Now Hiring – Development and Communications Associate

~ Job Announcement ~

Development and Communications Associate

at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center

40 hrs per week. On-site position.

Application Deadline: 5:00pm PST, Sunday, December 15th, 2024

Hire date: mid-January, 2024

The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) is an 80-acre demonstration, education and advocacy center and organic farm located in western Sonoma County, California. Now in our 30th year, OAEC’s work focuses on cultivating ecological literacy and building the capacity of civic and social movement leaders and organizations to guide their communities toward an ecologically regenerative, economically viable, and socially just future. We offer a diverse and interrelated set of programs and partnerships to achieve our mission, including modeling land-based resiliency, training change makers, building the capacity of communities and organizations, and policy advocacy. 

JOB SUMMARY

OAEC seeks a talented and enthusiastic individual to join our experienced, highly effective and joyful staff collective. The Development and Communications Associate provides administrative support to ensure the success of OAEC’s diverse projects and programs. They handle many administrative aspects of our donor and grant seeking activities and build the capacity of OAEC’s communications department with effective writing and technical skills. The Development and Communications Associate reports to OAEC’s Development and Program Manager and Communications Director and works closely with the Executive Director, Office Manager, and other staff. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE JOB

• Manage OAEC’s Donation Program: 
  • Manage and maintain organization of OAEC’s tracking systems for donor correspondence/visits and donations with meticulous attention to detail. 
  • Work with OAEC’s Development and Program Manager, Office Manager and Bookkeeper to ensure each donation received is accurately recorded in our Quickbooks accounting system and constituent database. 
  • Generate donation acknowledgement letters and thank you cards for each donation received and mail in a timely fashion.
  • Manage and coordinate donor invitations to OAEC events.
  • Assist in the production and distribution of OAEC’s annual end-of-year update and end-of-year appeal letter sent to our donors and email list.
  • Support development department with execution of other emergent projects and strategies.
    
• Support the Pursuit and Management of Foundation Grants to OAEC: 
  • Manage all files, tracking systems, spreadsheets, and calendars for OAEC’s foundation grants, including budget projections and deadlines for proposals and reports.
  • Manage the system for tracking correspondence, in-person meetings, and phone communications between OAEC program and development staff and each current and prospective foundation.
  • Research new foundation prospects to support OAEC programs.
  • Track the compilation of the elements of each grant proposal (narrative, financials, attachments) and grant reports in preparation for submission before a grant deadline by program staff or the Executive Director. 
  • Copy edit Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) and grant proposals written by program staff and the Executive Director, and take the lead on drafting some LOIs and proposals.
    
• Support OAEC Communications:
  • Understand OAEC’s website backend systems (including WordPress, Google Analytics, Google Adwords, NonProfit Easy CRM and Mailchimp plugins) and be able to make technical and content changes with input from Communications Director and other program staff. Research and assist the implementation of new platforms, software updates, and technical solutions. 
  • Following OAEC’s communication guidelines, approval protocols, and editorial calendar, collaborate with Communications Director and other program staff to write, produce and publish content for OAEC’s:
    • Three newsletters
    • Social media
    • Website, such as blog posts and web page updates
    • Promotional and educational materials about OAEC’s work, such as videos, event fliers, graphics, maps, press releases, etc.
  • Assist Office Manager with photo archive and Google Shared Drive organization and maintenance. 
  • Support communications department with execution of other key projects and strategies.
    
• General Activities:
  • Participate in weekly Thursday OAEC staff meetings and serve on appropriate committees.
  • Participate in the annual staff performance review process, including serving on review committees of staff with whom the Associate will be working most closely.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE JOB (Please do not apply if you do not meet the following requirements.)

• Prior office/administration experience, preferably in a mission-based non-profit organization. Project management experience is highly desirable. Strong organizational skills with meticulous attention to detail is essential.
• Must be comfortable with and have a strong appetite for learning new web-based technologies, including the following:
  • Proficiency working in Microsoft Office (Excel and Word), and in the Google Drive environment (Sheets and Docs). OAEC staff use Apple Mac computers.
  • Experience working with CRM database systems (i.e. Salesforce, Fundly, Salsa, etc) and Quickbooks, or demonstrable ability to quickly master our database and accounting systems.
  • Experience using WordPress and Google Analytics and have a basic understanding of Search Engine Optimization. 
  • Proficiency with and enthusiasm for social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram. 
• Excellent writing skills are a must and experience in journalism, copyediting, and graphic design is a huge plus. Over time, this person will grow into researching and creating beautiful and compelling written and visual content that is in tune with our complex audience(s) and effectively communicates OAEC’s mission and branding.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for working tactfully with donors and the highly diverse community of organizations and individuals who come to OAEC. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with a sense of humor and a positive attitude, and an interest in and ability to help resolve conflicts within organizational relationships.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work, and to be self-motivated and self-managing as this role will require both independent work and work with the entire OAEC staff collective.
• Have great enthusiasm for OAEC’s broader mission and programs that work to restore and protect biological and cultural diversity, and to create just and sustainable communities. 

COMPENSATION, LOCATION AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The annual salary for the Development and Communications Associate is $61,612 per year at 40 hours/week. Compensation rates and raises for all staff are set by the OAEC Staff Executive Council, which is elected by the staff collective. 
• OAEC offers a paid health and wellness benefit, currently set at 100% of the value of a Kaiser Permanente Silver HMO Plan for each employee, as well as an employee-only contribution 401(k) option, and a cell phone plan stipend of $50/month. 
• OAEC offers generous paid time off: a total of 5 weeks and 3 days per year of vacation and floating holidays combined, as well as paid sick time off. 
• The Development and Communications Associate will work in one of the offices at OAEC. They may have some flexibility to work occasional days remotely from home.  
• All staff may enjoy the use of OAEC’s beautiful facilities, including our swimming pond, hot tub and sauna, and wildlands. Staff are invited to harvest from the extraordinary array of organic produce, flowers, and fruit grown in our Mother Garden and orchards.
• When working on-site, staff may participate in the organic meals prepared for retreats and residents by OAEC’s kitchen staff. Staff may take OAEC courses free of charge, and attend the various theater performances, small concerts, talks and celebrations happening on-site throughout the year. We welcome visits from family and friends.

HOW TO APPLY  

• Before applying, please spend some time looking at our website: www.oaec.org to better learn about the site, the organization, and to understand what OAEC does in the world. You might also look at a recent Annual Update, and some of the various 3-minute videos on our website, including about our Resilient Community Design Program, our Bring Back the Beaver Campaign, and a visual tour of our Retreat Center.   
• OAEC actively seeks a diverse applicant pool and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply. OAEC does not discriminate based on an individual’s race, sex, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or on any other basis prohibited by law.  
• We are accepting applications until 5:00 pm PST, Sunday, December 15, 2024. Early application is encouraged as applicant screening will begin before the deadline. The Development and Communications Associate will start mid-January, when the position is filled. 
• Qualified applicants should email a cover letter, resume, and list of three to five references to “Hiring Manager” at with the subject: “Development and Communications Associate Position.” Resumes without cover letters will not be considered. Please do not contact OAEC directly with questions or inquiries, but refer to this Job Announcement on the OAEC Jobs web page for information. Thank you!