Mystic River Watershed Association · 20 hours ago
Development Director
Arlington, MA
Full-time
Hybrid
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$100K/yr - $140K/yr
5+ years expThe Mystic River Watershed Association is a nationally recognized environmental nonprofit organization located in Arlington, Massachusetts. They are seeking a Development Director to oversee all fundraising efforts, including major gifts and corporate donations, while leading the evolution of the organization's fundraising model to diversify philanthropic support and grow unrestricted resources.
CommunitiesWater
Hiring Manager
Michelle (Yan) Zhang
Responsibilities
Design and lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy that builds on MyRWA’s existing strengths while diversifying philanthropic support across individual, foundation, and corporate sources
Translate MyRWA’s technical water quality, climate resilience, and habitat restoration work into compelling, visionary case statements that connect mission, impact, and opportunity
Work in close, day-to-day partnership with the Executive Director on fundraising strategy and execution, including developing campaigns, cases for support, identifying high-value opportunities, and stewarding the organization’s most important relationships
Lead forecasting and goal-setting using historical trends and projections across fundraising activities
Build and refine systems, tools, and practices that strengthen fundraising effectiveness over time, including donor segmentation, moves management, and pipeline development
Contribute to cross-team visioning and planning that support MyRWA’s long-term sustainability
Lead and grow MyRWA’s individual giving program, including annual fund campaigns and major giving
Develop and manage a thoughtful major gift strategy that cultivates, stewards, and solicits, high-net-worth individuals in alignment with MyRWA’s mission and values
Successfully solicit and close five- and six-figure gifts from a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals
Identify and cultivate additional mid-level donors with the potential to grow into major donors
Create donor-centered communications and marketing materials across all print and digital platforms in close collaboration with the communications team
Support the development Associate in CRM management, lead on MyRWA cultivation events, and house parties, and support the Associate on the Herring Run & Paddle and smaller cultivation events like paddles and bike rides
Coach the Board of Directors and Executive Director on donor engagement and solicitation strategies, as a strategic advisor and thought partner
Provide clear reporting, strategy updates, and engagement opportunities that empower Board members to activate their networks and contribute meaningfully to fundraising success
Support the continued development of a strong culture of philanthropy across the Board and organization
Qualification
Required
5+ years of experience in fundraising excellence
Demonstrated experience contributing to or leading philanthropic efforts of $1M+ annually, through a combination of individual and institutional support
Proven success in the full donor engagement cycle, including the ability to develop persuasive cases for support and a track record of personally securing five- and six-figure gifts through direct donor asks
Demonstrated ability to write high-impact case statements that align organizational mission with donor values and intent
Track record of deepening donor engagement and stewardship, resulting in sustained support and long-term relationships
Strategic use of Bloomerang (or similar fundraising CRM) to drive moves management, donor pipeline tracking, and decision-making
Strategic thinker with the ability to manage for results
Passionate about the mission of environmental protection, river restoration, conservation, climate, and/or environmental justice
Ability to travel for events and site visits throughout our watershed
Strong ethics and judgment in maintaining sensitive and confidential information
Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, at the organization and in the community, and to principles of Community-Centric Fundraising
Benefits
80% coverage of health insurance premiums
Paid time off policy (15 days in your first year, 20 days in your second year)
12 paid holidays and 12 sick paid days per year
Immediate eligibility for participation in a 401k retirement plan (with 4% match)
Professional development funds
Additional paid family and medical leave to supplement the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave
Company
Mystic River Watershed Association
The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is an environmental nonprofit organization in the greater Boston, MA area.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageTotal Funding
$0.5MKey Investors
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
2023-10-23Grant· $0.5M
Company data provided by crunchbase