About Water Education Colorado
Water Education Colorado (WEco) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization providing policy-neutral news and informational resources, engaging learning experiences,
and empowering leadership programs focused on Colorado’s most critical natural resource: water. Since 2002, we have been working statewide to ensure
Coloradans are knowledgeable about key water issues and equipped to make decisions that guide our state to a sustainable water future. We have a trusted
reputation in and outside of the water sector, and are widely considered the leading organization for informing and engaging Coloradans on water.
Our programs target a range of audiences in service of our mission, including lawmakers and other decision makers, water sector professionals, business
leaders, students, educators, and interested community members. We publish Headwaters magazine and the Community Guide series, offer the annual Water
Fluency and Water Leaders programs, convene and support the Water Educator Network, provide a variety of tours, workshops, webinars and outreach events,
and co-host the annual Sustaining Colorado Watersheds conference, among other activities. We collaborate with partner entities around the state to accomplish
our programs and strategic goals. Increasingly, we are working to reach underserved audiences across the state with a focus on equity and inclusion.
We offer a collaborative, flexible, supportive and rewarding work environment in a great location at the CSU SPUR campus at the National Western Center in north Denver. Working with WEco’s dynamic team, audiences, and broad-based community of supporters provides opportunities to engage within all major river basins in the state.
Position Summary
The Membership and Development Manager will play a lead role in leading Water Education Colorado’s overall Membership program and development and fundraising initiatives. This position’s primary responsibilities include supporting and building the organization’s membership base and developing financial support for programs via cultivating and maintaining a diverse revenue portfolio of sponsorships, donations, grants and special events. The position will have the opportunity to develop strategies that not only steward the existing commitments of WEco’s members and donors, but also foster new support from Colorado’s business community, recreational industry, water innovation sector, and broader public.
The ideal candidate shares our passion and enthusiasm for the future of water, recognizing the value of our policy-neutral approach to building a water-aware
Colorado and informing decision making and civic engagement at all levels. They are gifted at communicating organizational vision and are able to impact
philanthropic support by inspiring potential donors. They are also extremely reliable, self-motivated, organized, and enthusiastic, exhibiting advanced interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to execute multiple complex projects at once.
This position reports to the Executive Director.
Responsibilities
° Management of all Member and Donor Development, including Strategy, Solicitation, and Acknowledgment
° Develop, maintain and grow all WEco revenue streams to support programs through membership, sponsorship, and major donor’s stewardship
° Establish and execute an annual fundraising plan, and regularly report progress to WEco’s Executive Director and board
° Oversee all member and donor relations, including donor acknowledgment activities and long-term donor stewardship
° Develop and oversee an annual membership program plan, including setting short- and long-range goals for membership engagement and new membership growth
° Oversee all member communications, including renewals and notices for current members, checking in with lapsed members, and keeping members apprised of WEco activities, coordinating closely with the Administrative Assistant and Communications Manager
° Working with the Administrative Assistant, ensure membership benefits are administered regularly and correctly, and update benefits as needed
° Develop and coordinate a new major giving program to meet specific targets
° Coordinate and manage multiple donation campaigns throughout the year, including but not limited to Colorado Gives Day activities
° Garner sponsorships for all major programs; steward relationships with sponsors and ensure the delivery of all sponsor benefits
° Develop and execute a strategy to expand circulation and increase advertising revenue for news and publications
° Work in partnership with the Operations Manager to ensure accurate invoicing, data entry and gift processing
° Plan, execute, and analyze an annual Supporter Survey, and report results to appropriate WEco staff and board
° Contribute to production of an annual report to demonstrate the impact of giving
° Attend external meetings, events and conferences to represent the organization and cultivate relationships with members and donors
° Guide and train the team in philanthropic messaging
Grants and Grant Management
° Identify grant opportunities, manage all grant-related deadlines, oversee production of required applications, and report on funding and grant initiatives
° Undertake grant prospecting with governmental, private, and corporate funding sources
° Lead development and submission of grant applications, coordinating with other respective staff point persons as needed
° Maintain grants and agreements through accurate record-keeping, documentation and file maintenance
° Manage production and delivery of grant reports, coordinating with appropriate grant point person(s) to pull together needed reporting details
° Support the Executive Director to develop strategic partnerships with grant officers and identify new sources of funding when there is alignment with WEco’s mission
Fundraising Events Planning and Execution
° Plan and orchestrate special events, including the annual fundraising gala as well as member appreciation, and recruitment events
° Lead the event logistics, planning and preparation pre and post event
° Develop event budgets and manage costs effectively
° Organize facilities and manage event details including décor, catering, auction, entertainment, invitee lists, special guests, equipment and promotional
materials
° Coordinate closely with the appropriate team members to execute registration and RSVP processes
° Working with the Communications Manager, develop materials and execute strategies to promote and publicize fundraising and membership events
° Identify volunteer and staff support needs and coordinate their activities
Additional Duties
° Coordinate with Board of Trustees’ Fundraising Committee to reach revenue-related strategic organizational objectives and goals
° Attend and report out to WEco Board at its meetings at least 3 times per year on performance data to track productivity and goal achievement
° Support tabling and outreach opportunities throughout the year
° All other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications
This position requires a passionate and reliable relational extrovert who enjoys working with donors, creates inspiration around mission and vision, contributes
positively in a team environment, and takes initiative to achieve through innovation and excellence.
Education and Previous Experience
° Bachelor’s degree required (degree in communications, marketing, nonprofit management, business, or other related degrees are a plus)
° A minimum of 3 years of professional experience working on development in the nonprofit sector
° Proven success raising funds from diverse revenue sources and maintaining existing donor bases
° A strong track record in building authentic relationships with donors, members and/or other supporting partners
° Experience with event planning and logistics management
Skills, Qualities and Abilities
° Experience co-creating development and fundraising plans, while stewarding membership support
° Possesses a strong belief in WEco’s mission of advancing a sustainable water future for Colorado through growing public awareness, informing decisions, and equipping and empowering leaders
° Embraces a policy-neutral approach to education and information programs
° In-depth knowledge of fundraising tools and strategies and keen understanding of donor solicitation and retention techniques
° Excellent written and verbal communicator with the ability to adapt messaging for a range of audiences
° Knowledge in administrating fundraising CRM’s and experience utilizing CRM dashboards for tracking fundraising and development goals
° Strong organizational skills and attention to detail to create and maintain fundraising systems, donor benefit structures, and giving programs
° Solid project management skills, including budgets, timelines and team coordination to achieve results
° Computer usage, including proficiency with Microsoft and Google software and applications
° Ability to engage and work effectively with a broad set of individuals and interest groups
° Comfortable and confident presenting to large groups
° Highly self-motivated, hard-working and enthusiastic in the pursuit of excellence, and can work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment
° A creative learner who pays attention and culls ideas from industry leaders
° Exhibits an authentic commitment to equity and inclusion in the workplace and in the field
° Availability for intra-state travel, including some weeknight and weekend activities
° Valid driver’s license and ability to drive required
Physical Requirements
Job duties include a general office environment, spent sitting and operating a computer. Events supported by this position may require the transportation of
equipment and supplies. Must be able to occasionally lift up to 25 to 40 pounds, for moving or transporting program materials and other needs. Must be
able to read, write and communicate fluently in English. Spanish fluency is an added plus.