Summary
Description
The Outdoor Lab Foundation was founded in 2003 with a mission to inspire community support for, and advocate on behalf of, Jeffco’s Outdoor Lab Program. Outdoor Lab engages all Jefferson County sixth-grade students (approximately 5,000 per year) in an immersive, residential, weeklong environmental and civic education experience. In addition, it supports the leadership development of approximately 1,000 high school students and 40 interns per year. Outdoor Lab manages two historic campuses nestled in the Front Range Mountains. Very few programs in the country operate at a scale as large, have such inspirational and emotive campuses, and tie their curriculum back to subjects being taught at home schools. For these reasons, Outdoor Lab is unique.
Strategic Partnerships Manager Introduction:
As a nonprofit committed to the young people growing up in Jeffco, we care deeply about our relationship with the community. The Foundation seeks a Strategic Partnerships Manager who will enhance the Foundation’s most important community-based (corporate, nonprofit, school, etc.) partnerships. The Strategic Partnerships Manager initiates and develops relationships with corporate sponsors, nonprofit organizations, service clubs, local governments, and schools throughout Jeffco. The Manager is an integral part of the Foundation’s overall strategy to grow the Foundation’s community of supporters and elevate its relevance in the community. In additional, this position will be the lead coordinator of our most important fundraising event – After Dark to be held April 26th, 2025.
The Strategic Partnerships Manager is a principal ambassador for the Foundation, often speaking publicly – delivering the Foundation’s vision within the local community and maintaining great external relations. Another vital output of this position’s work will be the strengthening and expansion of our fledgling volunteer program to engage and collaborate more with community partners.
Essential Duties:
Community Partnerships
- Develop and maintain partnerships with nonprofit organizations, corporate sponsors, service organizations, and local governments.
- Increase volunteerism in key aspects of Outdoor Lab and Foundation operations.
- Participate in outreach events to expand our connections and relevance in Jeffco.
- Steward important funding relationships.
- Create win-win synergies between partners, the Foundation, and the Outdoor Lab Program.
- Execute friendraisers, coffee-talks, and lunch and learn engagements.
School Partnerships
- Serve as primary liaison between Jeffco Schools and the Outdoor Lab Foundation – primarily Middle Schools and High Schools
- Support Outdoor Lab Administrators in recruitment of High School Leader Program
- Work with Outdoor Lab Administrators and key staff to grow King Soopers Lab Card Fundraising Program.
- Support Outdoor Lab Administrators to ensure Evening Program and Teacher-led activities on sites are resourced and executed to standard.
- Manage Outdoor Lab High School Scholarship Program
- Manage various relationship building activities such as High School Leader Celebration, Counselor Recognition, Teacher Appreciation Party, and “Peak Performers” awards.
Communications
- Develop important marketing and communications materials to celebrate Outdoor Lab and inform public on program opportunities.
- Lead the development and implementation of a strategic communications calendar.
- Collaborate with Outdoor Lab sites and other partners to build and maintain a library of stories, quotes, photos, etc. for various marketing uses: social media posts, newsletters, press releases, video, print materials, etc.
- Hold monthly check-in meetings to ensure content development and writing assignments are on-track.
- Support Lab Card communications and ensure updated news and content are linked with each new message.
- Collaborate with Jeffco Schools Communications Department as needed to share content and elevate Outdoor Lab’s profile in the community.
- Manage website to keep content relevant and fresh.
- Increase followers and subscribers to our e-communications and social channels.
After Dark
- Lead the development, planning and execution of our signature fundraising event – After Dark.
- Develop a strategy to ensure event has appropriate levels of time and resources dedicated to its professional execution.
- Manage relevant board/volunteer committee to ensure event tasks are on track and achieved.
- Thoroughly arrange all details including creating production schedules, securing auction items, developing creative details, recruiting volunteer, and coordinating with vendors.
- Ensure sponsors are appropriately recognized.
- Coordinate registration process, maintain attendee tracking, and sync information with donor database requirements.
- Manage all pre-post event communications to ensure consistent and appropriate messaging and donor stewardship.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of experience with nonprofits, event planning, or related field.
- Comfort with online graphic design tools such as Canva, Adobe, and Prezi.
- Donor database experience – Bloomerang, Levitate, and GiveSmart experience preferred.
- Comfort troubleshooting/editing websites and building e-newsletters.
- High-end event management experience.
- Personal and professional values consistent with the Foundation’s mission.
- Ability to manage positive relationships with staff, board members, business professionals, and individual donors with a friendly, professional demeanor.
- Outstanding interpersonal and written communication skills with ability to write for different audiences and for various purposes.
- Maintains a positive supportive and solutions-oriented demeanor when responding to or serving donors, volunteers, attendees, and stakeholders.
- Ability to inspire passion for our program.
- Good creative intuition and critical thinking.
- Able to work effectively in a dynamic environment – problem solver, flexible, and adaptable.
- Independent worker and cooperative team member.
- Comfortable giving and receiving feedback.
- Ability to prioritize his/her work and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Experience in marketing or nonprofit communications.
- Strong computer skills – Microsoft Office and Outlook.
- Continually nurture relationships with teachers, counselors, administrators, and community partners.
- Ability to complete tasks on time with superior attention to detail.
- Comfort taking on special projects from time to time.
- Event support often includes working outside standard Foundation business hours and/or work on weekends. These hours will be balanced with time off and flexible work hours at other times to ensure a healthy and respectful work-life balance.
- Valid driver’s license good motor vehicle record and valid auto insurance.
- Ability to lift and transport 40-50 pounds of equipment and materials.
