We're hiring!

Friends of Lafitte Greenway is seeking a personable, organized, and passionate fundraiser to join our team. Find more information below.

Title: Development Manager, Friends of Lafitte Greenway

Reports to: Executive Director

General Job Description: The Development Manager will manage Friends of Lafitte Greenway’s growth in fundraising through philanthropic grants, corporate and local business sponsorship, and individual giving. In coordination with the Executive Director and board of directors, the Development Manager will develop and support the execution of an annual fundraising plan. Activities include donor prospecting, donor development and cultivation, grant writing, constituent relationship data management, donor communications, and fundraising event coordination. Responsibilities may also include communications and administrative support functions. This position reports to the Executive Director, and works in close coordination with the Program Director. This is a full-time position.

Essential Responsibilities/Functions

Fundraising Planning 

• In coordination with Executive Director and committees, develop annual fundraising plan with specific and ambitious targets for each fundraising stream: philanthropic grants, corporate and business sponsorship, earned income, and individual contributions. 
• Activate staff, board members and volunteers to support the execution of the annual fundraising plan.
• Expand the donor pipeline and grant opportunities through prospect identification and research.
• Plan and coordinate small fundraising events and donor appreciation events in accordance with the annual fundraising plan. 
• Support Program Director in planning and executing major revenue-generating events-- including the spring Greenway Festival and fall Greenway Soirée gala.

Donor Stewardship & Relationship Management

• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with Friends’ existing donor base through regular communications via email, phone calls, meetings, invitations to programs and events, etc.
• Represent Friends of Lafitte Greenway at Friends’ programs, external community meetings and events, and in individual donor meetings to build relationships with potential donors.
• Assist in scheduling and preparing materials for meetings with donors for Executive Directors and board members.
• Draft compelling donor appeals, blog posts, social media posts, and thank you letters that connect donors with Friends mission and vision.
• Manage donor data in Nationbuilder CRM database. 

Grant Writing and Grants Management

• Develop grant proposals (narrative, budget, and supplementary materials) that articulate the case for support of Friends of Lafitte Greenway in clear, compelling, and persuasive written language.
• Research potential grants, maintain a calendar of relevant grant application deadlines and reporting timelines, and build relationships with philanthropic donors.
• Support grant reporting in coordination with the Program Director and Executive Director.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Two to four years relevant work experience in nonprofit development

Required Skills and Attributes

• An entrepreneurial spirit with a high degree of creativity, flexibility, and initiative
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to listen, lead, persuade, motivate, convey key messages, respect and diplomatically maintain positive relationships with a wide range of audiences and constituencies throughout the community
• A passion for our mission and development
• Excellent interpersonal skills, personable demeanor, and collaborative orientation; a team player.
• Detail-oriented and organized.
• Ability to work in a deadline-oriented office in a complex, fast-moving, and changing environment

Preferred Skills and Attributes

• Graphic Design experience preferred
• Proven record of securing successful grants, ranging from $5,000 to $100,000
• Data management skills preferred. 
• Event planning experience

Salary and Benefits: Commensurate with experience 

Non Discrimination 

Friends of Lafitte Greenway is an equal-opportunity employer, and encourages individuals of all backgrounds to apply for this position. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard for race, sex, color, religion, gender, age, physical or mental disability, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, culture, or ancestry. Friends will conduct interviews of qualified individuals prior to requesting a criminal background check, and no job application submitted prior to such interview shall inquire into an applicant's criminal history. If this position is subject to a background check for any convictions related to its responsibilities and requirements, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history. Criminal history will not automatically disqualify a candidate.

To Apply

Send resume or CV and cover letter to apply@lafittegreenway.org by Friday, February 14th.

Help ensure that the Greenway is a safe, active, and vibrant public space.

To apply for a board member position: Please submit a letter-of-interest and resume or equivalent to the Nominating Committee at apply@lafittegreenway.org by Monday, January 6, 2020.

Call for board members -2020-2023 Term:

Friends of Lafitte Greenway was formed in early 2006 by New Orleans community members who saw an opportunity to rethink their community’s landscape to enhance livability, environmental sustainability, open space equity, health, and revitalization. The organization built a network of diverse constituents who shared its vision of preserving the continuous open space in the former Lafitte rail corridor, and developing a Greenway that encourages active living, stimulates economic development, and links adjacent neighborhoods, cultural amenities, historic sites, and public spaces.

The Lafitte Greenway opened in November 2015 as a 2.6 mile pedestrian and bike path and linear park, connecting neighborhoods from Armstrong Park to City Park. The backbone of New Orleans' bike network, the Greenway is now used by 320,000 people annually.

Friends of Lafitte Greenway (Friends) is the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission’s (NORD’s) official partner, working together to program, develop, and steward the Greenway. Friends is a community-driven organization, guided by a Board of Directors, members, volunteers, Ambassadors, and staff. 

Mission:

To build, program, and promote the Lafitte Greenway as a great public space. 

Vision:

A healthy and vibrant public space that connects people to nature, their destinations, and each other.

Values:

Accountability ∙ Equity ∙ Sustainability ∙ Collaboration ∙ Joy

During your 3-year tenure the organization has big plans to implement our Strategic Plan, including the following key initiatives:

• Grow the Greenway’s role as a highly-used, community-oriented public space through expanded arts, cultural, and recreational programs, and excellent design and capital development.
• Ensure that the Greenway is a well-maintained ecosystem that is thriving, attractive and sustainable through stewardship, maintenance, and environmental education.
• Expand the Greenway’s role as a transportation connector that safely links neighborhoods and locations along the Greenway through design, development, and education.
• Increase individual giving, corporate, philanthropic support, and earned income opportunities to power our impact.
• Strengthen community engagement and communications.

We ask that you are willing to work as a team and openly share ideas. Additionally, we seek candidates with any or all of the following attributes:

• Knowledge and connections to the communities along the Lafitte Greenway.
• Leaders in the local business community.
• Community members from Greenway neighborhoods.
• Commitment to helping Friends achieve its fundraising goals through network development and personal giving.
• Access to diverse political and community networks.
• Ability to serve as an active, engaged board member for one 3-year term.      
• Prior participation with Friends of Lafitte Greenway as a member or volunteer is appreciated.

By: Kathy Finn | May 31, 2019

Source: MyNewOrleans.com | Full Article

In a city where land available for commercial development is scarce, it is refreshing to see a strip of green space not only preserved, but transformed into a magnet for new activity, which is what is happening along the corridor that stretches from New Orleans’ Treme neighborhood through Mid-City.

The former railroad right-of-way now known as Lafitte Greenway is slowly becoming an oasis of outdoor fun and relaxation thanks to a 2.6-mile bicycle path, with playgrounds and pedestrian-friendly features that have taken shape there. Since the corridor’s opening in 2015, about 320,000 cyclists and pedestrians access the greenway annually, according to automated people counters monitored by local researchers.

Now, developers who recognize the growing appeal of the green space have begun re-purposing adjacent sites and renovating ramshackle structures into new housing, cafés and bars, with plans to make the Greenway a place where people will routinely come for a refreshing break in the heart of a bustling city.

NEW ORLEANS -- The Lafitte Greenway multi-purpose field is currently closed for field reconditioning and to improve the natural grass quality, the New Orleans Recreation Development (NORD) Commission announced today. Lemann Field, located at 628 N. Claiborne Ave., is available for use nearby until further notice.

"We want to ensure that all of our facilities are in the best possible condition so that they can satisfy the needs of as many residents as possible. This closure allows NORD to continue to preserve the investment made on the Lafitte Greenway, and we're excited that the field will come back greener and better than ever," said NORD CEO Larry Barabino, Jr. "We want to thank our residents for their understanding."