Position description

Ocean Conservancy educates and empowers citizens to take action on behalf of the ocean. From the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico to the halls of Congress, Ocean Conservancy brings people together to find solutions for our water planet. We engage in a range of fisheries recovery issues to marine wildlife protection to ecosystem conservation, and more. Informed by science, our work guides policy and engages people in protecting the ocean and its wildlife for future generations.

Our Foundations and Government Support Program

The Foundation and Government Support team has enjoyed great success and currently manages approximately $20 million in revenue from foundation and government donors. Ocean Conservancy is increasingly global. This portfolio is a mix of U.S.-based and international funding that contributes to both restricted and unrestricted support from family foundations and government agencies (including bilateral and multilateral donors). The Foundation and Government Support team is a fast-paced, mission-driven group of professionals with expertise in all aspects of portfolio management and new business generation. They work in close coordination with Ocean Conservancy staff from across the organization, harnessing the talents of program, executive office, communications, and finance colleagues, among others, to ensure strong and healthy relationships with the organization’s foundation and government partners. They also work closely together with Ocean Conservancy’s other revenue units — Individual Giving, Planned-Giving, Corporate, and Membership — to maximize opportunities and ensure high-quality donor-centered fundraising approaches.

Ocean Conservancy is committed to pursuing durable, ocean-smart climate strategies that accelerate mitigation and adaptation measures and bring the power of ocean constituencies to the fight against carbon pollution. While the opportunities presented by ocean-based climate solutions are gaining traction, more work is needed to integrate them into the climate agenda effectively. Ocean Conservancy is leading efforts to advance ocean-based climate solutions and build the political momentum to integrate ocean issues into climate strategies and vice versa. We are working with stakeholders and decision-makers in the U.S. and globally to create policy drivers for action from the top-down, models for action from the bottom up, and spur the demand needed for durable and ambitious climate action. By leveraging these approaches across multiple governance scales, we can ensure the ocean helps accelerate climate action worldwide.

Position Summary

Ocean Conservancy is adding a Senior Portfolio Manager for Foundations and Government Support to its growing team of six. The position advances Ocean Conservancy’s philanthropic partnerships with foundations and government agencies, playing a collaborative role in managing approximately $20 million annually in revenue. The Senior Portfolio Manager will provide comprehensive management for a docket of U.S.-based and international foundation and government donors, including assembling and submitting grant proposals and reports, establishing and maintaining relationships with donors, conducting prospect research, and maintaining donor records. Reporting to the Director of Foundations and Government Support, the Senior Portfolio Manager will work across Ocean Conservancy’s fundraising, programmatic, finance, and communications teams to meet tight document submission deadlines and facilitate direct communication between funders and program staff. In document preparation and staff guidance, s/he ensures that science and policy language is translated into accessible, compelling, and informative material for target audiences.

Primary Responsibilities

Portfolio Management

• Lead all aspects of portfolio management for a robust docket of foundation and government (including bilateral and multilateral) donors, including the adoption of effective cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Work with the Director of Foundations and Government Support to develop comprehensive fundraising strategies to meet the annual revenue goal and expand and diversify the current donor base, including researching and identifying new U.S. and international foundation and government funding opportunities.
• Provide support in oversee grant agreements, contracts, and other revenue-generating arrangements.
• Develop compelling cases for support in ways that convey the impact and imperative of Ocean Conservancy’s programmatic initiatives using various writing styles, from the technical to the more personal. This includes but is not limited to preparing proposals, letters of inquiry, grant reports, email correspondence, presentations, and acknowledgment letters; responsibilities include drafting original copy, copyediting and proofreading, and formatting documents.
• Manage the production calendar and develop and submit customized documents to foundation and government funders, including document preparation and the assignment and tracking of document components to Ocean Conservancy staff.
• Ensure continuity in and accountability for relationship management by tracking funder contacts, funder profiles, proposal and reporting deadlines, and philanthropic commitments, using both Raiser’s Edge and hard-copy files.

Collaboration with Ocean Conservancy Staff

• Plan and facilitate interdepartmental meetings with senior program staff to identify and prioritize project needs and key messages for funders.
• Develop research briefs and talking points that prepare senior staff for meetings and phone calls with government officials and foundation representatives.
• Work with finance staff and program staff to prepare project budgets and financial reports and ensure compliance with requirements for various government grants; includes working with financial staff to track and manage project budgets and monitor expenditures of grant funds.
• Work with Ocean Conservancy staff to identify and establish relationships with additional prospects and deepen their fundraising involvement.

Qualifications

• Experience in a non-profit development department is preferred, especially non-profits that work domestically and internationally.
• Prior experience within an organization conducting scientific research and/or public policy advocacy is helpful.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (degree in English a plus) or equivalent related experience.
• Minimum of five years of experience writing for multiple concurrent projects on strict deadlines and according to specified guidelines.
• Exceptional written communication skills in all dimensions, from the capacity to compellingly articulate complex ideas to various audiences to the ability to edit for fine questions of grammar; knowledge of AP style is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a complex production, editing, and submission process for proposals and reports that coordinate multiple teams’ contributions across an organization.
• Experience working collaboratively with senior management and program staff to translate technical subject matter knowledge into readable and compelling messages for a general audience.
• Experience preparing budgets, reviewing financial reports, and incorporating financial information into proposals and reports.
• Strong computer skills; experience with prospect research tools and funder databases (including Raiser’s Edge) is preferable.
• Basic familiarity with environmental issues and policy is useful; international fundraising experience is a plus.

Personal Characteristics and Work StyleCommitment to continuous learning and to comprehending and discussing research in a policy-driven environment.

• Meticulous attention to detail and strict adherence to deadlines and guidelines.
• Comfort organizing and dividing time across multiple competing priorities.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as demanded by a deadline-driven environment.
• Highly collaborative, with an appreciation of the benefit of a multi-disciplinary team approach.
• Personable and passionate in a mission-driven organization.

Application instructions