Description

Friends of Park County is seeking a full-time Executive Director to lead the organization through its next phase of growth and impact.

The Executive Director is the chief fundraiser and the public voice of Friends of Park County. The ED’s primary responsibilities are to:

• Build and sustain the funding needed for the organization’s work; and
• Represent Friends of Park County effectively with ranchers, landowners, elected officials, partners, and the broader public.
• The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and has overall responsibility for fundraising, external relations, staff and contractor management, and implementation of the organization’s strategic priorities.
• This is an excellent opportunity for someone who understands and respects rural communities and working lands, is comfortable talking about growth and land use in plain language and is eager to spend a significant portion of their time on fundraising and public communication.

Key Responsibilities

1. Fundraising & Development (Top Priority)

• Serve as the organization’s lead fundraiser, responsible for developing and executing an annual fundraising plan that meets or exceeds budgeted revenue goals.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors, including ranching families, local residents, second-home owners, and other community supporters.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of new donors and funders, with particular attention to people whose livelihoods and values are tied to working lands and rural communities.
• Plan and carry out regular donor meetings, house gatherings, ranch visits, presentations, and small-group conversations.
• Oversee foundation and government grants: identify opportunities, draft and edit proposals, coordinate budgets, and ensure timely, high-quality reporting.
• Support Board members in their fundraising roles by preparing briefing materials, call sheets, follow-up emails, and talking points.
• Work closely with the Board’s development committee to track fundraising progress, refine strategy, and regularly report on results.

2. Public Leadership & Communications

• Serve as primary public spokesperson for Friends of Park County in meetings, community events, and the media.
• Communicate clearly and respectfully with ranchers, landowners, and rural residents, including those skeptical of regulation, by focusing on shared values such as private property, keeping the next generation on the land, water security, and avoiding the costly mistakes seen in other counties.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to local government bodies, civic groups, and community organizations.
• Oversee organizational communications, including:
  • Email newsletters and alerts
  • Website content
  • Social media (if applicable)
  • Fact sheets, reports, and other outreach materials
  • Draft or edit op-eds, letters to the editor, and public statements on behalf of the organization.
  • Build and maintain constructive working relationships with local and state officials, agency staff, tribal representatives, land trusts, conservation and agricultural organizations, and business and civic leaders.

3. Program & Policy Leadership

• Work with the Board to implement the strategic plan, focusing on projects and campaigns that:
• Support working farms and ranches
• Protect water quality and quantity
• Reduce scattered sprawl and costly infrastructure demands
• Keep local decision-making strong and accountable
• Track local and state land-use, water, and planning issues; identify where Friends of Park County can add value.
• Coordinate with outside experts and partners (e.g., planners, attorneys, technical consultants) to support key initiatives and campaigns.
• Report regularly to the Board on project progress, challenges, and opportunities.
• Ensure that Friends of Park County’s policy positions are:
  • Well-researched
  • Grounded in local realities
  • Communicated in ways that make sense to people who live and work on the land.

4. Organizational Management

• Supervise staff, contractors, and volunteers; recruit and retain high-performing team members as resources allow.
• Foster a culture of respect, accountability, and collaboration among staff, Board members, and partners.
• Develop annual budgets in partnership with the Board treasurer and finance committee; monitor revenues and expenses throughout the year.
• Ensure compliance with legal and reporting obligations, including nonprofit and employment requirements.
• Support the Board of Directors with clear, timely information for meetings and decisions.

Requirements

Required:

• Demonstrated success as a lead fundraiser, including experience cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors and/or securing significant grant funding.
• Strong, confident public communication skills: capable of explaining complex land use and water issues in plain, respectful language to a wide range of audiences.
• Experience working with rural communities, agricultural producers, or landowners, and a genuine respect for the culture and economics of working lands.
• Excellent writing skills, including the ability to produce clear grant proposals, email communications, and public-facing documents.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and work both independently and collaboratively with an active Board of Directors, Advisors and donors.
• Commitment to the mission of Friends of Park County and to long-term, community-driven planning.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with land-use planning, zoning, water law, or growth management politics and controversies in Montana or the Mountain West.
• Professional credentials or acquired experience in specializations like wildlife, ecology, real estate development, conservation easements, water quality and quantity.
• Effective public communication using social media.
• Established connections with national and regional nonprofit organizations or donors that could be helpful to Friends of Park County.
• Experience working with nonprofit boards and committees.
• Experience in campaign, advocacy, or community organizing work.
• Knowledge of Park County, Montana and its communities, or a demonstrated ability to quickly learn local context.