HR Manager

Major Gifts Manager

Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to highlighting climate solutions and uncovering environmental injustices. Since 1999, we have used the power of journalism to engage the public about the perils of the most existential threat we face. Now that three-quarters of Americans recognize that climate change is happening, we’ve shifted our focus to show that a just and sustainable future is within reach.

Over the past four years, Grist has scaled from a Seattle-based team of 20-25 to a nationally distributed organization of ~60 with a growing budget. Grist’s strategy centers on climate, justice, and solutions, and we implement our mission through award-winning journalism, creative storytelling, events, and talent development work that’s focused on supporting young and diverse journalists. Our work has been recognized with dozens of awards and nominations. Grist was recently awarded the National Magazine Award for General Excellence. In addition, Grist was named best small newsroom by the Edward R Murrow Awards in 2022 and the Online Journalism Awards in 2021.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Major Gifts Manager to join the Development department.

The Major Gifts Manager will be responsible for leading our efforts to grow Grist’s portfolio of major donors, and ensuring Grist reaches its annual major gifts fundraising goal. The Major Gifts Manager will work closely with the Development Director, Grist leadership, and our small development team.

The right person for this job will be a driven, self-motivated professional who excels at both the fundraising work happening behind the scenes as well as building relationships with donors and family foundation staff. We are looking for someone to support senior staff in deepening existing donor relationships, identify and lead Grist’s efforts on new major gift opportunities, and leverage our membership base to build a pipeline of new mid-level and major donors. The position covers all phases of the fundraising cycle, from prospecting all the way to stewardship. Strong writing skills are a must.

The annual base pay for this position is between $75,000 and $90,000 depending on experience. Grist is based in Seattle, but the job doesn’t have to be. We have staff around the country.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage all aspects of Grist’s major donor portfolio, with the primary goal of reaching the major gift fundraising goal set at the beginning of each fiscal year
• Work with Development Director and Grist leadership to design and implement plans to increase Grist’s base of major donor support
• Provide prep and strategy support – developing talking points, slides, and background research – to the CEO, Development Director, and other senior staff for in-person meetings with current and potential funders
• Write compelling fundraising communications/materials for a variety of funders at all stages of the cultivation process, from personal emails to proposals and reports to donation acknowledgements
• Conduct prospect research to identify and evaluate potential new major donors
• Partner with the Development Director to design strategies to engage, solicit, and steward these prospects; establish a pipeline that moves Grist members into our major donor program, thereby building your own portfolio of mid-level donors ($1,000+)
• Participate in virtual and face-to-face meetings, and manage relationships with donors and family foundation staff
  Plan and manage cultivation and stewardship of major donors, from mailings to email blasts to special events
• In partnership with the database administrator, establish and manage organized and efficient operational systems to ensure accurate records and timely communication with funders; oversee all major donor database records
• Collect and synthesize information about Grist’s programs from across departments as needed to make the case for support and report on organizational progress, and to identify new fundraising opportunities
• Support efforts to raise Grist’s profile in the funder community, including funder briefings and speaking engagements
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5+ years of fundraising, preferably with some mid-level or major donor experience
• Exceptional writing and editing abilities (we are a journalism organization; writing standards are high)
• Strong project-management skills and attention to detail
  Ability to work seamlessly with external audiences and staff across the organization
• Strong research and database skills (experience with Salesforce is a plus)
• Entrepreneurial spirit with exceptional judgment and the ability to juggle multiple competing deadlines
• Ability to work and problem-solve independently
  Fluency with technology, including experience with Slack, Gmail and other G Suite tools, Zoom, Salesforce, Trello, and other project-management tools
• Prior experience working with or coordinating a distributed team
• Enjoy travel, receptions, metrics, and the Grist sense of humor
• Passion for our Grist’s mission and work

And it sure would be nice if you also had:

• Knowledge of the media landscape
• Knowledge of climate change and the environmental movement

Additional Information

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter explaining why you’re a great fit for this position. Applications without both a resume and cover letter will not be considered. Candidates who are asked to submit a writing test will be compensated.

BENEFITS

• Medical, dental and vision coverage paid 100% for Employee premiums and 85% for Dependent premiums
  Employer paid Basic Life, ADD, Travel Assistance, STD/LTD, EAPs
• Voluntary Insurance include Health, Dependent and Transit FSA, Life/ADD, Critical Illness and Accident Insurance
• Traditional and Roth 401k with matching (vested immediately)
• New Employee Remote Office Set-up reimbursement
• Monthly WiFi Stipend
• Alternative Transportation Reimbursement
• Fifteen paid holidays per year (which includes office closure between Dec 25 and Jan 1) plus five floating holidays and 3 summer days
• Generous paid leave including medical and family leave, parental leave, abortion leave, sabbatical leave and many other paid and unpaid leave programs
• Annual in-person all-staff retreat (subject to pandemic conditions)
• 100% Remote work with drop-in offices available in Seattle, WA and Brooklyn, NY

Cultivating an inclusive staff is central to Grist’s focus on advancing equity. We’re interested in hearing from people who can work with diverse colleagues of varied experience. Candidates of all backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Grist is an equal-opportunity employer.

Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.