Description

Osprey Wilds seeks an experienced, dynamic, and results-oriented Development Director to lead and expand Osprey Wilds’ fundraising efforts in support of its mission to inspire environmental stewardship. Established in 1968, Osprey Wilds is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit environmental learning center located in Sandstone, MN. As an accredited K-12 school, Osprey Wilds hosts thousands of K-12 students annually for multi-day experiences at its 780-acre campus. Working to instill a connection and commitment to the environment in people of all communities through experiential learning, Osprey Wilds also offers youth and family camps, undergraduate and graduate post-secondary courses, community and adult programs, Road Scholar® learning adventures, is a retreat & conference center, as well as Minnesota’s largest charter school authorizer.  

The ideal candidate is self-motivated, collaborative, and mission-focused, with a strong drive to identify and cultivate new funding opportunities while deepening relationships with existing donors. The Development Director will foster a culture of philanthropy within Osprey Wilds that prioritizes relational over transactional connections. Working with Osprey Wilds’ Executive Director, marketing and communications team, and board members, the Development Director will help build awareness and engagement for Osprey Wilds’ work. 

The Development Director manages all fundraising activities to advance Osprey Wilds’ programs, including prospecting, cultivating, and stewarding individual, corporate, and foundation gifts, planned giving; and coordinating the annual appeal, capital campaigns, special initiatives, and events. 

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong strategic thinking related to communications to further Osprey Wilds’ vision. 

This full-time, exempt position is Twin Cities-based, with regular travel for donor visits and development-related meetings/activities. The role involves occasional travel to Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center in Sandstone, MN, as well as attendance at off-site events and donor cultivation meetings. Some occasional weekend and evening work is required. 

A Full Job Description can be found here: ospreywilds.org/ow-development-director-job-description

Compensation:

The salary for this position is $75,000.

We offer a competitive benefits package that includes: 

120 hours PTO annually 
80 hours of earned safe and sick leave per year 
11 paid floating holidays 
Medical, dental, and vision insurance 
Short and long-term disability insurance 
Life insurance
Paid Family Medical Leave
Employee Assistance Program 
Simple IRA with up to 3% matching contribution 
Monthly cell phone reimbursement

Final offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

Position is open until filled.

Requirements

• Bachelor Degree (or equivalent credentials) in related field plus 5 years of proven experience in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors and volunteers.
• Demonstrated leadership and management of teams, with minimum 2 years’ experience, pursuing a diverse set of projects and goals.
• Preference for experience in:
  • Planned giving and/or building an endowment\
  • Special events planning
  • Experience marketing products and services
  • Building of a sponsorship program
  • Developing digital strategies to cultivate and acquire support
  • Database usage including using fundraising databases for reports/queries as well as a comfortable level working with customer service should questions arise
• Project management experience
• Must have excellent writing skills and understanding of how to adapt writing to different audiences.
• Must have excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to interact effectively and professionally with clients, the general public, and Osprey Wilds Board and staff. This position represents Osprey Wilds through donor meetings and other in-person initiatives.
• Effectively and productively works remotely to establish and achieve goals required.
• Strong problem solving and prioritization skills are required.
• Excellence in collection, analysis, and interpretation of information.
• Excellent attention to detail, data accuracy, and integrity.
• Must be a match with Osprey Wilds’ core values of: Healthy Relationships, Equity, Action, and Life-long Learning