Website Ekone Ranch, Sacred Earth Foundation
About Us: Ekone Ranch is a 1,263-acre land trust held by Sacred Earth Foundation, with a mission to activate children and adults to love the earth deeply and wisely, through stewardship of the Rock Creek watershed, authentic community experience, and place-based education. Our staff leadership team and board is currently 100% women, and feminist empowerment, leadership, and non-conventional roles are infused into the workings of the organization from the ground up.
SEF’s programs include:
– Ekone Summer Camps, offering nearly 200 children each year an immersion into life on the ranch, spacious play, meaningful work, inclusive community, and natural learning.
– White Eagle Memorial Preserve, one of just 10 Conservation Burial Grounds in the nation, offering a simple, natural way to return our bodies to the earth on wild land.
– Field trips, workshops, retreats, community celebrations and service opportunities for children, adults and families, building community and connection to self and place.
– Conservation of the Rock Creek watershed, the most important waterway in eastern Klickitat County, an expanse of oak/pine forest, meadows, ponds, and canyonlands.
Job Purpose: Support the Executive Director and Board of Directors in meeting fundraising budget goals for Sacred Earth Foundation, working closely with donors, volunteers, guests, and other community members.
Overview: This new, grant-funded position is the first dedicated fundraising role at SEF. Grant funds are secured for three years, and we expect this to be a permanent position. You’ll report to and work closely with the Executive Director to harness the momentum of the just-completed, highly-successful, five-year, $2 million Saddle Up! capital campaign to build a future of financial sustainability and impactful work. Upcoming fundraising efforts will support equitable access to Ekone Ranch’s programs for children and adults; conservation and stewardship priorities including land acquisition, prescribed fire, and forest management; and staff sustainability through competitive compensation, benefits, and adequate staffing.
Who We’re Looking For: We’re looking for someone detail oriented, facile with technology, an excellent communicator, and with a strong sense of accountability and self-motivation who is genuinely stoked about SEF’s mission. We’d prefer it if you’d live on-site at Ekone Ranch, and rudimentary housing is provided, for discussion in interviews. We are less concerned about your education and specific work experience than your capacity to wrangle details, learn new systems and processes, and communicate with clarity and warmth. We value your lived experience, especially as it relates to our mission and programs. Don’t think you’re a fundraiser? That’s okay! We won’t throw you to the wolves! Job development and training are assumed.
JOB DUTIES
Donor & Fund Management 35%
Our 2023 operational budget calls for approximately $250,000 in individual donations, up from $150,000 in 2022 (plus $100,000 in Capital Campaign donations).
• Partner with Executive Director to build and support sustainable donor cultivation and stewardship program, including prospect research, gift acknowledgements, and infusing gratitude, purpose, and genuine care into all of our donor communications
• Administration including donation processing, receipts, communications, payment management, pledge tracking, and recordkeeping
• Management of the development database (Little Green Light)
Events 30%
In 2022, the Barbed Wire Ball generated $62,000 in revenue and donations for our Capital Campaign.
• Coordinate and organize logistics for the annual Barbed Wire Ball fundraising event in collaboration with all SEF staff and board members
• Support other donor, volunteer and prospect outreach events and partner with staff in supporting and learning about Sacred Earth Foundation’s programs
Grants & Contracts 15%
Our 2023 budget calls for approximately $100,000 in grant funding, up from $55,000 in 2022.
• Work with Executive Director to manage the foundation and corporate grant program, including prospect research, maintaining the submission/reporting calendar, collecting and formatting grant proposal content, tracking submissions, and preparing reports
Communications 10%
• Develop lists for mailings, campaigns and other outreach activities
• Work with staff, volunteers or consultants on design, printing and mailing of collateral
• Maintain fundraising web pages and social media
Other Duties as Assigned 10%
• Support the Executive Director and other staff in scheduling, operations, communications and administrative activities, as requested
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Clear enthusiasm for the mission of Sacred Earth Foundation
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Professional, warm, friendly presentation in all mediums
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, Google Drive, and Gmail, with demonstrated capacity to learn Little Green Light, Wix, mail merges, form creation, data integrations, etc
• Proven ability to juggle many details, routinely achieve “inbox zero”, and independently manage organizational systems for self and others
• Event coordination experience
• Pre-employment background check will be required
• SEF staff are required to be vaccinated for COVID-19
Additional desired qualifications
• Grant research, writing, reporting, and contract management
• Familiarity with Quickbooks Online
• Volunteer coordination
Compensation & Hours
This is a full time (40 hours/week average), exempt (salaried) position.
In 2022, we adopted a transparent policy to set compensation for all staff, based on an analysis of market rates, accounting for years of experience, and adjusted for the limitations of our modest budget. This policy will be reviewed and updated annually.
Development Coordinator starting salary range is $33,000-$41,000 depending on experience. On-site housing is available. SEF values employee satisfaction and retention, and staff can expect annual salary increases. We hope to reach fully competitive salaries in the next 3 years.
Benefits
• (Rudimentary) onsite housing
• Phone, internet, and mileage reimbursement
• $1000/year professional development allowance
• Paid time off, inclusive of holidays and sick leave, 3 weeks in first year with one additional week each year up to 6 weeks
• We are currently unable to provide health and retirement benefits
Equal Opportunity
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
Application Process & Hiring Timeline
Please familiarize yourself with our website, www.ekone.org, and complete the application questionnaire here. You may also send a resume and any questions or other background materials to [email protected] (but it’s not required for our process). Phone calls are discouraged, let’s save it for interviews ~ thank you for understanding.
This position will be open until filled, with first review of applications on January 31 and interviews in the first half of February.
Ideal start date of March 1, 2023.