Company description

The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (OAEC) is an 80-acre demonstration, education and advocacy center, and Fiscal Sponsor located in western Sonoma County, California. OAEC's work focuses on cultivating ecological literacy and building the capacity of civic and social movement leaders and organizations to guide their communities toward an ecologically regenerative, economically viable, and socially just future.

Job description

Development and Communications Associate - full job announcement

OAEC seeks a talented and enthusiastic individual to join our experienced, highly effective and joyful staff collective. The Development and Communications Associate provides administrative support to ensure the success of OAEC’s diverse projects and programs. They handle many administrative aspects of our donor and grant seeking activities and build the capacity of OAEC’s communications department with effective writing and technical skills. The Development and Communications Associate reports to OAEC’s Associate Program Director and Communications Director and works closely with the Executive Director, Office Manager, and other staff.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE JOB

Manage OAEC’s Donation Program:

• Manage and maintain organization of OAEC’s tracking systems for donor correspondence/visits and donations with meticulous attention to detail.
• Work with OAEC’s Associate Program Director, Office Manager and Bookkeeper to ensure each donation received is accurately recorded in our Quickbooks accounting system and constituent database.
• Generate donation acknowledgement letters and thank you cards for each donation received and mail in a timely fashion.
  Manage and coordinate donor invitations to OAEC events.
• Assist in the production and distribution of OAEC’s annual end-of-year update and end-of-year appeal letter sent to our donors and email list.
• Support development department with execution of other emergent projects and strategies.

Support the Pursuit and Management of Foundation Grants to OAEC:

• Manage all files, tracking systems, spreadsheets, and calendars for OAEC’s foundation grants, including budget projections and deadlines for proposals and reports.
• Manage the system for tracking correspondence, in-person meetings, and phone communications between OAEC program and development staff and each current and prospective foundation.
• Research new foundation prospects to support OAEC programs.
• Track the compilation of the elements of each grant proposal (narrative, financials, attachments) and grant reports in preparation for submission before a grant deadline by program staff or the Executive Director.
• Copy edit Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) and grant proposals written by program staff and the Executive Director, and take the lead on drafting some LOIs and proposals.

Support OAEC Communications:

• Understand OAEC’s website backend systems (including WordPress, Google Analytics, Google Adwords, NonProfit Easy CRM and Mailchimp plugins) and be able to make technical and content changes with input from Communications Director and other program staff.
• Research and assist the implementation of new platforms, software updates, and technical solutions.
• Following OAEC’s communication guidelines, approval protocols, and editorial calendar, collaborate with Communications Director and other program staff to write, produce and publish content for OAEC’s: three newsletters, social media, website (such as blog posts and web page updates), promotional and educational materials about OAEC’s work (such as videos, event fliers, graphics, maps, press releases, etc).
• Assist Office Manager with photo archive and Google Shared Drive organization and maintenance.
• Support communications department with execution of other key projects and strategies.

General Activities:

• Participate in weekly Thursday OAEC staff meetings and serve on appropriate committees.
• Participate in the annual staff performance review process, including serving on review committees of staff with whom the Associate will be working most closely.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE JOB

(Please do not apply if you do not meet the following requirements.)

• Prior office/administration and project management experience, preferably in a mission-based non-profit organization. Strong organizational skills with meticulous attention to detail are essential.
• Must be comfortable with and have a strong appetite for learning and mastering new web-based technologies, including the following: Apple Mac computers, Microsoft Office (Excel and Word), Google Drive environment (Sheets, Docs, Forms, etc), CRM database and accounting systems, WordPress, Google Analytics, and social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
• Excellent writing skills are a must and experience in journalism, copyediting, and graphic design is a huge plus. Over time, this person will grow into researching and creating beautiful and compelling written and visual content that is in tune with our complex audience(s) and effectively communicates OAEC’s mission and branding.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for working tactfully with donors and the highly diverse community of organizations and individuals who come to OAEC.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with a sense of humor and a positive attitude, and an interest in and ability to help resolve conflicts within organizational relationships.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work, and to be self-motivated and self-managing as this role will require both independent work and work with the entire OAEC staff collective.
• Have great enthusiasm for OAEC’s broader mission and programs that work to restore and protect biological and cultural diversity, and to create just and sustainable communities.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $50,000 - $75,000

Application instructions

Deadline

December 15, 2024