Eastern Environmental Law Center: Donor Development Officer

Organization Overview: Eastern Environmental Law Center (EELC) is a New Jersey-based nonprofit public interest law organization dedicated to advancing environmental justice, implementing clean-energy solutions, and defending open space from unsustainable development. We partner with community groups and nonprofit organizations that would otherwise lack access to environmental legal representation.

EELC is a small, highly specialized organization with a statewide and regional wide impact. Our work also includes cases that raise federal legal and policy issues with national implications. We are seeking a development professional who is excited by the opportunity to help build EELC’s fundraising capacity and strengthen the resources available for our public interest legal work.

Job Summary: EELC is seeking a Donor Development Officer to grow our major donor program, building on a strong base of individual supporters and several established major donors. The Officer will work closely with the Executive Director and Board to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward donations with an emphasis on building the major donor base. The successful candidate will be an experienced and motivated self-starter.

We can offer this either as a full-time position with responsibilities to grow our established annual end-of-year fund drive, or as a part-time position for a seasoned professional to focus on major donor cultivation and stewardship. In either case, we are searching for someone with a proven track record of soliciting major donations or experience in sales with building relationships and bringing in revenue.

This position is hybrid with in-person presence mutually agreed as needed, for Board and staff meetings and donor/prospect activities. Travel throughout the state will be needed, and some evenings and occasional weekends will be involved.

Key Responsibilities:

Planning and Strategy:

• Implement EELC’s written development plan in partnership with the Executive Director and Board to grow support from major donors and family foundations
• Develop strategies to increase donor retention, average gift size, recurring giving, and multi-year contributions.

Identifying Prospects

• Research, identify, and prioritize prospective major donors and family foundations, and develop and manage a pipeline of prospective major donors and long-term supporters.
• Attend events such as community gatherings, conferences, and networking opportunities where potential donors can be engaged.

Cultivation and Solicitation:

• Cultivate relationships with prospective and existing donors through one-on-one meetings, luncheons, dinners, calls, correspondence, and small gatherings, with the goal of securing annual, recurring, and multi-year financial commitments.
• Work with the Executive Director and Board to plan and staff donor cultivation and solicitation meetings.

Stewardship and Communications:

• Steward existing donors and ensure that supporters receive timely, thoughtful, and personalized acknowledgments and updates.
• Write mail and email solicitation appeals, including year-end, Giving Tuesday, and mid-year appeals, and generate donor-focused communications, including quarterly newsletters and social media content.

Operations and Reporting:

• Oversee gift tracking and maintain donor records.
• Prepare regular reports on fundraising progress and outcomes as needed for the Executive Director and Board.
• Support efforts to ensure a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture.

Qualifications:

• Commitment to EELC’s mission and values.
• Proven track record of successful fundraising (including major donor gifts) and donor management, or significant experience building a client/customer base.
• Willingness to initiate and conduct meetings and calls with donors.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Familiarity with New Jersey’s environmental community and philanthropic landscape strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, or equivalent professional or lived experience.

Compensation: EELC anticipates a competitive salary of $80,000 – $90,000 annually for the full-time position, commensurate with experience and qualifications, plus benefits. For a

part-time arrangement, salary will be prorated based on hours, and benefits eligibility will depend on the agreed schedule. Positions of 25 or more hours per week are eligible for health insurance.