Development Officer, Foundations

Job Description:

Position Overview  

The Development Officer-Foundations is responsible for the development and management of a portfolio of current and potential donors – primarily foundations. This includes working with programmatic staff to build the fundraising strategy and the case for support while building and leveraging key relationships and contacts within and outside of the organization’s network. The Development Officer - Foundations will be a key contributor to the development team and will be essential to the achievement of the organization’s fundraising goals.  

Application Instructions

To help us better assess your written communication skills, we kindly ask that you include a writing sample with your application. Please submit a sample that best represents your writing abilities and is relevant to a professional setting.

Responsibilities

Fundraising & Engagement 

• Advance foundation relationships that result in large philanthropic contributions for RMI through strategic engagement, in person and virtual visits, email correspondence, and telephone conversations with prospects and donors.  

• Identify, qualify, solicit and steward a portfolio of approximately 40 new and prospective foundation accounts with capacity to make gifts (5 to 6 figure) for a total pipeline of up to $2,000,000. 

• Provide high-quality experience for donors and potential donors through education and engagement on RMI’s clean energy program portfolio, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts. 

• Act as a fundraising partner alongside Development Directors and Senior Managers in support of managing major, complex accounts. 

• Gather data, assess prospects, and develop strategies designed to realize the current and lifetime giving potential of prospects and their networks.  

• Prepare meeting briefings, strategic planning for meeting goals and roles, and prepare communications and materials, designing meeting content, and coordinate activities with program and finance colleagues.  

• Perform other duties as required or assigned.  

Proposal Development & Content Expertise 

• Work collaboratively with program teams to gain a comprehensive understanding of RMI work and build strong working relationships with program leaders. Create compelling proposals, prepare timely reports, and share cultivation materials for new areas of partnership in stewardship of existing donors.   

• Gain and maintain a comprehensive understanding of RMI’s program portfolios, providing valuable insights and feedback on program strategy, and build strong working relationships with program leaders. 

• Translate highly technical information into accessible written and verbal communication to highlight the unique value of investment in RMI, and encourage corporations and sustainability leaders to support and engage with key RMI programs and initiatives. 

Strategy, Research & Operational Quality 

• Gather research and data, identify and assess prospects, and develop engagement and cultivation strategies designed to realize the current and future philanthropic giving and new business development. 

• Use Salesforce database to document real-time relationship management processes and provide accurate relationship status and financial projections for portfolio and effective opportunity move management.   

• Work collaboratively with operational teams, such as Legal, Accounting, and Finance to successfully manage corporate relationships.  

• Collaborate with various Development verticals to leverage new and existing donor relationships and advance fundraising opportunities.  

• Serve as an active member of the Development and Strategic Engagement teams; support the implementation of the teams’ short- and long-term objectives; attend staff meetings, serve on special task forces, participate in relevant-program meetings, and understand and contribute to RMI’s Development and Strategic Engagement strategies and overall mission 

Qualifications

Minimum Education & Experience  

• Bachelor’s Degree, Master's degree in related field preferred 

• 5+ years work experience in nonprofit development, with a track record of contributing to the successful solicitation of philanthropic grants and gifts.   

• 5+ years work experience managing foundation, institutional, or other complex external relationships. 

• Track record of successfully cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding significant corporate, philanthropic, sponsorship, grant, or partnership commitments. 

• Experience managing proposal, grant, or partnership development processes involving multiple stakeholders from across an organization. 

• Experience writing successful grant applications, proposals, pitch materials, concept notes, or partnership narratives. 

• Experience working successfully with top-level executives in a fast-paced environment. 

• Experience working in the environment, climate, sustainability, science, or energy field strongly desired. 

• Experience with climate philanthropy, climate commitments, or strategic partnerships strongly preferred. 

• International experience desired but not required. 

• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time. 

General  

• Knowledge of and passion for RMI’s mission of transforming the global energy system to secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. 

• Knowledge of RMI’s mission and objectives as well as the principles and practices of non-profit organizations and foundations.  

• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.  

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with RMI staff, Board members, foundation partners, community groups and other associated agencies.  

• Able to navigate and understand a complicated funding environment with the flexibility to change course quickly with a positive attitude   

• Ability to manage multiple complex and nuanced projects, relationships, deadlines, and deliverables at the same time. 

• Strong judgment and discretion in managing external relationships, partner expectations, and reputational considerations.   

Location

We are a remote-ready company with team members around the globe. Our beautiful and welcoming offices are available for meetings or focused work, whether you are traveling through or living nearby. Our U.S. offices are in New York City; Washington DC; Oakland, California; Boulder, Colorado, and Basalt, Colorado. This role can be located from anywhere in the continental United States.

We provide you with the essential IT equipment plus a one-time home technology payment and a monthly work from home/commuter allowance to ensure you have a comfortable home office set up and necessary supplies.

We love seeing each other in person! We occasionally gather for shared time together like retreats and learning experiences. Be ready to travel for occasional in-person meetings (and of course, we cover travel costs). Some roles may require more travel, which will be discussed during the hiring process.

Compensation

At RMI, we prioritize fairness in our pay practices. Salaries are determined based on a mix of experience, market benchmarks, and internal equity across similar roles. The salary range of this position is $96,645-$119,115. New hires typically start toward the lower end of the range, depending on experience and alignment with the role’s scope. In addition to base salary, this position includes an annual bonus target of 10% and eligibility for merit-based increases, which are tied to both individual and organizational performance.

Benefits

We offer an array of benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision insurance

• 403b retirement match with immediate vesting

• Group life, AD&D, and short- and long-term disability

• Optional voluntary life, AD&D and accident plans

• Health savings or flexible spending accounts

• Fertility and hormonal health support

• Mental health and wellness support

• Comprehensive leaves of absence (including generous parental leave)

• Generous paid time off and sick leave

• Paid sabbatical leave

• Regional holidays with at least one extended break in each geography

• Work from home and home technology allowances

• Learning & development opportunities (LinkedIn Learning and an annual individual professional development budget)

• Potential for bonuses and merit increases

• Discount marketplace (gym memberships, pet insurance, etc.)

• Hybrid / remote work options

• Team retreats and geographic meetups

• Rewards and recognition programs

Diversity

We know that the diversity of our teams makes us stronger as an organization, and RMI is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity as outlined in U.S. federal law. We prohibit discrimination against applicants, interns, and employees on the basis of any legally recognized basis, including but not limited to: age (40 and over), race, color, sex, pregnancy (including lactation, childbirth, or related medical conditions), religion, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender expression/identity, uniformed service member status, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other applicable status protected by applicable law.

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.