Foundations Officer II

Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We take on the biggest, most precedent-setting cases across the country. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health; to preserve magnificent places and wildlife; to advance clean energy; and to combat climate change. We partner with thousands of groups, supporters, individuals and communities to engage the critical environmental issues of our time and bring about positive change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.  Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Bozeman, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Juneau, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.  The Foundations Relations team is seeking to hire a Foundations Officer II. The Foundations Officer II is an integral part of a currently 9-person foundation relations team, which raises approximately one-quarter of Earthjustice’s contributed revenue annually. The team has evolved tremendously in the last 5 years and is now in a new phase of growth on track with Earthjustice’s growing size and scope.  The fundraisers on the team are supported by a team of writers and systems and operations personnel situated in other development teams The Foundation Officer II is an externally-facing role focused on raising grant support for Earthjustice - managing a portfolio of current foundation donors and prospects. The Officer II will take a more entrepreneurial approach both within and outside Earthjustice and the team, leveraging relationships to further enhance Earthjustice’s presence and supporter base among institutional donors. The role reports to a Senior Foundations Officer on the Team. The role will excel at collaboration, working closely with attorneys, communications and policy staff, and the entire development department to develop and implement effective strategies for meeting revenue goals. The Officer II will also work closely with the president, vice presidents of litigation, and senior vice president of development with the guidance of the team leadership.   The Foundations Officer II can work hybrid or remote (within easy commutable distance) from the following locations: San Francisco, CA, Chicago, IL, New York, New York, or Washington, D.C.    Responsibilities Foundation Solicitation, Relationship Development, and Grants Management: 50% 

• Manages portfolio of mid to high six figures and low seven figure foundation grants, targeting a minimum of $2 - $4 million annually toward the team’s cash goal. 
• Implement custom stewardship of current donors. 
• Leverage relationships with current foundations to identify new potential sources of funding.     
• Based on targets set annually by the team, and working with prospect management team, ensure growth of donor base and giving by identifying, researching, and cultivating potential sources of foundation support.   
• Maintain active engagement with funders across the philanthropic sector by monitoring trends, attending conferences, and regularly reaching out to contacts.
• Research foundation guidelines and giving histories and talk to informed allies to determine best approach for Earthjustice solicitations. Monitor program developments at relevant foundations. 
• Collaborate with colleagues, including senior leadership to ensure priority funders are cultivated and the Foundations team maintains robust engagement with philanthropic sector. 
• Identify and develop opportunities for personal communication between foundation contacts and Earthjustice staff and trustees, such as personal meetings, invitations to events, and program update briefings. 
• Serve as a resource to foundation staff seeking information about Earthjustice, about the environmental movement, and about environmental issues more broadly.
• Work semi-autonomously with Earthjustice’s writing team and program staff to develop and submit the highest quality letters of inquiry, grant proposals, and reports to foundations. 
• Engage foundations and other informed allies in discussions about program direction and gap analysis.   
• Ensure timely gift acknowledgements.   
• Monitor, communicate, and meet grant proposal and reporting deadlines and other deliverables in coordination with internal teams as necessary.   
• Write briefing memos and prepare the president, senior leadership, and attorneys for foundation meetings; and participate in such meetings as appropriate.
• Manage travel and other logistics for funder meetings, in collaboration with foundations coordinator.

Program and Organization Knowledge and Communication: 25% 

• Follow issues related to Earthjustice litigation and remain conversant in the work of assigned Earthjustice programs. This includes reading all relevant New Matter Forms, board books, news and communications generated by Earthjustice, and news from external sources, such as E&E Publishing and Greenwire.
• Develop a working knowledge of Earthjustice’s current and past accomplishments and current programs and budgets. 
• Develop strong relationships with key program staff and leadership to maintain timely updates on program changes and to support cultivation and stewardship with funders.
• Monitor and track foundation commitments or deliverables and communicate these expectations with program staff. Maintain regular communication with program staff on grants management.
• Attend program team meetings as necessary. 

Budget Creation and Financial Reporting: 15% 

• In coordination with program and finance staff, and occasionally with external partners, assist with the development of budgets and financial reports. 
• In coordination with litigation operations and finance staff, maintain working knowledge of relevant cases to inform budget construction and financial reporting. 
• Keep program staff abreast of grant-related budget commitments. 

General Responsibilities: 10%  

• Participate in the preparation of foundation revenue estimates for the annual budget.
• Develop and implement an individual work plan to meet revenue goals.
• Periodically provide revenue re-projections based on actual year-to-date performance.
• Collaborate with development staff on donor cultivation activities, site visits, solicitations, and special events. 
• Serve as a resource for program knowledge for the Development Department.
• Adhere to Foundations team’s data entry protocols to ensure accurate revenue and relationship tracking and data hygiene.   
• Attend departmental and organizational retreats for shared planning, team building, and professional development.
• Represent Development Department in legal practice groups.
• Advance Earthjustice’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals by: 
• Proactively pursuing and utilizing internal and external resources to support a personal and professional development journey that increases awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations. 
• Participating in internal committees and working groups to further institutional priorities and build an inclusive and equitable work environment that encourages and celebrates differences. 
• Ensuring the incorporation of inclusive practices in all duties and responsibilities, on a consistent and ongoing basis, including but not limited to verbal and written interactions with constituents and Earthjustice staff. 
• Elevating and building capacity of partner organizations by supporting them in their organizational journeys, elevating their work with Foundations as appropriate and assisting them in securing access to philanthropic resources.
• Other duties as assigned. 
• This position requires occasional travel.
• Occasional evening and weekend work may be required.

Qualifications  

• Bachelor’s degree required.   
• 6+ years of successful experience in foundation fundraising. 
• 3+ years of experience managing complex funder relationships and cultivating high-capacity funders.
• Knowledge of foundations that emphasize environmental giving preferred.
• Experience managing $300k and above grants and building expansive funding partnerships.
• Entrepreneurial approach to fundraising, bringing creativity, persistence, and willingness to leverage connections to open doors at foundations.
• Experience working with senior organizational leadership.
• Background in law, policy, and/or the environment preferred.
• Excellent creative writing skills, including the ability to craft persuasive and successful grant proposals, reports, and other materials. Ability to synthesize complex material, to translate it into readable and engaging prose, and to communicate it clearly and succinctly to various stakeholders.
• Excellent relationship-building skills.
• Outstanding verbal and interpersonal communication skills. 
• Ability to build and interpret a program budget and financial reports.
• Extraordinary attention to detail.
• High level of intellectual curiosity and a learning mindset.
• Outstanding commitment to producing high quality work products.
• Ability to prioritize and to manage work independently; ability to perform effectively and with minimal supervision under pressure of multiple deadlines.
• Keen ability to troubleshoot complicated projects to their completion.
• Ability to adapt and take initiative when challenges arise and creatively solve problems.
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with a wide range of people, including the public, foundation staff, and in-house staff.
• Ability to work constructively as a member of a team; bring and foster a collaborative spirit.
• Interest in environmental protection and public health issues.
• Ability to use relational database systems.
• Welcomes feedback from supervisors, peers, and other partners.
• An awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations. 
• Commitment to helping create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences. 
• This position requires travel for donor events, meetings, and team retreats. 

We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits that are comprehensive and competitive.   Salary is dependent on experience, and location.   Salary in San Francisco, CA and New York, NY: $120,100 - $133,400  Salary in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, IL: $114,100 - $126,800   To Apply:    Interested candidates should submit the following online via the Jobvite system by March 2nd, 2025, to be considered:   

• Resume 
• Cover letter addressing: 
  • Your interest in, and qualifications for the position
  • Why you are drawn to Earthjustice’s mission.
• Additional Documents (select "Add Files" in Jobvite): Writing Sample - 1-2 page excerpt of your own writing demonstrating a fundraising request or appeal to a foundation or other relevant audience.   

Please reach out to jobs@earthjustice.org if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application. No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies. Earthjustice only accepts resumes submitted for positions that are currently open. Unsolicited resumes, or resumes for posted positions that are not submitted via the online application process (where available), will not be reviewed or retained.       Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are given equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.  For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.  
For positions located within the City of Los Angeles: We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

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