Deputy Development Director

The Opportunity

For over 25 years, AIDA has protected the right to a healthy environment by using the power of the law to fight for justice and ensure a sustainable future for Latin America and the Caribbean. AIDA works to address the climate, pollution crisis, and biodiversity loss crises we face. We advocate for the protection of human rights in the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy economies.

For this, AIDA seeks to hire the new role of Deputy Development Director to support the strategic growth of AIDA’s Development team and organization.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our growing Development department and organization, where you will play an important role in strengthening and consolidating our fundraising efforts, working with the Development Director. We are looking for a self-starter with strong interpersonal skills who is able to work both collaboratively and independently. The position requires exemplary organizational skills and attention to detail. The vast majority of our fundraising work is done in English, so exceptional English language skills are required.

In recent years, AIDA’s fundraising has been led by a small, collaborative team that has helped more than triple the organizational budget in the span of four years. As we have grown, so has the need to solidify our department and improve coordination across the organization. This role will focus primarily on institutional fundraising efforts and work with the Development Director to support the successful development and implementation of a comprehensive fundraising strategy.

About AIDA

The Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA) is a pioneering organization of Latin American experts who provide free legal and scientific support to protect the environment and communities in the Americas. We work in the context of climate change to achieve environmental and climate justice, as well as to improve environmental governance in the hemisphere.

We are driven by our mission to strengthen the capacity of people to guarantee their individual and collective right to a healthy environment. To achieve this, we select emblematic cases and projects where the strategic use of international law and scientific argumentation can set key precedents. We test new approaches, taking the application of laws and treaties beyond their common scope. We identify and disseminate information about best practices, and scientific and technical standards for achieving environmental protection.

We work hand in hand with individuals, communities, national and regional organizations, government entities, academia, and international agencies. We are a learning organization. We take risks intelligently, without fear of failure. We are socially and environmentally responsible, acting with integrity and consistency with our values.

The Mandate

The Deputy Development Director will be a leader with passion for the mission of environmental and human rights protection. Reporting to the Development Director, the Deputy Development Director will be a valued thought partner to our growing Development department—complementing a new hire of a Major Gifts Officer who will lead individual fundraising—with the opportunity for growth and potential for future management responsibility. The Deputy Development Director will work alongside AIDA’s Development Director to create an enhanced fundraising strategy and departmental goals, while also working supporting institutional fundraising efforts. The successful candidate must be able to build constructive and effective relationships with the Development, Communications, Finance, and Program teams to develop relevant fundraising collateral.

Responsibilities

• Support the Development Director with creating, implementing, and monitoring a comprehensive fundraising strategy that incorporates integrated individual work plans and shared goals across the department.
• Cultivate institutional funding opportunities by identifying, vetting, and maintaining a pipeline and portfolio of 20+ philanthropic funding relationships.
• Design, prepare, and submit compelling concept notes, proposals, reports, and other collateral, working closely with AIDA staff to ensure that all donor materials are high-quality and support retaining and increasing support from donors.
• Build relationships with prospective and existing donors via personal or video conferencing visits, phone calls, ongoing written contact, and events.
• Acquire and maintain a strong knowledge of AIDA’s work to educate and inform prospective and existing donors.
• Promote team cohesion and a positive workplace culture by participating in department, office, and organization wide meetings, trainings, and skills sharing.
• Work closely with the Development Director and the Communications team on projects at the intersection of fundraising and communications, as well as identify opportunities to highlight AIDA in relevant funder spaces.
• Maintain and regularly update donor databases, working with the fundraising team to ensure necessary information is current.
• Collaborate with the Communications team to develop tailored fundraising products and reports and ensure proper maintenance of relevant email segmentation lists.

Qualifications

Essential qualities include:

• Experience working in a fast-paced development/fundraising team.
• Demonstrated success in creating and implementing donor engagement strategies to support the full donor life cycle.
• Experience managing a portfolio of donors and supporting the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies to secure funding and deepen relationships with donors.
• Demonstrated ability to develop new and creative approaches to qualify and cultivate new prospective donors.
• Demonstrated capacity for collaboration across teams, absorbing and synthesizing complex information in English and/or Spanish and translating it to produce high-quality and compelling proposals, reports, concept notes, and other materials to meet deadline-driven deliverables.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills. Must be able to interact effectively with donors, executive team, management, and colleagues at all levels.
• Strong critical thinking, research, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Excellent project management skills with strong attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize working on multiple projects simultaneously while meeting internal and external deadlines.
• Proven experience using CRM (customer relationship management) databases to track/record development activities.
• Willingness to take initiative, problem-solve, and work cross-functionally with colleagues and across departments to support short-term and long-term Development and organizational goals.
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently (both virtually and in-person) with minimal supervision.
• Awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
• Ability to work toward the creation of a diverse, equitable and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences.
• Sense of humor is desired.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Experience with donor databases (such as Salesforce or Everyaction) desired
• Willingness and ability to travel, primarily within the United States.

Professional experience must include:

• College degree and 7+ years of fundraising and/or nonprofit experience preferred, ideally with a focus on foundations and institutional funding partners and experience securing six-figure grants or greater.
• Proven experience building and/or managing a portfolio of institutional funding partners, including supporting with concept notes, proposals, reports, and other relevant materials.
• Experience using effective interpersonal skills, listening, diplomacy, and tact to build strong relationships with donors, volunteers, and all levels of staff.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English and Spanish.