Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We take on the biggest, most precedent-setting cases across the country. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health; to preserve magnificent places and wildlife; to advance clean energy; and to combat climate change. We partner with thousands of groups, supporters, individuals, and communities to engage the critical environmental issues of our time and bring about positive change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Juneau, Los Angeles, Tallahassee, Miami, Honolulu, Houston, New York, Philadelphia, Denver, Seattle, Bozeman, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
The Senior Development Writer will serve on a team of fundraising communications professionals who support Earthjustice’s Development department. The person in this position works closely with organizational and program leadership, attorneys, fundraisers, and communications staff to provide writing support for organizational fundraising by writing and editing donor materials that play a critical role in cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship to improve the donor journey at Earthjustice. This position will provide donor collateral to ensure the Foundation Relations team meets annual goals of raising approximately one-quarter of Earthjustice’s contributed revenue annually and may support the Principal Gifts team as needed.
Building relationships with a subset of Earthjustice’s program teams, the Senior Writer will serve as a donor communications expert on a segment of Earthjustice’s work (similar to journalistic “beats”) and serve in an advisory role to inform other team members’ projects. In addition to writing projects covering specific programs, the Senior Writer will develop collateral related to Earthjustice’s entire programmatic portfolio and initiatives that exist at the intersection of several program teams. The Senior Writer provides editing, peer coaching and guidance to Donor Communications team members as they craft fundraising assets and will act as a mentor to more junior development writing staff as opportunities arise.
This role can be based in San Francisco, CA or remote from the U.S.
Responsibilities
Writing, Editing, Research, and Project Management (70%)
- Be a strategic partner to foundation and gift officers and program staff to develop and submit the highest quality letters of inquiry, grant proposals, reports, and other supplementary materials to institutional donors.
- Independently manage a portfolio of writing, including a high volume of writing and editing assignments on a variety of topics and with tight deadlines.
- Develop messages/assets, as needed and in coordination with officers, used to keep donors informed and engaged between formal reports, proposals, and meetings.
- Provide writing, editing, and proofreading support to Development leadership and to members of other Devo teams, including production of multi-media assets.
- Facilitate strategic planning, creative briefs and project management for donor communications assignments, as well as effective feedback conversations for continual improvement and improved partnerships.
- Maintain current and accurate documentation of all written content, including contributions toward a robust library of frequently updated boilerplate material.
- Provide project coordination and communication support between officers and contract writers.
- Research and review material prepared by frontline Development staff, Earthjustice attorneys, and Communications and Marketing staff to develop and produce creative, compelling written content.
- Gather and incorporate compelling images into written collateral, as appropriate.
Program Knowledge and Communication (15%)
- Interview and coordinate with program leadership and attorneys to remain fluent in the work of Earthjustice regional offices, programs, and campaigns.
- Take ownership over several program/geographic beats and stay abreast of the work of Earthjustice regional offices, programs, and campaigns, including maintaining a working knowledge of key past accomplishments and history.
- Foster collaborative relationships with other Development writers to align styles, coordinate writing, and build shared knowledge.
- Track the status of legal cases and programs through internal database systems (Foundation), program staff briefings, and program area email lists; interviewing program staff and leadership; and monitoring website updates and press releases.
- Attend program meetings as needed, review strategic planning documents, and occasionally attend regional and program office planning sessions to stay abreast of current and future program direction; report out on these to Development teams.
- Track daily environmental news reports and keep updated information on a wide array of environmental issues.
General Responsibilities (15%)
- Maintain current and accurate documentation of all written content.
- Adopt and maintain project management and internal communications systems and protocols.
- Serve as a mentor to more junior development writer, as opportunities arise.
- Participate meaningfully in retreats and recurring meetings at the department, team, sub-team and 1:1 level (may include facilitation or note-taking) for shared planning, team building, and professional development.
- Participate in organization-wide initiatives and trainings that contribute to the creation of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences.
- Identify and participate in professional development opportunities (e.g. conferences, webinars, seminars, etc.) to enhance fundraising and communications skills and techniques, and stay abreast of new and emerging trends and tools.
- Additional duties as assigned.
Advancing Earthjustice’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals: (Ongoing)
- Proactively pursue and utilize internal and external resources to support a personal and professional development journey that increases awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
- Participate in internal committees and working groups to further institutional priorities and build an inclusive and equitable work environment that encourages and celebrates differences.
- Ensure the incorporation of inclusive practices in all duties and responsibilities, on a consistent and ongoing basis, including but not limited to verbal and written interactions with constituents and Earthjustice staff.
- Elevate and build capacity of partner organizations by supporting them in their organizational journeys, elevating their work with foundations as appropriate and assisting them in securing access to philanthropic resources.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and seven or more years successful experience as a writer/editor.
- Fundraising and environmental or scientific writing background preferred.
- Knowledge of institutional donors that emphasize environmental giving a plus.
- Experience writing for a high-volume nonprofit development department a plus.
- Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to distill complex legal text and translate it into simple and compelling messaging.
- Ability to develop and produce successful proposals, reports, and other materials creatively.
- Ability to prioritize work and effectively manage projects with competing deadlines.
- Exceptional ability to work and communicate effectively with a wide range of people across the organization.
- Ability to work constructively as a member of a team and willingness to mentor more junior staff, and to work with independent contractors as needed
- Interest and/or background in energy, science, environmental, and public health issues.
- Ability to use spreadsheets, relational database systems, and online project management platforms.
- Awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.
- Interest in contributing to the creation of a diverse, equitable and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences.
We offer a competitive salary and excellent, comprehensive benefits. We also offer a casual and congenial work environment.
Salaries at Earthjustice are determined by experience level and working location.
Salary range in San Francisco, CA and New York, NY: $96,500 - $107,200
Salary range in Washington, D.C., Chicago, IL, Seattle, WA, Los Angeles, CA, and San Diego, CA: $91,700 - $101,900
Salary range in Denver, CO and Philadelphia, PA : $86,900 - $96,500
Salary range in Miami, FL, Bozeman, MT, and New Orleans, LA: $82,100 - $91,200
Remote salary range will vary between $82,100 - $107,200 depending on location.
To Apply:
Interested candidates should submit the following application materials via Jobvite by February 23rd, 2025, to be considered:
- Resume
- Cover letter
- Additional Documents (select "Add Files" in Jobvite): Writing Sample 1-2 page excerpt of your own writing demonstrating a fundraising request or appeal to a foundation or other relevant audience. Ideally, the writing sample will reflect a strong grasp of issues related to environmental regulation, science, climate, or the courts.
Please reach out to
[email protected] if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application. No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies. Earthjustice only accepts resumes submitted for positions that are currently open. Unsolicited resumes, or resumes for posted positions that are not submitted via the online application process (where available), will not be reviewed or retained.
Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership, and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other factor that is not related to the position. For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. For positions located within the City of Los Angeles: We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.
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