Job Posting

Tending the Soil | Minneapolis, MN
Salary Range: $85,000 - $90,000

About Us
Tending the Soil (TTS) is an alignment of Minnesota organizations led by people of color that organize in working class communities of color. We are the ones who tend the soil to remove the toxins of white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism and nourish our communities to grow justice, self-actualization, autonomy, and collective communities. We exist to lift up the voices of society's most marginalized members, and we stand in deep solidarity with one another.

The organizations that make up TTS are:

• Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) - organizes low-wage workers
• Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia (IX) - organizes low-income renters
• The New Justice Project - builds a base of working class Black Minnesotans to win systemic change in public safety, education, employment and democracy
• SEIU Local 26 - union of predominantly Black and Brown low-wage workers
• Unidos MN /Navigate - builds Latine power for racial, social; economic justice

TTS was formed in 2018 but the roots have been growing out of formations of these organizations dating back to 2008. All TTS efforts reflect the strategic alignment of the member organizations, each of which is rooted in their own memberships: low-wage, BIPOC workers, renters, and voters.

Position Summary
TTS seeks its first Development Director to support its growth and to create a fundraising strategy and infrastructure. The Development Director will work closely with the Executive Director and with the TTS Board, which is made up of executive directors of the TTS member organizations. TTS fundraises primarily through foundation grants and individual investors; the ongoing cultivation of these relationships is a core part of this position. The ideal candidate will be networked in Minnesota and be a strong relationship builder and organizational storyteller. The Development Director will serve as the primary point of contact for organizations receiving funding from TTS, as TTS serves as a funder intermediary. This position will provide mentorship and capacity building skills to TTS aligned organizations. The Development Director will uphold the principles of Community Centric Fundraising, helping to ensure that the ecosystem of organizations building a just society is well resourced.

Fund Strategy Development (~40% FTE)

• Be responsible for strategic decisions regarding organizational-level issues that fall under this role's core responsibilities;
• Work closely with the Executive Director and Board to develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy for TTS that is reflective of the whole TTS alignment;
• Participate in the development, and evaluation of TTS strategic planning and annual budgeting;
• Develop data collection processes so that TTS can articulate the impact of funds received;
• Research and build relationships with private foundations, individuals, corporate, labor union, and government funding prospects;
• In collaboration with the Executive Director, communicate funding opportunities to the TTS Board, facilitate transparent conversations about opportunities, and make strategic decisions about where to pursue funding that maximizes opportunities to resource organizing work.

Fundraising/Funder Stewardship (~50% FTE)

• Develop, write and tell strategic and compelling narratives about how deep community organizing fits into a wide array of foundation and government funding opportunities;
• Develop, write and tell strategic and compelling narratives about how deep community organizing fits into a wide array of foundation and government funding opportunities;
• Manage all aspects of grants to TTS: Write and successfully submit grant proposals for foundation, corporate and government funding source, including developing program and project budgets; Manage grant compliance by keeping track of grant contracts, monitoring progress on deliverables, and communicating evaluation requirements to program staff; Manage contracts and track grant payments.
• Manage all aspects of grants from TTS to partners: Manage MOUs with partner organizations and ensure funds are disseminated; Collect data (including budget and programmatic) from partners through clear, transparent, and reasonable reporting process.
• Develop processes for individual donor organizing including stewardship and cultivation;
• Research, develop and manage a donor database;
• Manage new fundraising strategies as they emerge from your leadership;
• Report monthly on fundraising activities to TTS board;
• Represent TTS in a variety of forums to advocate for TTS's work and mission.

Technical Assistance (~10% FTE)

• Provide technical assistance to TTS members re: fund development strategy and processes;
• Facilitate relationships between TTS partner organizations and foundation or government staff;
• Develop opportunities for other TTS staff/members to build fundraising skills.

About You
Our ideal candidate will have a strong commitment to worker rights, gender and racial justice. Due to the nature and context of our work, we deeply value candidates that either bring lived personal or professional experiences that align with the experiences of our community, our movement, and/or intersectional ecosystems. While no candidate will embody all the qualifications listed below, the ideal candidates will possess many of the following abilities, attributes, and experiences.

Your Experience

• 3+ years of previous grant writing and management experience (including winning proposals to foundations, governments, corporations, etc)
• 4+ years of experience with fundraising activities, including individual giving/donor organizing
• Familiarity with financial management, reporting, and accounting procedures for a nonprofit
• Strong project management skills, including coordinating multiple projects and comfort setting boundaries to manage self-care
• Ability to network and build relationships simultaneously with individuals at multiple organizations and bring them together for collaboration
• Excellent organization, time management, and detail orientation
• Strong written and verbal communication, with the ability to articulate complex issues in succinct and compelling ways
• Self-motivated, resourceful, creative, and able to work with a significant amount of autonomy
• Open to giving and receiving feedback and committed to practicing this regularly
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Word, and Google Suite

Your Values

• You have a commitment to taking an intersectional approach to advancing justice
• You are excited to be an integral part of a multi-racial team
• Your approach to communication and relationship building is grounded in diplomacy, mutual respect, and transparency
• You are committed to creating a culture of vulnerability and loving challenge for both personal growth and the growth of the organization
• You welcome opportunities to deal with ambiguity, cope with change, and handle uncertainty

Desired Qualifications

• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus
• Experience working with social justice organizations in a coalition setting
• Lives in the Twin Cities metro
• Experience with government grants or contract proposal submission and reporting

Compensation
This is a salaried position compensated at $85,000-$90,000 per year with an annual 3% raise to help offset the increasing cost of living in the Twin Cities. This full-time salaried position will require flexibility to attend events outside normal business hours (evenings and weekends) as well as periodic extended hours to accomplish requirements of the position. Benefits include: 3 weeks paid vacation, 12 paid sick days, 5 floating health days, and paid time off at the end of the calendar year, medical and dental insurance for you and your immediate family at 10% cost, Annual 5% year end bonus that may be applied towards retirement fund, and others.

How to Apply
Please send resume and cover letter to operations@tendingthesoil.org using the subject: TTS Development Director. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Black, Indigenous, People of Color, immigrants, women, LGBTQ+ community and people from other marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.