Description

Bernheim Forest and Arboretum, a 16,000+ acre protected forest in Kentucky, about 25 miles south of Louisville, is seeking a dynamic individual to support Bernheim’s fundraising and advancement goals by cultivating meaningful donor relationships and ensuring the effective implementation of development strategies that sustain and grow Bernheim’s mission.

Bernheim is home to a 600-acre, Level IV accredited arboretum. The natural landscape features 40+ miles of hiking trails and extensive natural areas managed for conservation and research purposes. Its woodlands, prairies, and wetlands make up the largest privately-owned forest in the Eastern United States dedicated to education and conservation. Bernheim is a privately owned not-for-profit, relying on donations and memberships, whose mission is to connect people with nature. Annually, over 300,000 people experience Bernheim through visits, educational programs, field trips, and Bernheim festivals.

The Advancement Coordinator supports Bernheim’s comprehensive fundraising efforts by enhancing donor experiences and events, strengthening the midlevel donor pipeline, driving annual fund campaign activities, and advancing both prospect research and grant research and management. 

Essential Duties/Responsibilities

• Support planning and implementation of donor events, tours, and special experiences at Bernheim, including assisting in creating fundraising materials for campaigns and events. 
• Coordinate stewardship, cultivation, and upgrades for midlevel donors, $1,000 to $5,000
• Maintain donor communication calendars and associated follow up tasks. 
• Assist with donor recognition programs and thank you processes. 
• Collaborate on segmentation, planning, and execution of annual fund campaigns across digital and mail channels, including drafting stewardship messages and annual fund appeal content. 
• Analyze donor trends and prepare reports to support campaign planning. 
• Research donor upgrade potential using CRM, public sources, and research tools. 
• Build donor profiles and prepare briefing documents for the Director of Advancement. 
• Identify new prospects for major gifts, planned gifts, grants, and special initiatives. 
• Maintain the grant calendar, deadlines, submission dates, reporting requirements; tracking funded, pending, and declined grants. 
• Gather materials for proposals, including program information, financial data, and narratives. 
• Draft specific proposal components and help with grant reporting. 
• Update the CRM with donor interactions, research findings, and moves management data. 
• Coordinate with communications staff, if applicable, to align messaging strategies. 
• Support stewardship mailings, gift receipts, and acknowledgment processes. 
• Complete special assignments and projects as directed by leadership and perform other duties as assigned.

To apply and for more information:

Please send all inquiries and resumes to: HR@bernheim.org. 

This full-time, hourly position reports to the Director of Advancement. 

Pay rate: $21-$24/hr. 

Competitive benefits package includes: health/vision/dental insurance, retirement 403(b) match benefit and paid sick, holiday and vacation leave. 

Bernheim Forest and Arboretum is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, national origin, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, disability, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Requirements

Experience and Expectations

• Bachelor’s degreepreferred; a combination of education and experience may be considered. 
• 2–4 years of professional experience in fundraising, donor relations, events management, or grant research/administration within a nonprofit or mission driven organization. 
• High integrity and discretion in handling sensitive information. 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and engage donors, partners, and volunteers. 
• Demonstrated experience coordinating events, managing timelines, or supporting campaigns in a fastpaced environment. 
• Ability to synthesize information and conduct effective donor or prospect research using CRM systems, public sources, and research tools. 
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. 
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment. 
• Collaborative mindset with experience working across departments. 
• Embrace a spirit of curiosity, creativity, and joy in the workplace, with a deep belief in Bernheim’s mission to connect people with nature. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication, organizational skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and donor database systems (preferably Altru).