Company description

The Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network (ASAN) is a grassroots network focusing on supporting small-scale, sustainable, diversified farmers throughout the state of Alabama. ASAN was formed in 2001 by farmers (flanked by nonprofits and agriculture professionals), whose needs for agricultural training and education were not being met by more mainstream and traditional sources -- and so they turned to one another to meet those needs together, as a network.

ASAN's mission is to support conservation practices, families who grow and consume natural food and fiber, and the communities where they live. ASAN defines “sustainable agriculture” as farming that supports families and communities while conserving natural resources.

ASAN was formed by bringing together producers and other local-food stakeholders to share knowledge, resources, challenges, and solutions, but also to create space for shared community and social support. Since its founding, ASAN has grown to have a reach of over 3000 farms, ranches, farmers markets, businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and households. We disseminate information, news, and other resources across our network via a popular quarterly newsletter, monthly emails, and through our website and social media pages. ASAN provides scholarships for Alabama farmers to access learning and networking opportunities including state and regional farming conferences.

We host annual Food & Farm Forums, which combine peer-to-peer education, experiential learning, and community-building, and plays a critical role in growing and strengthening our network. (The Food & Farm Forum was a statewide multi-day conference until 2013. From 2013 to 2016 it has existed as an annual four-part series, the Regional Food & Farm Forums. In 2017 we will once again host a single statewide Food & Farm Forum.)

We also host or partner on various workshops, field days, potluck dinners, social gatherings, and other events throughout the year. Lastly, as interest in the local and sustainable food movement grows, more and more we are called on to provide a platform for deeper, bigger-picture analysis of that movement and our individual roles in it.

In 2017 we plan to focus deeply on organizational development, internal capacity-building, and strategic planning. The creation of this position is a part of that growth work.

Job description

POSITION OVERVIEW:
This is a new position in the organization, which increases the full-time staff of the organization from one to two. The Development Director will have the opportunity to help build and shape the position, and the organization. The Development Director will serve as a key leadership team member and an active participant in making strategic decisions affecting ASAN. Therefore the ideal candidate will have strong specialized development skills and interests, coupled with versatility and a big-picture commitment to organization-building. Along with the Executive Director, the Development Director will also need to be able to capably fulfill a wide variety of ongoing organizational needs.

Reporting to (and working in partnership with) the Executive Director, the Development Director will spearhead fundraising and development efforts as ASAN continues to grow.

In year one, the Development Director will lead: build-out and implementation of Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) software for the organization; planning of a farm-to-fork fundraising event; management of existing and new grant proposals; creation of a plan for the organization to grow, diversify, and stabilize a $150K+ budget through grants (public and private), membership dues, individual and business contributions, special events, and other means. He/she/they will also help the board of directors (and other volunteers) to take on a more active fundraising role within the organization.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Develop and execute an annual funding development plan which increases revenues to support the strategic direction of the organization (in collaboration with the Executive Director).
   • Work with the Executive Director and Board of Directors Development Committee to ensure funding development plan goals are met.
   • Help establish performance measures and monitor results of the organization’s fundraising efforts. Collaborate with the Executive Director, Development Committee, and Board to evaluate fundraising effectiveness and make improvements where/when needed.
   • Prepare monthly report related to fundraising and the management of the development activities.
2. Develop, coordinate, and track proposals and reports for grant funding from public and private sources.
3. Manage membership program including sending renewal notices, processing incoming membership dues, and issuing receipts.
   • Oversee implementation of Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) software (Powerbase) and develop protocols for staff data entry and data management.
   • Work with Executive Director and Membership Committee to make improvements to the membership program.
   • Grow the number of paid ASAN members.
4. Manage team of staff, board, and volunteers to plan, execute, and evaluate special fundraising events.
5. Develop and implement a system (policy) for documentation, tracking, and follow-up of all donations to ASAN.
6. Develop policies and procedures for the development department which reflect ethical fundraising practices.
7. Develop and maintain ongoing relationships with major donors and grantors.
8. Build relationships with community stakeholders to advance the mission and fundraising goals of the organization.
9. Work with the Executive Director and board to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the organization.
10. Assist the Executive Director to meet the ongoing programmatic and operational needs of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

• 3+ years’ experience in nonprofit development
  • Experience with grant-writing and grant management
  • Experience planning and executing public events
  • Experience with individual and corporate/business fundraising
• Flexibility, adaptability, and willingness to fill roles that may fall outside the strict definition of the position
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong self-awareness and self-knowledge
• Cultural humility, and ability to engage a broad diversity of constituents (including donors) to build long-term relationships
• Ability to work independently without close oversight
• Versatility and adaptability
• Curiosity and passion for learning
• Passion and enthusiasm for ASAN’s mission
• Ability to construct, articulate, and implement annual strategic development plan
• Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail
• A professional and resourceful style; the ability to take initiative, and to manage multiple tasks and projects at a time
• Critical mind and outside-the-box thinking

QUALIFICATIONS PREFERRED:

• Experience with Constituent Relationship Management software
• Experience managing paid/dues-based membership program

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

Salary: $34,000-$39,000, based on experience

Benefits: monthly stipend for health insurance (through the Affordable Care Act)

Candidates are required to have their own cell phone, laptop/computer, and personal vehicle/reliable transportation.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, varies DOE, $34,000.00 - $39,000.00

Application instructions

Deadline

February 17, 2017