Volunteer Fundraiser (Remote or MN local)

Aeon for Ocean (AFO), a 501(c)(3), our mission is to educate and increase awareness about ocean conservation and marine life amongst kids and their greater role in spreading the message to drive action. We are looking for someone to help support and expand our community engagement. The Role: The Fundraiser is responsible for assisting our organization's staff and volunteers to increase our grant readiness and competitively apply for and successfully manage grant funding. This role focuses on distributed and hybrid fundraising, developing online campaigns, coordinating local Twin Cities MN micro-events, and hosting virtual donor engagements. Responsibility: Research potential grants and funders. Assist in developing compelling letters of inquiry, proposals and reports Establish and maintain an updated annual grants calendar Coordinate letters of support and proposal writing Work collaboratively with the Executive Director and other volunteer staff to gather information needed for grants and proposals. Conduct research as needed Responsibilities Steward repeat donors (Benevity, AmazonSmile Foundation, Facebook donors) with quarterly updates and thank-yous. Re-engage lapsed donors such as Walmart Foundation, AMC Cares, and Bashir Ahmed with targeted appeals. Organize fundraising tied directly to AFO’s K–12 trajectories:

Peer-to-Peer Youth Education – support student ambassadors in leading one peer-to-peer online fundraising challenge annually STEM Experiential Learning – create sponsorship levels (e.g., $500 brings VR headsets to one classroom) Community Engagement & Environmental Action – tie donor asks to student-led cleanups or recycling drives.

Design distributed campaigns that AFO volunteers nationwide can run locally and contribute to collectively (e.g., World Oceans Day, virtual challenges). Coordinate hybrid events: local cleanups or school-based drives paired with a national online campaign Host virtual donor events (e.g., quarterly Zoom sessions featuring youth and teacher ambassadors telling their stories) Collect student and teacher thank-you notes, drawings, or short videos to use in donor stewardship Track all donor activity in a simple log. Skills and Qualifications Bachelor’s degree or comparable work experience. Fundraising strategy, planning, and community outreach skills. Understand key business drivers, market intelligence, insights and industry trends in donor philanthropy and giving priorities and their strategic implications to the organization. Strong knowledge of fundraising, gift processing, gift acknowledgment, and gift reporting best practices. Knowledge of CSR concepts, practices, strategies and tactics based on the understanding of key audiences and corporate objectives. Progressive successful management experience in fundraising, donor cultivation, sales, marketing or business development. Effective oral & written communication skills and a clear, courteous and professional manner.