The Associate Vice President of Institutional, Legacy and Major Giving (“AVP of ILMG”) reports to the Vice President of Development and is responsible for the day-to-day management of four Development subteams, including Major Gifts; Planned Gifts; Foundation Relations; and Donor Marketing and Engagement (together “Development Giving”). This includes providing department-level leadership in the development and implementation of the Development Department’s fundraising efforts, advancing a long-term strategy for fundraising growth, and ensuring that staff on each subteam are successful, ethical and effective.

The AVP of ILMG proactively identifies opportunities to enhance and improve the fundraising of the Development Department, including essential giving strategies, and works in collaboration with the Senior Vice President of Development, Vice President of Development, and Development Leadership Team (“DLT”) to set strategic direction for the Department. The AVP of ILMG is responsible for overall strategic leadership, alongside the Director-level leads of the major gift, institutional and legacy giving programs, securing over $90 million annually from individuals and foundations. Earthjustice is half-way through an $825 million, five-year fundraising campaign of which $340M will come from major donors, $160M from institutional donors, and $48M from planned gifts in outright funding and $150M+ in revealed bequest intentions.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Management (50%)

• Oversees the day-to-day operation of the giving program, ensuring that each subteam is developing and executing on increasingly sophisticated and effective fundraising strategies.
• Supervises the Director-level leaders of four teams: Major Gifts; Planned Gifts; Foundation Relations; and Donor Marketing and Engagement, working with each to ensure a professionally challenging and personally enjoyable workplace for them and their staff.
• Prepares and conducts performance reviews for direct reports.
• In collaboration with Human Resources and the Vice President of Development, recommends and makes salary, hiring and termination decisions for department.
• Establishes performance standards and priorities for subteams and staff.
• In collaboration with Human Resources and other teams across the organization, develops and ensures department staff have training and professional development opportunities.
• Prepares and submits annual budgets and work plans for subteams, manage the implementation of those budgets and work plans and ensures the staff’s best effort to meet those targets.
• Develops strong, cooperative relationships between the Development department and other units, ensuring mutual understanding of shared goals and objectives and thoughtful decision making on funding opportunities.
• Responsible for ensuring all fundraising meets the highest ethical standards, including appropriate and effective stewardship of donor contributions and building of donors’ satisfaction with and commitment to Earthjustice.
• Ensures that donor restrictions are communicated and honored in our budgeting and that we have appropriate systems in place to spend donations for the purposes that they were committed and to report back to donors on the use of their funds.
• Recruits and hires qualified candidates who fit position requirements and the work environment.
• Promotes change in terms of the expected benefits, as well as removing or lowering the impact of potential obstacles.
• Sets clear team direction that aligns with Earthjustice strategy, mission, and vision.
• Develops staff by identifying and encouraging training and professional development opportunities appropriate to role and creating development plans for all staff.
• Provides staff with consistent performance feedback – both positive and constructive — and acts as a coach and mentor.
• Creates a learning culture, by encouraging debriefing after completion of significant stages of projects.
• Ensures that any direct reports who have supervisory responsibility are properly executing those functions.
• Creates a respectful and inclusive work environment for team and models respectful and inclusive behavior.
• Promptly addresses micro-aggressions and other concerns brought to their attention.
• Resolves interpersonal conflict among team members and brings in outside facilitators as needed.
• Communicates regularly with existing employees and encourages staff to raise concerns and to provide ongoing feedback.
• Creates or identifies strategic opportunities for team building and individual and overall staff engagement with one another in order to strengthen teamwork, interaction and collaboration.
• Values and uses individual differences and talents to improve employee satisfaction and the quality of collective work.
• Celebrates successes and helps team members to understand and manage setbacks.

Strategic Leadership (25%)

• Collaborates with the Senior Vice President of Development, Vice President of Development and DLT to lead the exploration, development, evaluation and implementation of long-term fundraising strategic plans.
• Collaborates with the Senior Vice President of Development, Vice President of Development, and DLT to create metrics and reports for the Board of Trustees, Development Committee and Finance Committee to highlight progress and areas of growth for the Development Department.
• Leads constant effort to improve the Earthjustice fundraising program, including adopting creative and innovative approaches to donor stewardship and engagement, and a drive for continuously improving fundraising efficiency.
• Leads efforts in broadening donor pools for expanding donors supporting the organization through generating leads for donor qualification.
• Collaborates with the VP of Development and DLT to determine logistics and agendas for annual retreats for the Development Department, and quarterly retreats for DLT.
• Attends Earthjustice Board Meetings and Development and Marketing Committee meetings.
• Maintains professional relationships with counterparts in other non-profit organizations, and keeps abreast of latest developments in fundraising rules and regulations, best practices and demographic changes.

Direct Fundraising (25%)

• Key responsibility for ensuring that Earthjustice employs effective strategies for raising significant revenues from Earthjustice donors, board members and institutions, including maintaining a highly donor centric approach.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Direct Reports
• Senior Director of Major Gifts
• Senior Director of Planned Gifts
• Senior Director of Foundation Relations
• Senior Director of Donor Marketing and Engagement