Development Manager

About this position

The Wilderness Committee has an exciting opportunity in our Vancouver office for an experienced fundraising manager who is passionate about environmental justice, and an effective storyteller able to communicate our grassroots impact to our donor base. This is a permanent, full-time position based on a 32-hour, 4-day work week.

The Wilderness Committee is a grassroots, people powered wilderness preservation group with a history of more than 40 years on the front line of environmental battles across Canada, with offices in Vancouver, Victoria, Winnipeg and Toronto. Recognizing that enshrining Indigenous rights and title is fundamental to addressing the biodiversity and climate crises, we have helped protect millions of hectares of wilderness, defended the most at-risk species in government offices and court rooms, and worked tirelessly to fight irresponsible fossil fuel development wreaking havoc on the climate as we advocate for a just transition to a post-carbon society.

The Development Manager creates and oversees the organizational strategic fundraising plan and leads fundraising and engagement strategies to meet the organization’s overall revenue goals. The Development Manager builds and maintains strong relationships with donors to support the acquisition, renewal and upgrade of our donor base. They coordinate the direct mail program, digital fundraising, marketing and engagement, and ensure integration with all forms of monthly and annual giving including door and phone canvass. They oversee the optimization and ongoing development of our Salesforce database and associated applications. The Development Manager also spearheads online marketing and sales initiatives and coordinates the Shopify online store.

As the successful candidate, you’ll have a passion for our vision and values of social and environmental justice and be excited to bring your compelling written storytelling skills to our donor communications. As a strong program manager and strategic planner, you’ll enjoy a wide variety of tasks including fundraising campaign and appeal creation, database management, data analytics, donor stewardship, digital marketing and online engagement. You look forward to bringing your creativity and your extensive fundraising experience in the non-profit sector to our grassroots donor acquisition, renewal and retention strategies.

As the Wilderness Committee Development Manager, it is your responsibility to...

• Lead the development of an annual strategic fundraising plan, in collaboration with fundraising and engagement staff, that integrates direct mail, monthly giving, online giving and digital engagement, digital acquisition strategies, door and phone canvass, and third-party fundraising
• Develop and implement a full direct mail program to address current challenges for renewal, acquisition and upgrade, write engaging stories and work with the design team to produce compelling print and digital fundraising materials
• Manage and support the ongoing development of the Salesforce database, work with donor service staff and other fundraising staff to optimize its use
• Develop and implement strategies to acquire, retain and upgrade monthly donors, including the development of materials for promotion
• Create a digital fundraising and marketing strategy, integrate website pages, online product sales, social media content and digital advertising to support donor acquisition and increased revenue
• Lead the development and engagement team in implementing effective donor stewardship strategies
• Analyze data, monitor and track results and review strategies to maximize impact and results

• At least 3 years’ experience in fundraising in the non-profit sector, included demonstrated management experience
• A post-secondary degree in a related discipline such as communications, fundraising, marketing or business administration, and/or a combination of equivalent education and experience
• Proven program management experience in annual giving including experience developing a strategic and operational fundraising plan
• Expertise in direct mail fundraising including compelling storytelling, copywriting, designing, production and troubleshooting
• Demonstrated success in building a donor base, curbing attrition and increasing donor engagement and renewal rates
• Through knowledge of digital marketing strategies for non-profits and online giving strategies for acquisition and engagement, including HTML language and layout for websites, emails and social media
• Experience using a fundraising database or customer relationship management software (Salesforce an asset), including the ability to analyze data, improve system management and create reports
• An understanding of door-to-door canvassing as a strategy

• Passionate about the Wilderness Committee’s mission and core values
•  Analytical, creative, and used to thinking outside the box
•  Able to handle a large volume of work, with excellent organizational skills and the ability to prioritize multiple tasks
•  A self-initiated problem solver who is reliable and enthusiastic
•  Adaptable and flexible to work in collaboration with others as well as independently
• Committed to creating a positive and healthy workplace environment
• Able to handle flexible hours including occasional evening and weekend work