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, Juneau, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Chicago, Tallahassee, Honolulu, New York, Philadelphia, Denver, Seattle, Bozeman, Miami, and Washington, D.C.

The Foundation Relations Development Officer is an integral part of a currently 14-person foundation relations team, which raises approximately one-quarter of Earthjustice’s contributed revenue. The team has grown and evolved tremendously in the last 5 years and is now in a new phase of growth, organized by functional expertise. The fundraisers on the team are supported by a writing team as well as a systems and operations team. The Foundation Relations Officer is an externally facing role focused on raising grant support for Earthjustice — managing a portfolio of current foundation donors and prospects. Outside of the team, this role works closely with the president, vice presidents of litigation, attorneys, communications staff, and the entire development team to develop and implement effective strategies for meeting revenue goals.

Earthjustice is transitioning to a hybrid model of working and we are currently determining office space and occupancy models. Due to the externally-facing nature of this role, strong preference will be given to candidates in close proximity to the San Francisco, New York City, Washington D.C., and Chicago markets. The actual number of days in the office will depend on a variety of factors.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Foundation Solicitation and Relationship Development: 65% (writing 10%; research/prospecting 10%; foundation relationship building/stewardship/solicitation 45%)

• Manage portfolio of foundation grants, targeting raising a minimum of $2-$4 million annually toward team’s cash goal.
• Develop and cultivate an active list of prospects and funder connections to pursue new or expanded solicitations each fiscal year.
• Collaborate with colleagues to ensure priority funders are cultivated and team maintains robust engagement with philanthropic sector.
• Ensure growth of donor base 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.
• Serve as a resource to foundation staff seeking information about Earthjustice, about the environmental community, or about environmental issues more broadly.
• Work with Earthjustice’s writing team and program staff to develop and submit the highest quality letters of inquiry, grant proposals, and reports to foundations.
• Ensure timely gift acknowledgement and foundation deadlines for grant deliverables are met.
• Adhere to Foundations team’s data entry protocols to ensure accurate revenue tracking and data hygiene.
• 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.
• 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 associate.

Program and Organization Knowledge and Communication: 15%

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: 5%

• In coordination with program and finance staff and occasionally with external partners, assist with the development of budgets and financial reports.
• Coordinating 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: 15%

• 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 writing for the Development Department.
• Maintain current records to track foundation relations with each funder.
• In partnership with the Foundations Systems team, ensure interactions with foundations are tracked in our relational database.
• Attend departmental and organizational retreats for shared planning, team building, and professional development.
• Represent Development Department in legal practice groups.
• This position requires occasional travel.
• Occasional evening and weekend work may be required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Advancing Earthjustice’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals: Ongoing

• Proactively pursue and utilize 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.
• Participate in internal committees and working groups to further institutional priorities and build an inclusive and equitable work environment that encourages and celebrates differences.
• Ensure 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.
• Elevate and build 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.