Development Associate, Oregon

ABOUT PACIFIC FOREST TRUST

Wood, water, wildlife, and wonder. Pacific Forest Trust (PFT) delivers landscape-scale private forest conservation in the West and develops innovative incentives for forest conservation, natural forest management, and natural climate solutions at the state and national levels. We do so in ways that reward private landowners for managing for public benefits such as clean water, a healthy climate, and abundant native wildlife.

Our work reinvigorates and sustains rural economies and restores resilient forest landscapes across ownership boundaries. PFT is recognized nationally as a leader in developing new payment systems for ecosystems services, from climate to carbon, working forest conservation easements, watershed and habitat services, and sustainable, renewable biomass energy.

PFT has led the conservation of over 360,000 acres of forestland in California and Oregon, stewards conservation easements on 130,000 acres, manages and own forestland. Our projects are outstanding not only for their scale, but for their landscape impacts and high standards for delivering multiple public benefits. PFT is accredited by the National Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

As a pivotal member of PFT’s Development and Communications team, the Development Associate plays a key fundraising support role with a focus on both individual donors and institutional funders, including foundations and businesses. This position, based in PFT’s Oregon office, focuses primarily on Oregon support, and has significant room for learning and growth.

This position reports to the Director of Development, working with another Development Associate and Gifts Officer.

Individual Donors

This role helps with cultivation and stewardship of existing individual donors and the identification, cultivation and retention of new donors, as follows:

• Assist with all aspects of individual donor cultivation and giving, including donor and donor prospect research; capacity and giving potential profiling; qualification, cultivation, and stewardship of donors
• Help analyze demographic and other data, identifying the most appropriate prospects within the donor base and community for major and planned gifts
• Schedule Oregon-based donor and prospect meetings in coordination with the Executive Coordinator. Attend as requested on donor visits in Oregon, primarily Portland area based.
• Track and help maintain donor/prospect contact records, ensuring appropriate follow up and cultivation, including correspondence, appeals, donor acknowledgment, calls and other communication
• Support, and eventually lead, the planning, execution, and follow-up of Oregon PFT events, especially the annual Portland-based Wild for the Woods, house parties, and other donor cultivation and outreach events and field trips. Assist in other events outside Oregon as requested
• Help maintain the donor database, ensuring that donor and donation information is updated, accurate and coordinated with Finance and Administration
• Assist in preparation of monthly, and quarterly fundraising reports and donor reports as requested
• Provide administrative support, including maintaining paper and electronic files

Institutional Funders:
Foundations and Businesses

This role includes helping with the cultivation and stewardship of existing institutional funders, both foundations and business donors, with a focus on Oregon companies and enterprises. Help conduct research and identify potential new Foundation and Business donors.

• Maintain foundation/corporate calendar for letters of intent, proposals, and reports
• Assist in researching new foundations and corporate prospects
• Assist in preparing and submitting foundation and corporate sponsorship proposals and reports to funders
• Identify and cultivate local/state-based business support and sponsors for events

• At least two years of experience in a non-profit Development fundraising role, and a bachelor’s degree preferred
• Well organized, personable, and flexible to taking on tasks as assigned
• Excellent research, writing and editing and verbal communication skills
• Experience with…