The Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) seeks a committed and motivated individual to build out our donor program. VCN’s Fundraising and Grants Manager is a new position that will work closely with the Executive Director and other members of the team to communicate our story to funders and donors about the unique role we play in the conservation community.

VCN is the network of 150+ partner organizations across the Commonwealth committed to building a powerful, diverse, and highly-coordinated conservation movement. VCN works on a wide range of issues including advancing climate action; restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay; creating access to parks, trails, and walkable/bikeable communities; ensuring environmental justice for all; and more.  

The VCN team includes nine total staff throughout the state. Each staff member works both independently and as part of the team. As a staff, we prioritize meeting up throughout the year for in-person planning meetings, an annual retreat, and other outdoor outings that have included tree planting, rafting down the James River, and visiting our state parks. During the General Assembly, VCN’s Richmond office is a hub office for the environmental community.  

VCN is committed to building a more equitable and diverse organization and Network. VCN’s staff works collaboratively to update and implement an annual diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice work plan. You can learn more about our work on DEIJ at https://vcnva.org/deij-commitment.

VCN’s Fundraising and Grants Manager is a new position that will work closely with the Executive Director and other team members to communicate our story to funders and donors about the unique role we play in the conservation community.

Position Status:

• Exempt, Salaried; 40 hours/week
• Salary: $50,000 – $55,000 with Benefits
• The VCN office is based in Richmond, VA. This position is eligible for telework within Virginia. Travel throughout VA is required.

Grant Writing

• Write grant proposals and reports for VCN’s existing set of funders by working with relevant VCN staff to best convey our work and the unique role VCN plays in the community 
• Track proposal and report deadlines and ensure timely submission of all grant materials 
• Write LOIs and grant proposals for prospective donors and funder

Funder Cultivation & Prospecting

• Create and manage a year-long funder cultivation plan 
• Provide regular updates for funders and donors to share relevant program updates and highlights 
• Research and build a list of funder prospects for VCN   
• Work with VCN board members to cultivate and outreach to prospective donors 

Event Sponsorship Solicitation  

• Create a sponsorship outreach plan for VCN’s Annual Partner Retreat and other events
• Outreach and recruit event sponsors for VCN’s Annual Partner Retreat and other events

Record Tracking

• Manage funder and donor contacts in VCN’s Salesforce database

Other Duties as Assigned

• VCN is a small team, and everyone takes on tasks as needed to ensure we’re providing the best support for our partners and making the biggest impact we can for conservation in Virginia.

In addition, the Fundraising and Grants Manager will work with the rest of the VCN team toward our shared organizational goals around diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.  

Candidates must have 2 – 3 years of experience in grant writing, or other development experience, with strong written and oral communications skills. Candidates should be excited about fundraising and building out a successful fundraising program. Must be proficient in working with both Microsoft Office Suite and GSuite. Experience with Salesforce is a plus experience using a database and being able to quickly learn online tools is required. Candidates must be able to work with a team as well as individually. Additionally, candidates who apply must have a strong commitment to environmental protection and a drive to fulfill the organization’s mission.

This is a full-time, salaried position. The office is based in Richmond, Virginia, although this position qualifies for telework within Virginia. The position reports to VCN’s Executive Director. The position requires working outside of the typical business days a few times a month. This position includes travel throughout the state, on average, 2-3 days a month for VCN events, meetings, and retreats. A driver’s license is required, but owning a car is not. Telework option requires high-speed internet capable of video meetings in a dedicated and quiet space. Must be available during regular business hours (9 AM – 5 PM, Mon – Fri).

The salary for this position is $50,000 – $55,000. Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance (with fully covered employee premiums); 20 days of vacation plus sick days and holidays; a retirement plan; and family leave. Other benefits include cell phone reimbursements, a budget towards professional development, a parking spot downtown or bike commuter reimbursement (if based in Richmond), and an annual staff retreat to a different scenic region of the state each year.

Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is key to innovation and a culture of excellence. Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions. If you meet more than 75% of the qualifications of this description, we support your application.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of Virginia Conservation Network to consider all candidates equally without regard to age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or other non-merit factors.

This position will remain posted until the job is filled. The preferred application deadline is January 30, 2023. The target start date is mid-March 2023.

Please apply via this form. Applications submitted via other methods (email, LinkedIn, etc) will not be considered.