Development Associate (Local Business)

Reports to: Executive Director

Job Status: Full-time Salary Position

Salary Range: $45,000-$62,000

Benefits: Employer-paid full health insurance, limited dental, life, and short-term disability coverage as well as an employee matched 401K program, paid holidays and other paid time off (PTO).

Three Rivers Land Trust – About Us
Mission: To conserve the natural areas, rural landscapes, family farms, and historic places within North Carolina’s central Piedmont and Sandhills. TRLT is a membership based nonprofit conservation organization based in Salisbury NC and operating in a 15-county footprint of Central NC.

TRLT is primarily funded through private donations. Since 1995 TRLT as protected over 46,000 acres (transferred over 8,600 acres to public trust, protected over 350 miles of streams/waterways and conserved over 17,000 acres of farmland). We regularly engage with the public through our vast outdoor programming and nationally recognized Sportsman Access Program (SAP).

Position Description

Three Rivers Land Trust (TRLT) is searching for a positive, outgoing, outdoor enthusiast to join the team as our Development Associate-Local Business. This position will be responsible for local business partner recruitment and retention.  The primary focus for this position will be to identify and solicit local business partners that want to support TRLT either philanthropically or in a transactional manner.  This position will also promote and manage our event sponsorship program for the following: Podcast, Newsletter, Archery Events, Paddle Club, Hiking Club, Thru Hike, SAP, and the Habitat Summit.

Responsibilities

Local Business Recruitment and Retention (90%)

• Develops a local business recruitment plan that engages local businesses across the 15-county region to support TRLT either from a philanthropic or a transactional/sponsorship perspective.
• Recruits local businesses to support TRLT’s mission from across the 15-county region.
• Retains as many corporate partners as possible on calendar year basis with the goal of retaining 75% of all corporate members.
• Plans and executes the local business event sponsorship plan that provides limited exposure for business around our existing calendar of events (Podcast, Newsletter, Hiking, Paddling, Archery, Thru Hike, SAP, and Habitat Summit.
• Supports the annual conservation raffle by finding businesses that sponsor, donate, or sell prizes at a reduced rate, in order to increase the profitability of the conservation raffle.
• Works to ensure excellent/responsive customer service and positive working relationship with team members, vendors, community leaders, event sponsors/participants, volunteers and members.
• Generates regular and accurate reports on income and event progress, and maintains constituent list.
• Manages expenses for membership recruitment events/mailings to ensure highest financial return.

Database Management & Donor Research (10%)

• Maintains regular, punctual data entry of constituent information.
• Researching potential donors/members.
• Tracking engagement of program participants and volunteers.
• Support the Membership and Outreach Team.
• Other duties as assigned.

Other Related Functions

• Enjoys and values the outdoors. Authenticity is vital to the success of this position.
• Regularly analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of all assigned projects.
• Proactively seeks process improvement in a solution-focused manner.

Qualifications

• 2-4 years’ experience in a combination of the following areas:
• Sales/Development
• Associate or bachelor’s degree in related field.
• Experience securing, cultivating, stewarding, retaining members.
• Experience working with donor database systems.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Strong knowledge/passion for the outdoors (hunting/fishing/hiking/camping/paddling).
• Ability to work weekends or weekday evenings.

Additional Competencies

This person must be friendly and welcoming, willing to build relationships with people from all walks of life. As a representative of TRLT, the ability to eloquently communicate our mission/vision is vital. Additionally, the ideal candidate will be creative, energetic, dynamic and outgoing with a strong affinity for the outdoors. TRLT team members are authentic in their passion for conservation as well as in their love for the outdoors. Applicants should enjoy getting mud on their boots and dirt on their hands.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to use all normal office equipment (keyboard, telephone, printer, copier, etc.).
• Ability to work non-standard hours, including weekends and evenings.
• Ability to lift 50 pounds and stand/sit for extended periods.