The Organization
Nature and Culture International – About Us
At Nature and Culture International, we work in close and collaborative partnership with rural and indigenous communities to conserve diverse and fragile ecosystems and develop and support sustainable ways of life. For more than 20 years, we have successfully implemented a locally-based conservation model resulting in the legal protection of more than 21 million acres of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Latin America. In the process, we have helped save thousands of irreplaceable plant and animal species, mitigate climate change through carbon storage and sequestration, and secure clean water and other benefits for hundreds of thousands of people. We have also increased the income of 300 local communities through sustainable development activities.
We have 70 program staff in nine offices in Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico; with additional projects in Bolivia, Colombia, and Brazil through partner organizations. A small international team handles accounting and administration, marketing, communications and development. They are located in Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and the United States (mainly at our US headquarters in San Diego).
Our organizational budget in 2021 is $5.2 million. Since its founding, Nature and Culture has prided itself on its nimble and effective work and entrepreneurial spirit, ushering funds from generous donors, primarily in the US, to protect irreplaceable natural areas in Latin America. Nature and Culture’s philosophy during its first 25 years has been to keep overhead as low as practical to maximize work in the field, racing against the tide of deforestation and habitat destruction.
Nature and Culture’s Values
Our values are important to us. They are core to who we are and we strive to live them in everything that we do.
- Bottom-up. We pursue conservation that is locally driven, primarily by indigenous and rural communities and subnational governments whom we treat as partners and equals. This means a commitment to active listening. It means promoting a staff culture where everyone (junior and senior staff alike) has a voice.
- Funds to the field. We recognize that robust administration, financial management, development and marketing are key to our success, and we strive for efficiency with a small international team so we direct the lion’s share of funds to the field where the magic happens.
- Commitment. Design and implement programs with the long-term in mind to ensure lasting conservation outcomes.
- Stay agile, innovative and entrepreneurial, adapting effectively to challenges and seizing new opportunities as they arise.
- Diversity and inclusivity. Include diverse communities and cultures as equal partners in every aspect of our work. Encourage and celebrate diversity among our staff.
- Adapt and share. Learn from our successes and mistakes and share this learning with others. Remain open-minded to learn from others.
Position Overview
- Position Summary
Nature and Culture International (Nature and Culture), an international conservation organization, seeks a full-time Director of Individual Giving who is passionate about our mission to conserve biological and cultural diversity in Latin America.
Your Position with Us
As Director of Individual Giving, you will oversee planning and implementation of Nature and Culture’s Individual Giving program, including major, mid-level, and planned gifts, a small but growing annual giving program, and special events and donor tours focused on cultivation and stewardship. The position reports to the CEO whom you will work closely and collaboratively with, particularly on major gifts. You will also work as a team with the Director of Marketing and Director of Foundations and Strategic Partnerships to align strategies, tactics, and messaging and to support and complement each other’s efforts.
Responsibilities and Duties
Responsible for ensuring Nature and Culture’s $2.5 million individual giving revenue goal is met in 2021. With input from CEO, other senior staff, and board, you will devise and recommend strategies for
establishing, tracking progress toward, and achieving long-term individual giving growth targets to
support the ambitious program goals in our five-year strategic plan. Specific tasks include:
- Collaborate with program and marketing / communications staff to develop compelling funding proposals and accompanying informational materials for individual donors that support organizational priorities. This will require both a broad overview and detailed understanding of the organization’s programs and projects.
- Oversee the annual development and implementation of a detailed individual giving work plan.
- Identify, qualify, and prioritize prospects through research, screening, and discovery meetings.
- Create annual goals and an engagement plan for each of Nature and Culture’s major donors and prospects based on organizational priorities, the individual’s interests, history of giving and other relevant criteria.
- In collaboration with the CEO, successfully engage, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major donors and prospects (currently about 50 people, with a goal of 150-200). You will be lead staff for a portion of the major donor portfolio and provide logistic (moves management) and tactical support and advice to the CEO when and where he is the lead.
- Engage, activate, and support the board and other key volunteers as ambassadors, connectors, cultivators, and, where appropriate, askers, for Nature and Culture.
- Provide support and mentorship to junior development and program staff as appropriate to develop their skills in donor cultivation and stewardship. Currently, this position has no direct supervisory responsibilities. However, that may change as the organization’s needs evolve to meet revenue growth goals. You and the senior staff team will periodically assess ideal staff structure.
- Oversee content development for all donor-related communications with significant input from Marketing Director, communications, and program staff. These communications will include major and mid-level donor proposals and reports on programs and projects they have helped fund, other donor engagement materials, planned giving materials and annual giving campaigns.
- Work with CEO to ensure best practices for donor pipeline, cultivation, stewardship, upgrade, and lapsed donor renewal.
- Make recommendations as to the appropriate CRM (currently Salesforce with 4,800 accounts) to meet Nature and Culture’s needs for major gifts as well as donor acquisition and a robust annual giving program. Once selected, oversee implementation and effective ongoing use of CRM to ensure accurate, actionable data.
- Develop, track and regularly report on meaningful metrics and milestones to CEO and board to ensure progress toward and attainment of fundraising targets (with willingness and ability to recommend course corrections if needed).
Personal Qualities
- Passionate and knowledgeable about conservation and other environmental issues.
- Positive and personable.
- Highly organized and conscientious with ability to prioritize effectively, juggle multiple
responsibilities, and meet deadlines. - Self-motivated and entrepreneurial.
- Strong moral compass; able to maintain highly sensitive and confidential donor information.
- Committed to fostering an environment of trust, transparency and mutual respect.
- Appreciation of and sensitivity to a diverse environment, inclusive of staff, donors and partners from many socio-cultural, economic, ideological, racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and at least five years related experience.
- Experience and success building rapport with and maintaining long-term relationships with major and mid-level donors.
- Experience and success in raising major gifts.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills with a variety of audiences. Includes one-on-one conversations, proposals and reports, and emails.
- Able to work effectively in a team setting.
- Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills with ability to develop long-term plans, set
objectives, and track and report on progress towards achieving them. - Experience, coursework, or other training in principles, practices, and procedures of charitable giving, particularly in the areas of major gifts, annual gifts campaigns and planned giving.
- Able to participate professionally in board meetings and support and empower board members on their development-related goals and activities.
- Travel up to 15% of time, including to Latin America, with occasional late evenings and weekends.
Desired Qualifications
- Effective leadership, management, and training skills.
- Experience in coordinating with a geographically dispersed team.
- Proficiency in Spanish.
- Experience working in Latin America or other culturally diverse settings.
- Experience in planning and delivering budgetary responsibilities.
- Understanding of best practices in non-profit management.
- Public speaking.
- Experience with CRMs and other fundraising tools and platforms.
How To Apply
To apply, please submit Letter of Interest, Resume, Professional References, and a short statement about your experiences and perspective on diversity and inclusion and how they will inform your role as Director of Individual Giving. Email all materials to Lauren Alvarez.