Communications and Development Manager

SUMMARY 

Spark Northwest seeks a team member who will help us tell our story to raise awareness, cultivate existing supporters and secure new funding. Example activities include: design and distribute a high-quality annual report, lead a successful in-person event, investigate and pursue new funding opportunities, hold in person meetings with major donors, and design communication materials to share our impact. This position reports to the Executive Director and works with other program staff. 

Spark Northwest envisions a resilient Pacific Northwest where clean energy is abundant, and its benefits are shared equitably. We work alongside communities to make their clean energy goals a reality, prioritizing people in rural areas, Indigenous nations, and immigrant and low-income folks. We also advocate for policy change to ensure a Just Transition to clean energy. We work in Oregon and Washington and have an office in Seattle. We are a small but mighty staff of twelve. Please visit sparknorthwest.org to learn more. 

In keeping with our mission to advance clean energy that builds power and wealth for people impacted by racial and economic injustice, we especially value candidates who have lived or professional experience in BIPOC, immigrant, rural, Tribal and low-income communities that have been underrepresented in the sector. We highly encourage people with that knowledge and experience to apply. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Development Activities (50%) 

 Individual and Corporate Giving 

 o Cultivate existing donors through touchpoints, sharing reports, thank you cards, meetings, etc. 

 o Recruit and cultivate new supporters 

 o Process gifts, create donor acknowledgements, and perform donor stewardship 

 o Identify, cultivate, and solicit businesses in the community for corporate partnerships and employee engagement opportunities 

Planning Events 

 o Execute a casual annual fundraising event (usually around 100 people for drinks and apps) 

 o Plan a few smaller community building events, e.g. a tour of a solar installation 

Grant Writing Support 

o Research and track foundation prospects in collaboration with the program team 

 o Create proposals for general operating grants in collaboration with the Executive Director 

 o Track reporting requirements and draft reports in collaboration with the Executive Director and program team 

Communications (30%) 

o Create and distribute an Annual Report and bi-monthly newsletters 

o Regular website updates and social media posts 

o Support program staff with outreach materials, including one-pagers and slide decks 

o Facilitate production of occasional short videos to feature Spark Northwest’s work

Leadership and Strategy (10%) 

 o Develop an annual plan for Spark Northwest communications and development activities-set goals and tactics to meet targets 

o Participate in monthly revenue strategy meetings with finance and program team leads 

o Attend quarterly board meetings and collaborate with board members on how they can help raise support for Spark Northwest 

Contribute to the success of Spark Northwest (10%) 

o Join weekly staff meetings and participate in equity discussions and other learning activities 

o Participate in developing organizational goals and strategic plans 

o Represent Spark Northwest at events, conferences, and other public forums
 

 SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND ABILITIES 

The successful candidate will share our passion for creating solutions for our most pressing energy, environmental, and social justice challenges. They will be a motivated self-starter, have great teamwork skills, and will thrive in a lively, nimble organization. Ideally, they will have substantial fundraising experience. We understand that no one person will have all of the skills and experiences listed below, so if you meet several categories and believe you would be a good fit for Spark Northwest, please consider applying. 

The following are desired skills and experiences, roughly in order of importance: 

• Three years or more of fundraising or similar experience 

• Three years or more of communications or similar experience 

• Have lived and/or work experience in BIPOC, immigrant, rural, Tribal or low-wealth communities 

• Experience working with a community of supporters 

• Have strong execution skills and an inclusive, collaborative approach 

• Be able to juggle multiple priorities and unexpected outcomes 

• Experience with using MS Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook 

• Experience with using Salesforce, Airtable, Canva, Hootsuite, and/or Mailchimp 

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION 

The Communications and Development Manager salary range is $84,000 to $89,000. In addition to salary, our benefits package includes health and dental insurance, four weeks paid flexible time off, twelve paid holidays, paid sick leave, paid family & medical Leave, retirement plan, professional development allowance, and public transit subsidy. 
 

LOCATION 

We require that employees reside (or plan to reside) in Oregon or Washington. We offer a flexible work environment with a self-determined mix of in-person and remote work. We have an office located in downtown Seattle, where we gather regularly for in-person collaboration. Some minimal travel for meetings with supporters is expected. For remote work, employees need access to internet and phone. If this is a barrier, we can make accommodations. 
 

TO APPLY 

Position will remain open until filled, but applications received by June 12 will receive priority consideration. Expected start date is early- to mid-July. Note: Applicants must be authorized to lawfully work in the United States. Please submit the following to jobs@sparknorthwest.org with the subject line: “Your Name, Communications & Development Manager”: 

 • A cover letter. Please select three things from the Skills, Experiences and Abilities listed above and provide examples of how your experiences align with those areas 

 • A current resume with duration or dates of employment 

 • A work product example that you created (e.g., flyer, grant application, slide deck, newsletter) 

 • Optional: please let us know in your email how you heard about this job announcement so that we can streamline future recruiting processes
 

No phone inquiries please. 

Spark Northwest is an equal opportunity employer who does not discriminate against any employee or job applicant due to gender, race, color, religion, national origin, political ideology, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected status. Background checks may be performed. An interesting past is not an exclusion for working with our team. We ask applicants to be open to discussing any findings with us as we may have questions. We believe in grace, forgiveness, and second chances.