POSITION SUMMARY
The Associate Director of Philanthropy & Investor Relations works directly with the President/CEO, VP Transactions and VP of Philanthropy under the direction of their supervisor to assume primary responsibility for managing and advancing Forterra’s fundraising and social investor relations opportunities. Duties include managing engagement with all current and new investors working closely with the VP Transactions and CEO.
This position provides prospect research for investor prospects and oversees execution of cultivation and stewardship strategies for existing investors working collaboratively across several departments.
This role requires a high level of project and people management, coordination, and stewardship. This position holds strategic responsibilities for growing the portfolio of Forterra’s social impact investors as well as major gift prospects and donors. The Associate Director of Philanthropy & Investor Relations focuses on bringing efficiency, accuracy, and accountability to the investment, major gifts, and overall fundraising efforts in targeted prospected activities led by the VP Transactions. This position ensures that appropriate strategies and engagements are thoughtfully planned and executed to secure significant investments and philanthropic gifts to achieve Forterra’s strategic goals. This role will be committed to the DEI work ahead for the organization and the Philanthropy team.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Job responsibilities and tasks are stated in broad terms and are not intended to be a comprehensive listing.
Investor Relations Prospecting and Administration (80%)
- Work with Forterra’s VP Transactions, President/CEO, and ELT to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward high capacity investors in Forterra’s ongoing portfolio of social impact funds and to meet closing deadlines and fundraising targets, as well as guarantors of Forterra’s line of credit for short-term acquisition financing.
- Manage a portfolio of approximately 150-200 investors, connectors, and prospects. Maintain and oversee donor tracking systems that record past actions, identify strategies and next steps, and provide strategic data for all investment fund prospects, investors and connectors.
- Debrief with the President/CEO and VP Transactions for all meetings in a timely manner to capture pertinent information for the database. Generate timely follow-up action items and coordinate Fund activities with the work of major gifts team.
- Identify/source and manage the research and qualification of new investor and connector prospects. Collaborate with and advise the President/CEO and VP Transactions on engagement strategies to develop actionable next steps to move people from prospects to investors.
- Source and cultivate a network of prospect investors’ staff level contacts and managers with a long term view towards investor recruitment.
- Work collaboratively with the Transactions team members on prospect management, tracking and management of data in Raiser’s Edge, investor prospecting and overall opportunities to maximize efficiencies and accuracy of all prospect information.
- Manage and track Fund investment prospecting materials (e.g. Pitch Books) and committed investor documentation. Duties include (but are not limited to): creating, distributing, following up on and filing paperwork as well as responding to investor questions. Additionally, ensure all media and marketing materials are accurate and meet regulatory requirements in consultation with legal counsel.
- Work with the Transactions team and VP of Philanthropy to create investment and solicitation proposals and supporting materials for the President/CEO and VP Transactions portfolios.
- Support systems of donor management and moves management processes for maximum effectiveness, including prospecting, database management, strategy, cultivation, and stewardship and solicitation actions.
Philanthropic and Stewardship Collaboration (20%)
- Ensure that philanthropic opportunities to further engage and bridge investors towards added ways to support Forterra occurs in a timely and meaningful way.
- Support a philanthropic lens for all reports and engagements with investors and partners. Work closely with the CEO, Transactions Team, and Philanthropy team to ensure timely and accurate communication.
- Ensure that the work of the Fund strengthens and supports the overall development effort and annual calendar of fundraising activities.
- Engage in all team meetings that includes strategy, discovery, and regular Philanthropy team meetings to support the collaboration with investor prospecting activity.
- Work with Philanthropy Director of Stewardship and Operations to promote VIP events and create opportunities for investors and prospects to learn more about Forterra.
- Help strengthen the culture of philanthropy throughout the program’s teams. Create strategies to grow the existing donor base through creative planning, training and supporting programs staff to play key roles in organizational philanthropy.
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as business, finance or investing; or equivalent education/experience.
- At least 3 years of successful experience in nonprofit or for-profit fundraising or investor relations, with an emphasis on portfolio management, sales/prospecting, and fundraising movement management experience.
- An established or emerging network of contacts made up of staff to investors and high net worth donors
Preferred
- Experience working directly with a board, institutional leaders and the philanthropic community to fundraise for a nonprofit organization.
- Experience as a frontline fundraiser or in a philanthropic capacity/role for conservation, environmental, or other relevant nonprofit subsector.
- Experience with social impact investing and fund guarantors.
- Experience with relational fundraising database software such as Raiser’s Edge.
- Experience with building strong connections/relationships with knowledge of this region’s investor/philanthropic community.
COMPETENCIES
Required
- Flawless writing skills
- Ability to represent and support Forterra’s mission, vision and values through the priorities of their role.
- Ability to be a strong lead on the team in supporting a positive team culture and the organization’s DEI priorities.
- Demonstrated awareness and willingness to consider historically uninvited or underserved populations, as it relates to their work.
- Demonstrated exceptional communication and collaboration skills across the organization to ensure that all investor/donor relationships are managed with care and a donor-centered focus.
- Self-motivated; ability to multi-task with excellent attention to detail and deadlines and to work independently and with teams of all sizes.
- Ability to develop and cultivate positive working relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders including board members, elected officials, foundations, business leaders, community advocates, landowners, volunteers, and internal staff/leadership.
- Willingness to take responsibility and initiative to set and meet goals, objectives and obligations of their position.
- Ability to make decisions in ambiguous situations, exercise good judgment in a fast-paced, dynamic, deadline-driven environment.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Microsoft Word, Excel, Teams, Skype, Outlook and PowerPoint). Willingness and ability to learn how to effectively use and leverage the Raiser’s Edge/NXT customer relationship management system.
WORKING CONDITIONS, PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND TRAVEL
This position is subject to activities beyond typical indoor environmental conditions of a professional office setting. Forterra will provide reasonable accommodations for people who are differently abled. The physical requirements of this position may include:
- Ability to exert up to 30 pounds of force occasionally and/or an equivalent amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Handcarts and team member assistance are available for support as needed.
- Ability to sit or otherwise remain in a stationary position at a computer workstation for the majority of the work day. There is flexibility for the person to move between different locations inside the office as needed.
- Ability to frequently move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office equipment, etc.
- Forterra’s standard workday is 8 hours per day – from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm with a half-hour break, Monday – Friday. As allowed by business needs, flexibility in scheduling may be available.*
- Travel is not essential to this position; however, occasional travel may be requested. Public transit, use of personal vehicle and/or Zip Car are compensated for external meeting travel.
- Ability to sometimes work non-standard hours, including evenings and weekends
*Please note that Forterra is currently in a “work at home” operating environment. These conditions will apply once this standard of work is no longer needed.
BENEFITS
Forterra’s benefits include ten paid holidays per year and paid time off (PTO) leave. You will be eligible to enroll in the employer-sponsored medical, vision dental, and flexible spending account (FSA) plans. You will also be able to enroll in Forterra’s 401(k) program.
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK
Because this position involves access to confidential/sensitive information and physical assets, Forterra will not hire into this position anyone who has been convicted of a criminal offense related to theft or fraud. A criminal history background check will be conducted on the final candidate prior to beginning employment.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity of all kinds. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply for this opportunity. It is our policy to ensure that qualified individuals are considered for employment and treated equally without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other class protected by law. Assistance and/or reasonable accommodations during the application process are available to individuals with disabilities upon request. To request assistance or accommodation, please contact Human Resources at jobs@forterra.org.