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The Good Work Institute (GWI) is seeking a Development Steward to drive organizational sustainability and lead our efforts to fund our continued operations.

About GWI:

As the full extent of the ecological and cultural destruction wrought by an economic system that values the pursuit of profit and endless growth over the welfare of humans and the biosphere becomes clear, we believe that people are more ready than ever to usher in something radically different. More and more of us are reconnecting to our hearts, to our communities, and to the earth, and committing to building a future that works for all.

The Good Work Institute is a non-profit organization in the Mahicantuck Valley, also known as the Hudson Valley of New York, that hopes to help turn this moment into a sustained movement by cultivating, connecting, supporting, and illuminating the people, projects, and organizations that are leading Just Transition locally. To that end, we offer local nonprofits, activists, and other agents of change tools, work space, trainings, support services, and connections to deepen and expand their Good Work.

Our organization’s guiding framework is Just Transition. Inspired by the words and work of Movement Generation, we frame our Just Transition work around a set of five strategic and interrelated areas of focus:

• Advancing ecological repair
• Democratizing communities, wealth, and work
• Driving racial justice and social equity
• Retaining and restoring cultural diversity
• Relocalizing economic power

About This Role:

The Good Work Institute is a Worker Self-Directed Nonprofit, which is a democratic, shared leadership model that allows significant autonomy and flexibility. The Development Steward will not directly report to any one person. Instead, this position will primarily work within the Development Circle, the operational unit within the Good Work Institute tasked with design and implementation of the GWI development strategy. The Development Circle, like all GWI circles, operates with the oversight and support of the GWI General Circle, which in turn operates with the oversight and support of the GWI Board of Directors. To learn more about our system of shared leadership, you can read about our journey as a Worker Self Directed Nonprofit on our website. 

The Development Steward will have a core set of roles and accountabilities within the Development Circle and additional roles depending on organizational need, personal interest, and experience. We see ourselves as an emergent, highly flexible organization that is looking to lead by example when it comes to systems change. Therefore, we are looking for someone who is open to working in a dynamic and evolving environment, is committed to collaboration and willing to be an active participant in our ongoing journey of shared leadership.

We intend for the Development Steward to play a role in the core strategy and leadership of the organization. 

Core Accountabilities

• Grow GWI’s fundraising by $250K in the near term, with consistent annual growth over the next five years. 
• Lead an energetic, collaborative culture of philanthropy that engages all GWI workers and board members around development strategy and implementation.

Primary Roles:

The Development Steward, with the support of the Development Circle, will lead the design and implementation of the GWI Development Strategy, which includes institutional funder and individual donor cultivation.

For institutional funders, the Development Steward will:

• Develop and manage a pipeline of institutional funders 
• Cultivate relationships with program officers and foundation contacts in order to secure grant invitations
• Work with circles to draft and finalize grant proposals
• Oversee grants management

For individual donors, the Development Steward will:

• Cultivate both grassroots donors and major gift prospects to continue to build a base of individual donors
• Create and implement annual giving campaigns that build upon our growing track record of individual giving. 
• Engage and support all GWI workers to regularly participate in donor cultivation and stewardship

In addition to the work on the GWI development strategy, the Development Steward will also: 

• Expand on current reporting strategies to identify clear benchmarks for contributed revenue growth and provide regular and consistent updates to the Board of Directors and Workers on development goals and outcomes
• Work with the GWI General Circle to ensure strategic decisions are made in alignment with sustainability goals
• Identify and facilitate opportunities for GWI Workers and board members to introduce our work to a broad audience of potential partners
• Engage board members and Workers to ensure the organization is aware of development challenges and opportunities, and provide ways for everyone to be involved in ongoing fundraising needs
• In partnership, oversee the effective design and usage of our internal database to ensure that all donor records are accurate and that we as an organization are fully tapping the potential of this resource to support our development goals 

Qualifications:

• Professional experience with and passion for fundraising work
• Familiarity with and connections within the funding landscape, regionally, in the NYC area, and nationally
• Alignment with GWI’s mission, vision, and values
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Technical proficiency and comfort using donor management software
• Creative design and presentation skills
• Public speaking experience

Compensation and Additional Details

The Development Steward compensation package will be calculated according to Good Work Institute’s board-approved compensation policy, which accounts for schedule, experience, and Worker need. The current proposed range of compensation for this position is between $70,000 and $85,000. All full-time GWI Workers are offered full medical and partial dental benefits for themselves, their partners, and their dependents.

The Development Steward position can either be in-person or hybrid, with some work to be done in-person at the GWI Greenhouse located in Kingston, NY. The position will require availability for occasional evening and weekend work.

As currently envisioned, the Development Steward is a full-time position. However, we are open to considering part-time positions or a contract relationship with an experienced consultant. If you are considering a part-time version of this role, please share your proposed hours in your cover letter and how your plan would impact your strategies for accomplishing the core aspects of this role.

To Apply:

Please submit your resume and a letter of interest detailing your experience and connection to the mission of the Good Work Institute to [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

The Good Work Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We wholly comply with the equal treatment of all employees and applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination as to an individual’s perceived or actual race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, gender, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or veteran status in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, layoff and termination and all other terms and conditions of employment.