Development Director

Maine Huts & Trails (MH&T) is a non-profit based in Kingfield, Maine, that maintains an 80-mile network of backcountry, multi-use recreation trails and four eco-lodges in Maine’s western mountains, spanning from Carrabassett Valley to West Forks and the Kennebec River Valley. Together, the off-grid huts and trail experience provide discovery, fun, and adventure for individuals and groups of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Position Summary: The Development Director will maintain responsibility for all donor engagement and fundraising activities at MH&T. This is a special opportunity to formalize, oversee, and grow a development program with a focus on engaging an identified base of prospective major donors. Specifically, the Development Director will: Collaborate with the ED, Board, and other staff to frame and share the evolving MH&T story with a wider community. Build strong relationships with all constituencies and lead donor relations with individuals, foundations, and corporate donors. Help guide MH&T’s current Seed Campaign and position the organization for a future comprehensive fundraising campaign. This is a remote position with the flexibility to work from a home office. Regular travel is required to our trails and eco-lodges, and the individual must be able to traverse uneven terrain outdoors, with or without accommodation. The role also involves traveling to meet with friends, donors, and partners of the organization throughout Maine and possibly beyond. Primary Responsibilities: Lead the development program and serve as a frontline fundraiser: Enhance our existing development program, including annual giving efforts, the major gift program, grant opportunities, and select donor engagement events. Annual Fund: Develop strategies and systems to identify, qualify, cultivate, secure, and then steward all levels of annual gifts. Major Gifts: Grow our major gifts program and create goals, timetables, and metrics to benchmark growth. Grants: Collaborate with the ED and other staff in identifying and cultivating grant opportunities, writing grant proposals, and submitting progress reports as needed. Planned Giving: Develop and implement strategies to drive awareness of planned giving opportunities and realize prospects’ potential for planned gifts. Comprehensive campaign: Partner with the ED, Board of Directors, and other leadership volunteers to manage and implement all aspects of a future campaign. Donor research: Conduct research to evaluate past, current, and prospective donors; use data to identify potential donors and determine appropriate asks. Activate and collaborate with leadership in development efforts: Support and partner with the ED and Board of Directors in their cultivation and solicitation activities. Track fundraising activity and generate reports to assess the progress of the annual fund and each prospect’s cultivation/solicitation/stewardship plan. Maximize the capabilities of the organization’s CRM (Salesforce). Ensure timely and grateful acknowledgement of gifts and accurate reporting to funders. Lead the planning and execution of fundraising appeals and donor/prospect cultivation events. Support the communications function: Collaborate with the marketing and communications colleagues to write, design and create materials to support all fundraising efforts, including direct mail, email, and social media. Develop marketing collateral related to fundraising, communicating and representing the mission, vision, and values of MH&T, and sharing a clear and compelling narrative with donors and stakeholders. Desired Experience & Qualifications: Commitment to Maine Huts & Trails’ mission. Minimum of 5 years of related professional experience, including 2-3 years of demonstrated donor solicitation activity. Proven track record of closing four- and five-figure gifts and upgrading donors. Exceptional interpersonal skills, demonstrated ability to listen actively, speak with confidence and enthusiasm, and write clearly. Successful interactions with community volunteers and diverse constituencies. Experience using a CRM database, Salesforce preferred. Current knowledge of trends and best practices in nonprofit fundraising. Enthusiastic, flexible, and positive demeanor; capable of working independently as well as part of a team. Demonstrated ability to establish and meet deadlines. High professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information. Excellent computer/technology skills, especially in Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint. This job description should not be construed to imply that these requirements are the exclusive standards of the position. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to employment@mainehuts.org. Maine Huts & Trails is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. #J-18808-Ljbffr