Alberta Ecotrust is a registered charity created through a unique partnership established between the corporate sector and the environmental community in 1991. Guided by a vision of healthy ecosystems for all Albertans and a mission to inspire and mobilize those who champion and protect the environment, we were founded on the principles of fostering collaboration and trust.
Leading boldly ever since, our programs have expanded to build bridges across sectors and communities, focus on solutions and skills, and financially support hundreds of high impact environmental organizations, programs and projects across Alberta. We increasingly utilize a co-benefits approach to ecosystem challenges and financing pathways to a sustainable, low carbon future. Our environmental priorities include:
- Energy conservation and the mitigation of climate change
- Protection and conservation of water and watersheds
- Protection and conservation of habitat, ecologically critical landscapes and sustainable urban land use
Alberta Ecotrust respectfully acknowledges that our programs are delivered across the province of Alberta, comprising Treaty 6, Treaty 7, and Treaty 8 territory, the traditional lands of First Nations and Métis Peoples.
We are committed to utilizing a justice and equity lens in developing progressive policies and practices and creating a safe, warm and welcoming environment for all people interested in applying for our positions. These values also extend to our relationships in the community.
Role: Strategic Partnerships Director
The Strategic Partnerships Director plays a key role on Alberta Ecotrust Foundation’s Leadership Team in building lasting relationships with the Foundation’s spectrum of private, corporate, community and public stakeholders and securing philanthropic support to advance our mission and deepen impact.
Specifically, the Strategic Partnerships Director oversees the development and implementation of the long-term revenue strategy and fundraising efforts of Alberta Ecotrust. This involves establishing annual and long-term fundraising goals, identifying donors whose values and business needs align with Alberta Ecotrust’s unique value proposition, and creating engagement strategies for existing donors and partners. Using expert knowledge in managing a portfolio of donors through the stages of qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, this position builds on a 30-year ecosystem of supporters who participate and support our mission.
For Alberta Ecotrust, a recent federal endowment investment of nearly $44 million via the Low Carbon Cities Canada initiative represents a significant expansion of our resource potential and finance requirements. This includes partnerships with the municipal governments in both Calgary and Edmonton. We are looking for someone who is passionate about securing resources for environmental and climate solutions, loves to work across sectoral boundaries, and who is committed to thinking outside the box in finding collective solutions to complex and urgent challenges.
The Strategic Partnership Director will be an ambitious self-starter with strong leadership skills, and excited to ramp up our fundraising potential. A seasoned and collaborative professional working closely with the CEO and Vice-President, and as a member of the Leadership Team, this person will develop and implement the long-term revenue strategy (primary focus is 3-5 years) to broaden Alberta Ecotrust’s donor base and increase financial support to meet the Alberta Ecotrust ambitious growth strategy funding requirements.
Additional responsibilities include:
- Continually work with the AEF leadership team, Board, Committees, and staff to maintain an organizational culture of philanthropy
- Prepare and execute fundraising plans that include major gifts programs, annual fund strategies, planned giving, fundraising campaigns and potential events
- Lead/support organizational fundraising efforts in support of our federal leveraging and program requirements
- Identify and/or lead opportunities for donor meetings and solicitations
- Initiate, write or lead others in writing grant proposals when appropriate
- Ensure good management and tracking of all key donor records and relationships in the organizational CRM, including contact names, program participants, service providers, resources and other significant information with support from administrative staff
- Work with administrative team to automate workflows, including communications, tax receipting, and list segmentation
- Create brief quarterly reports to analyze and measure progress towards annual and long-term fundraising goals
Qualifications
You will report directly to the Executive Team and will frequently collaborate with the rest of the team at Alberta Ecotrust as you lead our development efforts and cultivate an internal culture of philanthropy. Alberta Ecotrust staff work in locations across the province of Alberta, with our main office located in Calgary. A successful candidate will possess the following qualifications:
- Member of AFP with at least five years of direct fundraising experience that includes the responsibility and accountability for a comprehensive fund development program, preferably two years leading campaigns
- Proven expertise in raising funds and achieving targets
- Post-secondary education in a related field
- Knowledge of fundraising theories, principles and procedures
- Knowledge of major individual philanthropic community and experience in soliciting and stewarding major and planned individual gifts
- Excellent writing skills with strong case development
- Experience/good aptitude for database software and other technology
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, G Suite by Google
- Good people skills
- Good understanding of the unique challenges and values of the environmental nonprofit and charitable sector
- Experience drafting and delivering business presentations/proposals
- Experience working with boards of directors/board culture
Workplace Culture
Alberta Ecotrust provides a flexible schedule and a positive, collaborative team culture. In Calgary, we have a casual workplace in a heritage building with lots of meeting space, a full kitchen, great access to transit, local restaurants and the downtown core. To meet the needs of a growing team in Edmonton, we offer remote working and access to meeting and collaborative spaces when needed. Our staff are extremely motivated to make a difference, and you’ll be part of an innovative team that gets to do interesting, meaningful work aligned with their shared values and desire to improve the world.
Remuneration
This is a full-time, permanent position, offering a competitive salary for the nonprofit sector (between $85,000 – $95,000, commensurate with experience), benefits package, 35-hour work week, and 3 weeks of vacation to start. There is significant growth potential for this position. We also offer time off over Christmas as well as your birthday.
How to Apply
This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.
Submit your application to Alberta Ecotrust via our online recruitment system.
Combine your cover letter and resume as one PDF document, named as follows: LastName_FirstName_Strategic_Partnerships_Director
Your cover letter and resume combined must not exceed four pages
Applicants are encouraged to identify in their applications if they are Indigenous Peoples, Black People, People of Colour, women, youth, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ2SAI+ communities, new immigrants, refugees, and/or are members of other diverse communities.
If we can make this easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing Rod Ruff, Vice President, at r.ruff@albertaecotrust.com.
