Senior Associate, Research

Position summary:

Reporting to the Manager, Prospect Research, Revenue Operations, this position will be part of a well-established and successful team of operations professionals that support revenue growth for Rainforest Alliance’s Development team. With ambitious funding goals and an expanded focus on public-private partnerships, Rainforest Alliance is seeking a full-time professional Prospect Researcher to provide extensive research into public sector donors (bilateral and multilateral), family, private and corporate foundations, companies, individuals to include HNWIs, and new giving vehicles as identified.

Responsibilities: 

Research

The Prospect Researcher provides strategy and support for members of the Development team, a large fundraising office with a growing revenue target of $50M+ in support of Rainforest Alliance. The Prospect Researcher creates concise, accurate, and timely research products by finding and interpreting biographical information, wealth indicators, news, and philanthropic history, and works closely with team members to strategically apply this information in raising funds for Rainforest Alliance. The Prospect Researcher is also responsible for working collaboratively with the teams, including at least 15 staff, on the prospect management of their specific portfolios. The Prospect Researcher and the Research team also support the entire Development team’s vision in reaching revenue goals.

The Prospect Researcher will be responsible for conducting multi-source research, capture, and analyze donor landscapes, and understand and monitor the public commitments to RA-aligned impact priorities made by public sector donors (bilateral and multilateral), private and corporate foundations, companies, individuals to include HNWIs, and new giving vehicles as identified. Additional responsibilities include:

• Create and maintain detailed donor and prospect profiles that include research and analysis of the prospect for use by Development, global program teams, executive leadership, Board of Directors, and other relevant RA staff.

• Develop thematic reports related to topics that are of particular interest to get a better understanding of donor landscape and priorities.

• Conduct due diligence on potential new private and corporate foundation partners, companies, individuals, and provide risk analysis.

• Evaluate and scope the funding landscape to identify potential opportunities for Rainforest Alliance and contribute to building and maintaining a solid prospect pipeline that contributes to the achievement of Development’s revenue goals.

• Support research on multiple streams of funding including publicly reported corporate ESG commitments, institutional donor agendas, professional and family foundations, DAFs and newly created philanthropic/pre-competitive industry funding vehicles.

• Support the follow-up and tracking of donor funding trends, global commitments, and pledges (from all donors) and periodically update database with relevant findings.

• Periodically track relevant opportunities for Development team and maintain the Monthly Grants Opportunities report to ensure information is current.

• Support other ad hoc research requests such as briefings for leadership and high-level events.

Data Dissemination, Portfolio Management and Communication

With direction from the Research Manager, the senior associate will compile and present research findings to the Development team to support identification and cultivation of prospective donors. The senior associate will structure findings in a clear and organized fashion.

• Maintain organized document repositories and templates.

• Support Research Manager in Portfolio Management.

• Map events that are relevant to our organization annually and find networking opportunities.

• Provide background information for the preparation of Event Books and Donor Strategy Meeting Reports.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in international relations, International Development, Social Sciences, or related field.

• Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience, in prospect research, non-profit fundraising, and knowledge of public and private sector donors.

• Knowledge and understanding of philanthropic donor trends, particularly in relation to the work of Rainforest Alliance (conservation; regenerative agriculture; economic development; sustainable supply chains).

• Strong analytical skills, ability to structure and synthesize data from multiple sources into actionable insights.

• Excellent organizational and writing skills, ability to work independently as well as in a team environment, assess priorities and multi-task with strong attention to detail.

• Self-starter that can work independently to manage own workload with minimal supervision and work effectively as well as part of a team.

• Computer Skills: Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook with a demonstrated experience utilizing Salesforce CRM and online philanthropic research tools and databases.

• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to interact culturally, linguistically, and diplomatically with diverse internal and external stakeholders.

• Proactive, creative, self-motivated, resourceful, detail-oriented, ability to hold confidential donor information, and strong attention to detail.

• Excellent communication skills with fluency in English required, Spanish desirable.

Salary: Commensurate with experience.

Deadline:  May 12, 2024

Notes: Only candidates authorized to work in the countries of Latin America where we are registered will be considered.

If you have any questions about the job vacancy, please contact the HR department: recruitment@ra.org

 The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities. To achieve our mission, we partner with diverse allies around the world to drive positive change across global supply chains and in many of our most critically important natural landscapes.

Our alliance spans 70 countries and includes farmers and forest communities, companies, governments, civil society, and millions of individuals. Together we work to protect forests   and biodiversity, act on climate, and promote the rights and improve the livelihoods of rural people.

As an international nonprofit organization with more than 30 years of experience in sustainability transformation, we understand that the social and economic well-being of rural communities is tightly connected to ecosystem health. This knowledge has shaped our rigorous programs to advance sustainable land-use and commodity production.

At the Rainforest Alliance we combat climate change, protect forests and biodiversity, promote human rights, and improve livelihoods. The enormity of the social and environmental challenges we are facing requires working together in a broad alliance. This is why we bring farmers, forest communities, companies, and consumers together to change the way the world produces, sources, and consumes.

Why

To protect nature and improve lives it’s becoming increasingly urgent that we approach the way we use our land and produce food and other products in more sustainable ways. For this to succeed we need to fundamentally change the way that businesses operate and source, and the choices we all make as consumers.

How

Our growing global alliance aims to transform our relationship with our natural resources and each other, to create a better future for people and nature together.

The Rainforest Alliance encourages diversity and inclusion across the global organization. With this commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ages, disability and any other protected group.