Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Department: Development + External Engagement
Position classification: Full-time, Exempt
Location: Remote, based in the US
Company Information
We believe the social foundation of basic human needs can be met for all people within the Earth’s ecological limits. By collaborating with communities to restore degraded environments and protect essential ecosystems, we foster a resilient foundation that supports both people and planet, recognizing the health of both are inseparable and interdependent. Our work de-risks the future by designing and implementing holistic systems that address the foundational needs of people, restores essential biodiversity, and directly impacts the effects of climate change through collaboration with local stakeholders, regional authorities, and global partners.
Eden: People+Planet works in developing regions of the world to facilitate landscape restoration and community development through nature-based solutions. Eden’s mission is to foster healthy relationships between communities and the land on which we all depend through landscape restoration and conservation. We envision a world where communities thrive in healthy and restored environments.
Position Summary
The Director, Strategic Partnerships + Philanthropy leads fundraising and partnership efforts that secure early philanthropic capital for carbon project development, enabling critical feasibility work, project design, and community engagement before carbon credit revenue begins. The role translates technical milestones and community safeguards into compelling donor cases that unlock investment and accelerate climate and community impact. In close partnership with the Finance team, the Director also supports buyer/offtake discussions, blended-finance proposals, and corporate partnerships to align philanthropic and carbon-market funding strategies for maximum impact.
Ideal Candidate + First Year Success
The ideal candidate brings a strong track record in conservation, climate, international development, or impact investing, along with a network across foundations, family offices, corporate sustainability programs, and climate-finance stakeholders. They can build strategic relationships and turn complex initiatives into compelling partnership opportunities.
In the first year, success will include building a qualified pipeline of $10M+, securing $2M-$4M in philanthropic commitments, establishing 20+ strategic donor relationships, submitting 30+ foundation proposals, and closing at least three multi-year funding partnerships.
Essential Responsibilities
- Fundraising Strategy + Pipeline Development: Develop and execute a philanthropic fundraising strategy that supports early-stage carbon projects and organizational growth. Build a diverse portfolio across foundations, individual donors, corporations, and climate funds to secure capital for project design, assessment, community engagement, and startup needs.
- Donor Cultivation + Relationship Management: Identify and qualify new funding prospects through proactive outreach and strategic research; cultivate, and steward relationships to secure multi-year commitments and catalytic grants that bridge the multi-year gap to carbon credit revenues.
- Proposal Development + Storytelling: Create compelling proposals and pitch materials that translate carbon project details for donors, highlighting climate impact, community benefits, safeguards, and the catalytic value of early philanthropic support.
- Donor Stewardship + Impact Reporting: Provide timely progress updates, financial reports, and success stories to partners, showing measurable climate, community, and carbon outcomes. Ensure transparency in fund usage and highlight how donor contributions drive future carbon credit revenues.
- Partnerships + External Representation: Represent Eden in climate finance and conservation forums, build partnerships with aligned organizations and private-sector actors, and advance philanthropic support for carbon projects.
- Carbon-Market Engagement: Partner with Eden’s Finance team to shape carbon-market positioning, align philanthropic messaging with future revenue pathways, and support pitches for offtake, impact-investment, and blended-finance opportunities. Translate project concepts into compelling narratives for corporate and impact audiences.
- Strategic Finance + Commercial Partnerships: Support commercial partnerships by preparing investor and buyer materials, coordinating due diligence, tracking the partnership pipeline, and driving cross-functional follow-through on buyer and structured-finance activities.
- CRM + Data Stewardship: Own fundraising pipeline management within the CRM, ensuring all opportunities, donor interactions, proposal submissions, reporting obligation, and forecasting information are maintained in real time.
- Grants Management: Manage the full lifecycle of grants and philanthropic investments, including submissions, agreements, compliance, donor recognition, and timely delivery of funding requirements. Coordinate with program and finance teams on reporting and accountability.
- Collaboration: Coordinate with program and finance teams to align fundraising goals with project milestones, ensuring funding supports timely project progress.
- Innovative Financing + Strategy: Explore opportunities to blend philanthropic capital with other funding sources to maximize impact. Contribute to organizational discussions on creative financing mechanisms to enhance project financial sustainability and risk mitigation.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in a relevant field such as environmental science, climate/forestry, international development, business/finance, or nonprofit management.
- Minimum of 5, preferably 8+ years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience, including managing $5M+ annual portfolios and securing major gifts, $1M+ grants, and partnerships for international conservation or climate initiatives.
- Experience engaging foundations, corporate social responsibility programs, and high-net-worth donors is essential; experience cultivating specialized philanthropic channels, such as family offices, climate philanthropists, donor-advised funds, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, is highly desirable.
- Proven experience with CRM / donor management systems, with a track record of leveraging data for strategic decision-making and ensuring data integrity across fundraising and related functions required.
- Demonstrated familiarity with voluntary carbon markets and nature-based carbon projects strongly preferred. Candidates without direct experience must quickly grasp technical concepts and communicate them clearly to funders and partners.
- Experience working in entrepreneurial, high-growth, startup, or rapidly evolving environments, preferred.
- Experience fundraising for international conservation, climate, development, or community-based programs in developing contexts, strongly preferred.
Skills + Attributes
- Consistently upholds the Ethos and conduct standards in all professional interactions.
- Strategic + Analytical Thinking: Skilled at understanding climate finance, spotting opportunities and risks, and adjusting strategies as carbon market trends and donor interests change.
- Interpersonal Cultural Sensitivity: Able to connect with a wide range of individuals from varied backgrounds and cultures, interacting warmly and effectively in a respectful and engaging manner.
- Excellence in Communication: Proven written and verbal skills and able to craft compelling narratives linking donors to Eden’s work; excels in presentations and storytelling; able to communicate complex ideas in a manner relevant to the applicable audience.
- Project Management + Strategic Planning: Utilizes best-practice approaches to manage multiple funding initiatives and deadlines and competing priorities effectively.
- Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency with CRM and analytics tools; capable of managing data for multi-department use and driving data-informed fundraising strategies.
- Relational: Builds trusts, engages donors, cultivates long-term relationships and networks effectively.
- Innovative: Able to creatively solve problems quickly and adjust to dynamic and high-pressure environments, adjusting tactics to increase impact.
- Collaborative: Demonstrates consistent collegiality in working with other functional areas, offering mentorship and leading by example.
- Passion + Commitment: Demonstrated enthusiasm for Eden’s mission and Ethos; upholds and models high ethical and professional standards and organizational values in all interactions.
Work Conditions
- Work Environment: This remote position is performed primarily from a home office with virtual team collaboration. In-person meetings, office, work, and travel to donor events or project sites will be required as needed.
- Work Schedule: Full-time (~40 hours/week), with required flexibility for global donor and team meetings across time zones. Key strategic discussions (with required attendance) may be scheduled as early as 2-3 PM East Africa Time (EAT).
- Physical Requirements: Desk-based with extended sitting and repetitive-motion office equipment use. Moderate activity during travel or field visits may be required. Reasonable accommodations are available for disabilities.
- Travel: Moderate travel (up to 40%) required, including to donor meetings, conferences, and field visits. Field visits may involve travel to rural and forested areas under varying environmental conditions.
- Safety + Requirements: No unusual hazards are expected in this role; standard precautions apply when visiting field sites. Must be eligible to work in country of residence.
Disclaimer: This document outlines primary duties but may not cover all responsibilities or conditions. Eden may assign extra tasks or modify roles for business needs or employee accommodation, per applicable law.
Eden is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a team representing a variety of backgrounds, viewpoints, and skills. Candidate selection is based on technical qualifications and position requirements; employment will not commence until applicable background and reference checks are completed.
Safeguarding: Eden holds strict safeguarding principles and does not tolerate behaviors that harm others, including sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, and other injustices. Employees are expected to abide by company policies.
Compensation: Compensation package includes comprehensive benefits (medical, vision, dental, disability), unlimited time off, retirement plan, and flexible hours.
