Volunteer and Donor Stewardship Manager

Date: 5/15/2018

Reports To: Executive Director

Department: Development and Communications

Exempt/Non-exempt: Exempt, Full-time

About Environmental Volunteers

In 1972, when awareness of threats to the San Francisco Bay ecosystem began to grow, a group of women concerned about preserving the estuary for future generations created a small, hands-on program for local children. The program included a field trip to the Bay so students could experience it, know it, enjoy it, and grow to take care of it. This was the birth of Environmental Volunteers. Since then, more than 400,000 children and adults have explored natural science learning with us!

Mission

To promote the understanding of and responsibility for the environment through hands-on science education.

Our Vision
That all people will learn about and be inspired by the natural world so that they become responsible stewards of the Earth. We achieve this by:

• Providing hands-on science education
• Encouraging awareness of the interrelationships between people and nature
• Fostering an attitude of stewardship for the environment
• Leading restoration projects that involve the whole community
• Providing knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about the environment.

Philosophy

Environmental Volunteers believes all people deserve to learn about the natural world through personal exploration, so they can become responsible stewards of the Earth. At Environmental Volunteers we believe that what people appreciate and love, they will protect.

Job Summary

The Volunteer and Donor Stewardship Manager (VDM) is a key member of the Development and Communications Department. The successful candidate will bring exceptional energy, vision, and organization to assist in cultivating and nurturing Environmental Volunteers’ community of supporters and volunteers. The VDM will passionately share the mission of Environmental Volunteers with diverse groups who are important to the organization’s overall prosperity.

The Stewardship Manager will focus on two main efforts:

1. Donor Cultivation and Stewardship: design and implement an ongoing plan to cultivate donors capable of major and/or deferred gifts, and nurture ongoing relationships and opportunities for connecting with past and current donors.
2. Volunteer Recruitment and Nurturing: lead the organization’s efforts to recruit, support, and nurture our School Programs Volunteers, EcoCenter Docents, and volunteers who serve in other roles.

This position will be located in two office locations, South Bay office in Santa Clara and at the EcoCenter in Palo Alto, and will engage communities in our service area.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Volunteer Recruitment and Nurturing: 50%
1. Recruiting

• Develop a comprehensive volunteer recruitment plan for school programs volunteers, EcoCenter Docents, community volunteers, corporate volunteers, and high school or college students assisting with special projects.
• Coordinate the implementation of the volunteer recruitment plan with the Education Department staff and the Marketing & Communications Director.
• Lead in-person recruitment activities including participation in events, presentations, and social gatherings and attendance at community events.
• Manage the volunteer application process from the initial request for information through the start of volunteer training, ensuring smooth communication of information and successful transition of recruits into the training class.
• Manage tracking of all volunteer recruitment data. In coordination with appropriate staff members, ensure the volunteer database remains up-to-date and complete.

2. Nurturing

• Evaluate current strategies and develop new strategies that ensure the volunteer experience is accessible and meaningful. Work with appropriate staff to implement these strategies. This may include, but is not limited to, volunteer recognition, enrichment opportunities, resources for volunteers, and training support.
• Oversee regular volunteer recognition tasks, including birthday cards and the annual volunteer patch ceremony.
• Serve as a member of the Volunteer Outreach Committee with board and staff.
• Suggest to staff ways they can get help from volunteers (EVs) on their projects.

3. Corporate Volunteer Program

• Lead the Environmental Volunteers’ corporate volunteer days at the EcoCenter and South Bay office and establish ongoing corporate giving partnerships.

4. South Bay Support

• Lead efforts to ensure that volunteer nurturing in the South Bay is as successful as those on the Peninsula. This includes but is not limited to greeting volunteers in the South Bay office and supporting South Bay volunteers through a variety of opportunities and outreaches.

Donor Cultivation and Stewardship: 50%

• The VDM is responsible for the identification and qualification of major and planned gift prospects and assists in cultivating and soliciting donors through meetings, trips, events, and other activities. They will move prospects capable of gifts of higher amounts to the prospect pool for management by senior fundraising staff and integration into a Moves Management process.
• The VDM will work on a variety of activities including providing detailed program information to prospects and drafting personalized correspondence and acknowledgments. They use Environmental Volunteers’ donor database to update donor information, produce reports, perform analysis, and track and cultivate donors.

The VDM understands the basics of the influencing factors on donors and the types of assets that may be used for the donor’s giving. Applies knowledge to interactions with donors and gift asks, and capitalizes on matching gift opportunities. In addition, the VDM will:

• Act independently within broad program goals to prioritize tasks in the absence of specific instructions and exercise independent judgment to identify and solve problems.
• Manage a portfolio of 75-125 individual donors with the capacity to make a gift up to $5,000 once the portfolio is developed and be responsible for 75-125 visits and 225-375 moves annually. Portfolio will focus on donor discovery, loyal donors, and planned gift donors.
• Meet fundraising objectives, working within a budget, and negotiating and contracting with vendors.
• Serve as project manager for Wake Up to Nature, the EV’s major fundraising breakfast in the spring.
• Manage donor engagement events and activities including point of entry events, canoe trips, and donor appreciation events.
• Ensure compliance with Environmental Volunteers policies and procedures and external (donor/legal/IRS) requirements.
• Manage projects with several variables, set realistic deadlines, manage a timeline, and ensure accountability.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and 3 years related experience or equivalent combination.
• Experience building relationships with donors, volunteers, and staff.
• Experience generating reports, and analyzing and interpreting the data.
• Experience in managing and tracking prospects and donors.
• Ability to determine an individual’s interests, capacity and potential for helping Environmental Volunteers meet its goals, and act appropriately to tie those interests with Environmental Volunteers’ work.
• Events management experience including point of entry events, fundraisers, etc.
• Ability to implement and coordinate fundraising plans, including individualized cultivation, solicitation, and recognition plans.
• Experience, coursework, or other training in fundraising principles and practices.
• Knowledge of current trends in the charitable giving and the basics of charitable gift planning.
• Strong computer skills including comfort working on a MacOS platform and a willingness to learn Microsoft Office, Salesforce, DonorPerfect, Constant Contact, Adobe Creative Suite, Google Apps, and other Internet cloud applications.
• Familiarity with WordPress CMS and basic HTML preferred.
• Demonstrated experience using diplomacy and tact to build strong relationships and motivate staff, volunteers, and donors.
• Strong negotiating and organizational skills.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
• Experience working collaboratively across departments.
• Multilingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.

This VDM will work nights and weekends as required, including travel and overtime as needed. Adequate means of transportation is needed to travel frequently between the EcoCenter, South Bay office, and off-site locations.

Personal Characteristics:

• A high-energy individual who thrives in a fast-paced work environment and enjoys taking on a variety of tasks.
• A ‘people person’ with strong communications skills and the ability to nurture a dynamic range of volunteers and donors from different backgrounds.
• A strong team player who is willing to roll up sleeves and help the organization thrive.
• A focused, detail-oriented worker who can be counted on to complete tasks fully and within deadlines.
• A person of proven personal integrity and trustworthiness.
• A passion for environmental education and elementary education.

Physical Requirements:

Work environment involves only infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements and minor physical exertion and/or strain.

Compensation:

Compensation commensurate with experience. Benefits include medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k) match, and generous vacation and sick leave.

How to Apply:

• Electronic submissions should be emailed to Search: Elliott@environmentalvolunteers.org
• Please include a PDF of your cover letter and resume.
• In the subject line, please reference your last name, followed by “Stewardship Manager”. No phone calls, please.
• All interested individuals, including people of color, women, LGBT persons are encouraged to apply.

Equal Opportunity Employer

EV provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. EV complies with all applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.