The White River Land Collaborative is farmer-led, community-driven (to date, all volunteer) initiative with the mission of building a resilient land-based economy rooted in equitable land access, collaborative relationships, and community involvement. WRLC is implementing a model of community-based land ownership to address the high cost of farmland and keep land available and affordable for future generations of stewards, enabling a restorative and healing relationship with the land and the community. WRLC formed in early 2021 and as its first project, it is transforming a 200-acre former organic dairy farm in Tunbridge into a community hub that will support multiple sustainable agricultural enterprises, forest stewardship and recreational access, solar energy generation, community space, and more.
The current volunteer Project Team will continue to be heavily involved in the ongoing operations, financial management, and strategic planning, and organizational decisions will be guided by input from farmers, other land stewards, and other community stakeholders. The Project Coordinator will be the inaugural staff position and will provide crucial capacity for robust community engagement and for creating systems that will be successful into the future.
Specifically, the Project Coordinator will be the lead on four related areas: communications, including documentation & outreach about our model; community relations, including engaging local community members; event management; and grant writing. As time allows, they will also provide support (such as administrative assistance and research) for: private donor fundraising; discrete projects related to property usage; and ad-hoc research needs. This staff person will participate as a full partner on the WRLC organizing team as we develop a long-term strategic plan, hold ourselves accountable to our vision and values, and build relationships.
General Work Experience: at least 3 years work experience in food systems/farmland access, communications, or nonprofit management
Projects & Responsibilities:
Communications
- Regularly update our website and other communications materials as the project evolves
- Manage social media channels
- Create and manage a newsletter
- Maintain a contact database and manage new contacts
- Conduct outreach to members of the local community
- Create a marketing and communications plan for the organization.
Community Relations
- Manage community engagement events
- Communicate regularly with our advisory board and organize, design, and facilitate advisory board meetings.
- Coordinate occasional events for the public, for example an Open Farm Week event or trails walks
Fundraising/Development Support
- Identify upcoming funding opportunities and manage deadlines
- Draft grant applications with the support of WRLC team members and the advisory board
- Assist in managing documentation and reporting for grant-funded projects
- Support other WRLC team members in fundraising campaigns, for example researching potential donors, managing the logistics of meetings with potential donors, keeping donor outreach materials updated and organized
Miscellaneous
- Participate as a full partner on the WRLC organizing team, including joining weekly team meetings to participate in collaborative problem solving on a wide array of issues
- As time allows, help with research/information gathering needs that may arise, for example if a potential project on the property requires research into development regulations or consultation with local historic society
- There may be the opportunity, though it would not be required, to raise grant funding to support additional hours for this position as needed for project work
Qualifications:
- Proven project management and communications skills.
- Prefer knowledge about agriculture, food systems, land access, and/or land use.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to summarize complex topics for a general audience
- Ability to use common social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram) and communications tools (such as listserv management software)
- Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (especially InDesign) preferred; otherwise, willingness and proven ability to learn design software required
- Demonstrated relationship building, collaboration, and facilitation skills.
- Cultural competency, i.e., awareness of and sensitivity to social justice and equity issues.
- Solid organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Creative problem solver and critical thinker
- Ability to manage time effectively and work both independently and collaboratively.
- Personally driven to make a difference.
Job Location & Work Environment: This position will require in-person meetings at least once, and often several times, per week on the White River Land Collaborative farm in Tunbridge, Vermont. Other work may be done remotely. The WRLC currently has no office space on the farm, but if office space is needed or desired, it can be provided elsewhere in the general area. WRLC can provide critical office equipment, including a computer, and will help figure out a solution if access to wi-fi is an issue.
To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to whiteriverlandcollaborative@gmail.com
Timeline: Applications close February 28; we hope to have someone start by the beginning of April.
We are a white women-led Project Team, with a strong commitment to racial justice as a core value of our project. Our first collaborator is a local Abenaki forestry student who is leading a project to develop a plan for the forest that is part of the property to plant native species culturally important to the Abenaki. The Project Coordinator will help us develop our process for soliciting and selecting additional collaborators, giving BIPOC community members priority, while also filling local agricultural needs.