Advancement Specialist

Job Title: Advancement Specialist - Outreach and Engagement

Department: Strategy- Advancement

Location: Oakland, CA or Washington, DC (Hybrid)

Remote options may also be considered.

This position requires an ability to travel. 

Reports To: Advancement Director, Conservation and Outdoors

Context:  At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of interdependence. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel injustice, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our future. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it. Sierra Club has close to 800 staff across the country and a network of 64 local chapters that are led and fueled by thousands of volunteers. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with three labor unions representing more than half of our employees.

Scope: This position is a strategic and results-driven professional who helps drive donor engagement and major gift fundraising ($25,000+) at the Sierra Club through a high-impact call time program. This role ensures that executives and Club leaders are equipped and empowered with targeted call lists, data-driven insights, and well-prepared outreach materials to maximize donor engagement. The Advancement Specialist - Outreach and Engagement oversees call program operations, including (but not limited to) daily call list creation, donor research, strategy development, data input and analysis, call script writing, follow-up tracking, and donor communication. Additionally, this role staffs call time sessions, tracks leader participation, and ensures donor stewardship actions are completed efficiently.

This position collaborates with leadership across Sierra Club, including Executives, Board Members of the Sierra Club and Sierra Club Foundation, Campaign leads, Chapter staff, and other key Advancement team members, to support and deepen relationships with some of Sierra Club’s most impactful philanthropic partners. This position frequently takes on special strategic projects to optimize donor engagement and improve call time outcomes, working closely with Advancement, Finance, IT, Membership Growth, Communications, Chapters, and other departments.

• Strategic Support - Expands Sierra Club’s major donor pool by assisting leaders in leveraging their networks. Broadly supports team activities, including donor research; drafting and editing communications, briefings, and reports; coordinating meeting logistics (developing agendas, taking notes); and maintaining database records. Works with the Advancement team to ensure donors are appropriately stewarded through the moves management process.
• Collaboration - Collaborates with the Major Gifts team and conducts donor research to develop daily call lists, create detailed call sheets, build prospect lists for donor events and trips, and provide timely updates on donor communications. Partners with program and communications teams to develop call scripts, talking points, and collateral materials for call time, events, and donor trips. Participates in donor strategy meetings and assists the Major Gifts and mid-level giving teams in developing a calendar of Executive and Leadership outreach and other touchpoints to donors. Works closely with the Engagement and Operations teams to manage donor trip logistics, including confirming dates, coordinating travel and compliance requirements, and processing payments.
• Analysis and Planning - Analyzes fundraising performance by tracking key metrics such as call time productivity, donor response rates, and revenue impact. Uses data insights to help identify new major donor prospects and support strategic portfolio growth. Develops outreach plans and timelines aligned with key calendar moments, including Earth Month, Climate Week, Sierra Club National and Chapter events, and end-of-year donor engagement. Works closely with the Engagement team to maintain an events calendar and identify target locations, hosts, venues, special guests, and prospect lists.
• Engagement Support - Maintains a working prospect universe for call time, events, and donor trips. Provides executive and leadership support for call time operations, including drafting correspondence, capturing notes, updating contact records and actions in the database, and supporting phone calls, meetings (virtual and in-person), and related functions. Performs a broad range of event support functions, including tracking pledges, guest lists, and RSVPs; managing event websites via Sierra Club’s event management software; updating tracking documents and materials; overseeing event logistics, check-in, and programming; and updating attendance records and contact information in the database.

• Skillfully “manages up” to support leaders for success, and “manages across” to ensure cross-team projects function smoothly and is analytic and empathetic—able to help senior leaders with varied backgrounds, skill sets, and communication styles
• Establishes priorities and balances multiple tasks and deadlines within a dynamic and fast-paced team environment; enthusiasm for working with colleagues and volunteers. 
• Produces well-written professional communications and relays information understandably, punctually and accurately.
• Tech-savvy, with proficiency in CRM systems (Salesforce preferred), Google Suite, and project management tools.
• Analyzes large data sets and drives decision making from the results.
• Demonstrates strong project management organizational skills.
• Acts with professionalism, tact and diplomacy in dealing with confidential and sensitive financial and personal information. 
• Maintains a collaborative mindset and helps a diverse group of organization leaders, donors, and volunteers achieve shared goals.
• Demonstrates emotional intelligence, self awareness, and skills for working empathetically and effectively with colleagues across group identities, backgrounds, work styles, and roles. 
• A proactive problem solver who takes initiative and ensures key tasks are completed on time.
• Maintains a constructive approach, can-do attitude,  sense of humor, and authentic kindness. 
• Demonstrates values alignment with Sierra Club’s mission to explore, enjoy and protect the planet.
• Committed to evolution. You are committed to continuously deepening and evolving your own understanding of systems of oppression through study, openness, and humility. And you easily recognize your own relationship to privilege and power, examining and shifting your behaviors as appropriate.
• Uplifting and additive. You see mistakes as opportunities for growth; problems as catalysts for solutions, and inspire others along the journey. You carry a constructive approach, can-do attitude, a sense of humor, and authentic kindness wherever you go.

• Demonstrates habitual performance as a trusted and reliable partner to a team or department leader, whose support contributed to a leader’s and entire team’s success. 
• Background in major donor fundraising, with an understanding of moves management and relationship-building and/or background in political or campaign adjacent fundraising.
• Experience managing high-level fundraising call time for executives, political candidates, or senior leaders.
• A self-starter, exceptionally organized, collaborative, and strategic in managing high-level donor outreach.
• Enjoys a fast-paced work environment and is comfortable managing shifting priorities.
• Salesforce proficiency

To Apply

The Sierra Club provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all staff members. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, lived experience and skills. The Sierra Club does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, ancestry, age, size, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, familial status, veteran status, disability, AIDS/HIV status, medical condition, prior conviction, arrest history, traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Sierra Club values applicants who are people that identify as Black, Indigenous, and other minoritized groups; women; queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender fluid people.

Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.