About Earth Refuge:
It is estimated that rising temperatures could exacerbate existing migration flows and generate up to 1 billion climate migrants by 2050. Earth Refuge is a legal resource hub & educational platform that seeks to mitigate the legal vacuum and confront this crisis, bringing together the voices of those directly affected and those with the means to help.
Our aims are to analyse the state of the law in the climate migration field, in particular through the comparison of alternatives, to monitor regional operations of legislative, judicial and executive branches, to comment on draft legislation and strategic documents, to play a role in the consultation of legislation and to participate in advisory boards, committees or other structures in government.
Ultimately, our goals are to inform and educate on the consequences of climate change, to secure legal protection and assistance for climate migrants and to advocate on behalf of those affected on the ground.
Job Summary:
Earth Refuge is seeking an experienced, mission-driven and dynamic professional to fill the role of Director of Development. The Director will lead the Development division of Earth Refuge, guiding our fundraising strategy, team and activities. Working closely with the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Development will play a key role in ensuring the organization is well-equipped to carry out its key research and programming activities, as well as its operations and meaningful growth by setting fundraising goals in line with a cross-organizational, working budget. They will provide strategic leadership for the planning, implementation, evaluation, administration and continuous improvement of Earth Refuge’s multi-faceted fundraising program. At the core of the Director’s role will be to set an operative road-map for determining and engaging with key funding streams, including but not limited to bilateral funders; businesses and corporate support; philanthropic and charitable organizations; grants; sponsorships and investments; individual giving and memberships; and, government and international agencies among other relevant funders. The Director will take steps to continuously diversify Earth Refuge funding streams and donor relations and will guide the Development team to act in furtherance of cross-organizational strategic goals and priorities.
Reports to:
The Director of Development reports to the Managing Director of Development and the Co-Executive Directors of Earth Refuge. They will oversee the Development team, including the Donor Relations Manager, Funding Resource Coordinators, Grant Writers and Finance Officers among others as our team grows. The Director will also work closely with the Chief Financial Officer.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Financial Management
- Establishes and implements a cross-organizational fundraising strategy in order to set clear and strategic priorities, forecast and advise on areas for operational growth and the scaling up of research/programs outputs and to reach fundraising goals
- Develops a fundraising strategy that includes multi-year, unrestricted grants which can be leveraged for capacity development, human resources / staff compensation
- Works closely with the CFO to develop and implement Earth Refuge’s annual financial plan, identifying funding gaps and developing strategies to respond to them
- Works closely with the CFO and the Executive team to develop an annual budget for Earth Refuge which accurately reflects the financial condition of the organization across all divisions
- Sets standards and procedures for tracking, monitoring and evaluating fundraising targets, producing regular reporting and recommendations
- Sets top-level agendas for funding resource compilation and coordination, as well as plans for outreach to donors, providing approval on materials developed and procedures for engagement
- Oversees grant seeking, including providing approvals for funding opportunities sought, research and proposal writing and/or other elements of funding applications in order to ensure funding applications are in line with reporting requirements as well as Earth Refuge’s mission and overall objectives
- Cultivates with fiscal management that anticipates organizational growth and is carried out responsibility within the approved budget
- Ensures maximum resource utilization and maintenance of the organization in a positive financial position
- Supports the CFO in developing and implementing a mechanism for forecasting Earth Refuge’s financial position and provides realistic insight into fundraising prospects for meeting key strategic goals
- Oversees the development of a database of funding resources relevant to Earth Refuge’s substantive work and operations as well as the planning of and resources necessary to pursue such opportunities
- Develops Cases for Support and other related introductory materials which encapsulate Earth Refuge’s key programs, objectives and accomplishments and can be used when soliciting funds across streams respectively
Donor Relations
- Provides the highest level of advice to the Executive team on prospective streams of funding and means of engaging with them
- Develops relationships with prospective donors to increase funding opportunities and solicits contributions from major donors, stewarding long-term, evolving relationships
- Sets procedures for development team members to connect and engage with funders
- Oversees that invitations from philanthropic organizations, foundations, corporations, and other funders to submit RFPs, attend informational sessions and networking events, etc, are obtained
- Maintains awareness of philanthropic trends and ensures the Development team is well-informed of trends which may impact their work
- Oversees the setup and utilization of CRM donor management software
Operations Management
- Leads the fundraising team of the Development division
- Supports the growth of Development team and delegates activities appropriately to ensure strong internal communication and coordination amongst team members
- Ensures all volunteer and staff members receive appropriate training and are granted with opportunities to further their professional development
- Ensures the execution of key action items of the Development team and continuously takes steps to strengthen Earth Refuge’s fundraising program and bandwidth
- Furnishes the Executive team with regular progress reports and key fundraising priorities
- Collaborates with Directors across all divisions of Earth Refuge as needed to set and reach fundraising goals
- Communicates fundraising goals throughout the organization and equips team members to reach them
- Identifies staffing needs within the Development team, assists with interviews and the selection of qualified candidates, reviewing and improving the Development team’s organizational structure as needed
- Works with the Director of Operations to establish administrative policies respective to the Development division as needed
Key Qualifications:
- Strategic and professional leadership skills
- Exceptional understanding of philanthropy as it relates to the not-for-profit, law, policy and think tank sectors
- Highly organized with outstanding attention to detail
- Excellent time management skills
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Problem-solving aptitude
- Integrity and ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality
- Excellent interpersonal skills to establish, build and maintain effective working relationships
- Self-motivated, ability to work independently, to handle concurrent tasks and to make appropriate judgements and decisions
- Well-versed in project tracking and management platforms such as ClickUp
- Experience with CRM software
Education & Experience Requirements:
- Proven experience in fundraising within the non-profit, law, policy and or think tank sectors
- Demonstrable experience developing and implementing fundraising strategies; setting fundraising goals and objectives; developing donor relations across a diversity of funding streams; and crafting donor relations
- Proven budget management skills including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making and reporting
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field and 2+ years experience or an advanced degree 1+ years experience (prefered)
- Work experience in the non-profit, NGO, INGO, law, policy or think tank sectors in the areas of environment, migration and forced migration, development, human rights, humanitarian assistance or other related fields; and in management
- Knowledgeable and passionate about climate change, migration, climate migration, environmental justice, human rights and/or other related topics to Earth Refuge’s work
How to Apply:
If you feel equipped and compelled to contribute to the work and mission of Earth Refuge through this volunteer capacity, we would love to hear from you! Please send your CV and a Cover Letter highlighting your motivation for applying, your relevant work experience and your visions for undertaking this role to: [email protected].
If you have any questions with regard to this role, do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]
