectives. Envisions short and long-term fundraising goals in harmony with organization's mission.
Operational & Data Mastery: Understands how to streamline business processes for efficiency and effectiveness while harnessing insights from donor relations software to inform strategies.
Partnership & Relationship Building: Excels in building & maintaining strong ties with diverse stakeholders, from corporate partners to community organizations. Understands nonprofit and corporate dynamics, and bridges communication gaps effectively.
Technical Proficiency & Grant Management: Familiar with tools like Salesforce and the intricacies of grant sourcing, application, compliance, and reporting.
Budget Oversight & Project Management: Plans & manages budgets for organizational growth and adeptly oversees multiple projects for timely completion.
Communication & Collaborative Mindset: Clearly articulates ideas & strategies to all stakeholders and works closely with other departments, aligning fundraising with broader strategies.
Problem-Solving & Adaptability: Identifies challenges & devises solutions in evolving environments, and pivots strategies responsively to changes.
Ethical Standards & Continuous Learning: Upholds professionalism, ethics, & confidentiality while staying updated on best practices in philanthropy and nonprofit management.
About Zero21
As recruiters helping to build the next generation of industry disruptors, we are committed to expanding the startup ecosystem so that exceptional talent from diverse communities can gain greater access to more early stage companies.
We work only with equal opportunity employers who welcome candidates from underrepresented, underestimated, and traditionally overlooked communities to further diversity, equity, and inclusion in the next cohort of industry-disrupting unicorns.
To all recruitment agencies: Zero21 does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias or our team members. Zero21 is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.