Jobs - Maine Island Trail Association

There are two current openings:

Advancement Director

Midcoast Regional Stewardship Manager

About MITA

The Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the wild islands of coastal Maine. We are privileged to steward a 375-mile water trail that spans the entire Maine coast, comprising over 220 sites available for day visits or overnight camping. As a membership-based nonprofit, we endeavor to advance environmental stewardship, responsible recreation, and sustained access to some of the most scenic natural places in our state. Consider joining our small, enthusiastic team in pursuit of a worthy mission!

Advancement Director

Opportunity

The Director of Advancement reports directly to the Executive Director and is an essential member of MITA’s leadership team, guiding the operations responsible for MITA’s external relations and engagement, including all of MITA’s revenue lines, currently totaling over $1.4M annually, through a combination of direct activity and staff management. They provide strategic leadership for all of MITA’s external relations efforts. They guide and are supported by a four-person Advancement Team responsible for Membership Recruitment & Retention, Donor Database, Business Engagement, Communications, Appeals, and Events. Additionally the Advancement Director works closely with the Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Duties

Guides the development and execution of an increasingly ambitious communications and storytelling strategy:

Guides the ongoing development and execution of our storytelling and communications efforts celebrating the essence and magic of the Maine Island Trail, proactively pursuing opportunities to convey the inherent value of MITA to our constituents and to the broader world.

Develops and implements a comprehensive annual development program:

Working with the ED and the Board of Trustees through the Advancement Committee, develops and leads a plan to meet MITA’s annual revenue budget through membership, annual giving, major gifts, foundation support, sponsorships, events, one-time campaigns, and boat donations. Works closely with the Director of Finance in budgeting and monitoring these programs. Works with the ED in the execution of fundraising strategies including the cultivation of major donors.

Develops and leads major gifts program:

Develops and implements strategies to cultivate and solicit top donor prospects (a portfolio of ~200) and engages Trustees, ED, and team members in the process. Manages cultivation planning, communicates tasks, motivates activity, and conducts reporting.

Ensures proactive strategy for attracting and retaining Association Members and supporters:

As a member organization we rely on an actively engaged membership and as such, seek to grow and engage our membership.

Leads the Advancement Team:

Supervises a high-functioning team of the Membership, Business Engagement, and Communications and Annual Fund and Events Managers. Helps plan and guide the implementation of their work through regular meetings and annual reviews. Ensures the quality and timeliness of member data in the MITA CRM (Salesforce).

Manages grants program:

With assistance from other staff, manages approximately 10+ grants per year, from researching new funding opportunities through application submission and reporting.

Manages MITA’s loyalty and giving societies:

Manages MITA’s three societies: Trailblazer ($1K+ annual giving), Torngat (planned giving), and Granite (20+ years of membership). Raises member awareness of these groups, serves their needs, and cultivates their growth.

Manages/Supports special events:

Cultivation events focus on organizational development, such as house parties, boat outings, and other fundraising events. Supports Stewardship and Membership staff with occasional outreach, membership, and stewardship events.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years nonprofit fundraising or leadership experience.
Demonstrated interest in MITA’s mission & values.
Professional or personal experience on the coast of Maine, including boating and/or the islands a plus.
Demonstrated success managing annual giving and major gift programs. Experience in corporate sponsorship, foundation support, and/or planned giving a plus.
Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and written/oral communication skills.
Successful experience managing projects, leading small teams, and staffing committees.
Proficiency with Microsoft and Google Workplace products. Competency maintaining, analyzing, and utilizing constituent records using CRM systems. Experience with Salesforce a plus.

Compensation

This is a permanent, full-time position with benefits including health insurance, vacation and sick time, paid holidays, and a retirement plan. The annual starting salary range for this role is $80,000 to $85,000 depending upon experience.

Working Location

MITA is headquartered at the Maine Yacht Center in Portland, Maine. The Advancement Director will have an office there and have flexibility for hybrid work (up to two days per week).

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter by February 28, 2025 that conveys relevant skills and qualifications to search@mita.org. Please use “Advancement Director” in the subject line.

For more information about MITA, please visit www.mita.org.

MITA is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to enhancing the diversity of its staff and members. MITA reserves the right to perform background checks as a condition of employment.

Midcoast Regional Stewardship Manager

Opportunity

MITA seeks a dynamic individual to oversee stewardship of the midcoast section of the Maine Island Trail, covering Muscongus Bay, Penobscot Bay, and Deer Isle (roughly Pemaquid Point to Naskeag Point). The Midcoast Regional Stewardship Manager (MRSM) is responsible for the recruitment, training, coordination, and recognition of volunteers, the management of MITA’s fleet of boats and vehicles, the implementation of MITA’s stewardship, education, and engagement programs, and the maintenance of key stakeholder relationships including Trail site owners and other partners within the region. The MRSM will work largely independently within their region, but also with support from MITA’s southern and downeast regional stewardship managers given shared goals, resources, and processes.

Working Location

MITA is headquartered at the Maine Yacht Center in Portland, Maine. The MRSM will maintain a desk at the MITA office and also enjoy the ability to work partially remotely. This position involves significant field work during the boating season. Field work will be focused primarily in the midcoast region but may include travel to the southern and downeast regions of the Trail on occasion. Field work can occur in all weather conditions, in remote, wilderness locations, and involve several hours of travel by vehicle and boat.

Primary Responsibilities

Volunteer program management:

MITA relies on volunteers to carry out the bulk of the stewardship work on the Trail. The MRSM will manage all aspects of the volunteer stewardship program in the midcoast region from recruitment to recognition, and ensure the well-being of volunteers through compliance with risk management policies and protocols. Key programs and tasks include:

- Monitor Skipper Program: monitor skippers are volunteers authorized to captain MITA’s workboats. The MRSM will recruit, train, and oversee the monitor skippers, schedule and support skipper runs, and sustain the program in the midcoast region.
- Island Cleanups and Workdays: the MRSM will schedule, organize, and implement shoreline cleanups and workdays on Trail sites in the midcoast region. Examples of workdays might include trail maintenance, clearing downed trees, invasive species control, tent platform or bog bridge construction, etc.
- Island Adopter Program: island adopters are volunteers who steward Trail sites in their own boats and on their own schedules. The MRSM will recruit, engage, and support island adopters while strategically growing the program in the midcoast region.

Trail site stewardship:

MITA does not own any sites on the Maine Island Trail. Instead, we cultivate and maintain relationships with landowners who choose to include their properties on the Trail, often in exchange for help with monitoring and stewardship. The MRSM will serve as the primary point of contact for landowners and partners in the midcoast region and work to ensure high-quality stewardship of the more than 70 sites that comprise this section of the Trail.

Marine fleet and equipment maintenance:

MITA’s stewardship program is supported by a fleet of 10 18’ aluminum Lund skiffs, three vehicles, and a range of tools and equipment including chainsaws, KombiSystems, and a custom lobster trap compactor. In collaboration with the downeast and southern regional stewardship managers, the MRSM will ensure proper care and functioning of MITA’s boats, trailers, vehicles, and equipment. This includes overseeing maintenance, commissioning, winterization, and storage of the fleet at the MITA boat shop, and maintaining relationships with service and equipment providers.

Education, engagement, and access program implementation:

MITA is committed to improving access to the islands, and to the education and safety of island visitors. The MRSM will help advance community engagement and access efforts by facilitating and leading experiential island outings within the midcoast region. The MRSM will also manage educational messaging on island signs, in the Trail Guide and the MITA mobile app. The MRSM may also represent MITA at meetings, workshops, and outreach events as appropriate.