Position Overview

Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders (SAFSF) is seeking a Membership and Engagement Director to develop and execute strategies to cultivate, attract, retain, and engage diverse capital partners as members of SAFSF. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Membership and Engagement Director is responsible for increasing net membership and retention while driving revenue growth from membership dues. They will oversee membership engagement events and initiatives, track and evaluate member engagement, serve as a connector and thought partner for members, and steward an overall welcoming and inspiring member experience. A successful candidate for this role has an impressive track record of driving growth in organizations through partnership development, expanding resource opportunities, and collaborative teamwork. This individual is comfortable in business development or fundraising roles, loves to network, and brings familiarity within the philanthropic and impact investment field. This role shares responsibility for meeting organizational revenue goals. The Membership and Engagement Director is motivated by a sincere desire for a more equitable and sustainable food system. This individual brings a strong understanding of racial equity in action within philanthropy and actively applies this commitment to shaping an inclusive and impactful membership experience and ensuring alignment with SAFSF’s strategic goals. This leadership role contributes to SAFSF’s strategic direction by embedding equity and systems change into membership development and engagement strategies. The Membership and Engagement Director is a leadership role that is expected to contribute to a highly professional, impact-oriented work environment.

All SAFSF employees work remotely; candidates may live anywhere within the United States.

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About Our Organization

Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders (SAFSF) is a national non-profit membership-based organization with a mission to mobilize diverse capital partners in support of a just and sustainable food and agriculture system. SAFSF helps funders and investors strengthen connections within the sustainable agriculture and food systems community, foster collaboration with their peers, and build capacity to be more effective in their philanthropy practices and in their advocacy for change. We convene, educate, and organize funders around issues critical to rebuilding community food security and agricultural resilience, and seek to amplify the voice of farm and food systems philanthropy in public policy.  SAFSF Members include philanthropic foundations, impact investors, community finance, regranting and funding intermediaries, funding collaboratives, and other capital partners spanning the United States, and focused on every issue concerning sustainable and equitable food and agriculture. SAFSF offers education and services that connect, guide, and mobilize funders to more impactful funding strategies in support of impacted communities and systems change.

Major Responsibilities

Membership Development (30%):

• Identify and cultivate potential members through targeted outreach, networking, research, and community engagement. 
• Build relationships with key decision makers interested in food, agriculture, climate, health, and related fields who work in philanthropy, impact investment, community finance, funding collaboratives, and regranting organizations.
• Track field trends, reports, opinions, and research to serve as a thought partner and strategic connector for members.
• Utilize a mix of existing relationships, strategic introductions, and charismatic outreach to establish a pipeline of new members.
• Amplify the impact and brand recognition of SAFSF at conferences and events. 
• Manage the member life cycle with the Senior Membership Associate to ensure timely progress on goals. 
• Support members from onboarding through ongoing engagement, ensuring a seamless membership experience.

Member Engagement and Retention (50%):

• Plan and execute member events and activities to foster a strong sense of community. 
• Partner with the Communications Director on regular communication with members through newsletters, email updates, and personalized outreach. 
• Monitor member feedback and address concerns to ensure high satisfaction levels. 
• Facilitate member-to-member networking opportunities and referral programs.
• Develop and implement a data-driven approach to monitoring and evaluating membership engagement in SAFSF activities using Salesforce or other platforms (in collaboration with the Technology and Data Insights Manager and Vice President of Operations.)
• Partner with the Program Team to collaboratively identify and address member needs, interests, and trends to enhance member learning and impact.
• Develop strategies to maximize funding and dues opportunities with current and potential memberships, including ongoing assessment of dues impacts on the organization. 
• Partner with the Executive Director to identify and pursue additional funding opportunities among members, including cultivation of grant funding, sponsorships, multi-year pledges, and other strategies to increase support for SAFSF. 
• Oversee the entire membership engagement lifecycle including applications, approvals, and renewals. 

Operations (10%):

• Maintain account files and information within Salesforce with updated partner opportunities, information, and activities.
• Oversee the membership dashboards in Salesforce, tracking key metrics such as membership growth, retention rates, and revenue. 
• Support internal organizational learning and external messaging.  
• Ensure accuracy on membership classifications, fees, and billing processes. 
• Plan and manage creative renewal strategies and tactics.
• Ensure continuous improvement and documentation of business processes for efficiency and impact 
• Assist the Executive Director in the development of sponsorship and grant proposals, as needed. 

Leadership and Team Management (10%):

• Supervise and mentor Senior Membership Associate, and possibly additional staff, interns, or consultants, as needed or budget provides.
• Foster professional development and effective collaboration within the Membership Team, ensuring alignment with SAFSF’s goals. 

Core Competencies 

• Skilled Relationship Builder: Skillfully cultivate and nurture relationships across stakeholders in food and agriculture systems change, philanthropy, impact investment, and funder peer networks to advance organizational goals.
• Strategic and Adaptable: Demonstrate the ability to think strategically for long-term goals while remaining adaptable to dynamic changes, promoting innovation and agility in executing the membership services. 
• Business Development: Motivated by data-driven results and skilled at translating brand-building efforts and relationship management into achieving membership and revenue goals.
• Project Management: Efficiently manage projects from inception to execution, overseeing detailed project plans, coordinating with team members and external partners/vendors, and ensuring timely delivery within budget constraints.
• Field Expertise: Demonstrate an understanding of philanthropy and the broader funder landscape and insights on successful funder networks, collaboratives and education. 
• Food System Expertise: Possess knowledge and experience navigating the complexities of food and agriculture systems in the U.S. context.
• Team Leadership: Lead by example and provide strategic guidance to foster a collaborative and high-performing environment for the Membership Team and work cross-functionally, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.
• Public Speaking and Brand Building: Able to amplify the brand of an organization by engaging in public speaking, conferences, and meetings. 

Required Skills and Experience

• 6-8 years of relevant professional experience in philanthropy, impact investment, community finance, non-profit, or related field. 
• 2 years of experience in business development, fundraising, partnership development, or related function.
• 2 years of management/supervisory-related experience.
• Demonstrated experience implementing racial equity concepts. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
• Strong project management skills, including managing timelines, schedules, tasks, and budgets effectively with limited supervision.
• Exceptional writing and verbal communication skills with the ability to synthesize complex information for diverse audiences.
• Hands-on experience with Salesforce or similar CRM platform for partnership or business development purposes.

Basic Work Requirements

• Fluency in English
• High degree of comfort with common computer-based tools such as Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides).
• Willingness and ability to travel within the U.S., up to several times per year

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt, permanent, remote position with a base annual salary that starts at $90,000-$100,000, plus bonus opportunities. SAFSF offers an excellent benefits package, which currently includes automatic (5%) and matching (up to 3%) retirement contributions, medical, vision, dental, and prescription insurance (100% paid by SAFSF for each employee), as well as health and fitness, internet, and cell phone reimbursements. Paid time off includes 8 federal holidays plus the day after Thanksgiving, half-day Fridays, office closure the last week of the year (December 25-January 1), accrued personal time, and sick time. SAFSF has an entirely remote workforce.

Application and Hiring Process

All interested applicants must apply online at https://www.tfaforms.com/5162148. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply by February 5, 2025. Applicants will be required to upload: 

1. Cover Letter
2. Resumé, including LinkedIn URL
3. 1 sample of professional writing, such as a strategy memo, report, or article 

Interviews will begin in February 2025, with an anticipated start date between March and April 2025.

We are committed to transparency and aim to minimize the stress and uncertainty of our application and hiring process. SAFSF seeks to minimize bias and the impact of structural discrimination within our hiring practices. As such, we focus first on relevant work skills and experience, both lived and professional. We are seeking a diverse pool of candidates.

The application form will ask candidates to voluntarily disclose demographic information, which will not be visible to the members of the hiring committee. Voluntarily providing demographic information helps SAFSF assess the diversity of our applicant pool throughout the hiring process.

Applicants who move forward through the hiring process will participate in a combination of a phone and video interview(s) and assessment(s). 

Please contact [email protected] with any questions. We look forward to getting to know you!

Equal Employment Opportunity 

SAFSF is a 501(c)(3) public charity that is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding, and enables each of us to realize our potential. SAFSF’s work environment is open to all people, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

SAFSF complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and corresponding state or local law. If you believe you need an accommodation in order to participate in the application process, please contact [email protected].