GUANACASTE DRY FOREST CONSERVATION FUND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
POSITION DESCRIPTION
July 25, 2011
The Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund (GDFCF) is seeking its first Executive
Director. The mission of GDFCF is to support the conservation of Costa Rica's Area de
Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) into perpetuity http://www.acguanacaste.ac.cr). The
Executive Director will work with the GDFCF board of directors and the Directorate of
ACG to develop and implement immediate projects and a long-term strategy for
sustaining and enhancing ACG, including activities such as: research conducted by
parataxonomists recruited from local communities; on-site biological education outreach
for resident and visitor children and adults; biodiversity and ecosystem services
inventories and payments; development of renewable energy resources; forest restoration
and watershed protection; and cooperative management across mosaics of government
and GDFCF-owned lands to achieve shared conservation goals. The Executive Director
will also lead fundraising efforts to provide, through an endowment and current gifts,
ongoing and sustainable annual funding of $1.5 million (U.S.) by GDFCF of these ACG
programs to complement the approximately $3 million annually provided by ACG
(government and private) for the core operations of ACG.
Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund:
The GDFCF (http://gdfcf.org/) (http://janzen.bio.upenn.edu/saveit.html) is a US public
charity recognized under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3) (ID: 94- 3280315).
GDFCF's mission is to support forest restoration, land purchase, biodiversity protection
and non-damaging biodiversity development, and all other forms of conservation, in and
for Costa Rica’s Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG). Begun in 1997 as the
international NGO for the government entity ACG, GDFCF has funded the purchase of
13,500 hectares of forest containing more than 100,000 species for ACG expansion and
forest restoration, and currently supports nine action projects for and in ACG at an annual
operations cost of about $500,000.
Area de Conservación Guanacaste:
ACG is a 163,000 hectare conservation area (a.k.a. national park) in northwestern Costa
Rica, stretching from 6 km out in the Pacific up to 2,000 m at the top of Volcan Rincon
de la Vieja, and then down to the Caribbean rain-forested lowlands. Its marine and
tropical forest ecosystems (2% of the country) are home to an estimated 350,000 species
of plants and animals (2.6% of the world's biodiversity). For 25 years, ACG – a
UNESCO World Heritage Site – has conducted research and conservation action at the
leading edge of ecology, evolutionary biology, biotechnology, biodiversity development,
schoolchild education, decentralized administration, and integration with local, national
and international society. Begun in 1971 as the 10,000 hectare Parque Nacional Santa
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Rosa (today, Sector Santa Rosa of ACG), ACG now operates with an entirely resident
130-member Costa Rican staff recruited from its rural neighborhood and from Costa
Rica's capital city of San Jose.
The GDFCF support, joined at the hip with Costa Rican government support, will (1)
permanently preserve 2.6% of the world's biodiversity (about equal to all of that of the
US in all four major tropical ecosystems - rain forest, dry forest, cloud forest and marine),
and (2) allow ACG to continue and expand its role as a prominent global example of
landscape ecosystem restoration and conservation through sustainable, non-damaging
biodiversity development. With its track record of innovative conservation and
sustainable development, ACG aspires to be among the best of the innovative conserved
large wildlands in the world.
GDFCF and ACG:
Currently, GDFCF has no paid staff other than specific project employees in ACG – of
ACG’s 130 full-time staff (all of whom are Costa Rican nationals) 39 are supported by
GDFCF projects. The Executive Director will work with the GDFCF board and current
supporters, especially the Wege Foundation, in developing and implementing a
fundraising effort, including an endowment capital campaign, that will provide longterm, sustainable annual support of at least $1.5 million (U.S.) for GDFCF projects at
ACG. The Executive Director will work closely with the ACG staff leadership in
identifying and developing GDFCF projects, and in fostering close and harmonious
relationships between GDFCF and ACG.
The Executive Director will be based in the U.S., with the location flexible as long as it
allows easy access to donor prospects in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to meeting with
donor propects, the Executive Director will be expected to travel 3-4 times per year to
visit ACG so as to develop close, collaborative working relationships with ACG staff and
understand what it is as a constantly evolving social and biological entity, as well as
occasional site-visits with major supporters.
Desired Qualifications:
The GDFCF Executive Director will be dedicated to the conservation and restoration of
biodiversity and wildlands. S/he will be a proven leader in innovative conservation
approaches, especially those that involve public-private partnerships and include
residents in conservation actions and decisions. S/he will have demonstrated strong
“people” skills, including working across cultures and with people of diverse
backgrounds and training. S/he will have scientific bona fides, strong leadership skills
and extensive fundraising experience.
Specific qualifications of the Executive Director that are important include:
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Education and Experience:
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Advanced degree in the biological sciences, research and publication experience
or other bona fides with respect to conservation sciences
Leadership experience with not-for-profit organizations, preferably environmental
or conservation NGOs, but strong government or corporate experience is
welcome
Significant fundraising experience in developing and implementing long-term
fundraising campaigns for endowments and current major gifts from indivduals,
corporations and foundations
Demonstrated ability to cultivate and solicit significant gifts of $10K or more,
including established contacts with a network of foundations and major donors
interested in innovative international conservation projects
Proven ability to formulate and execute results by using strong analytical, critical
decision-making and strategic planning skills
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Skills and Personality Attributes:
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Clear and concise verbal and written communications skills
Extensive professional experience in public speaking and presentations
Proven financial management and analytical skills, including experience with
planning and managing complex budgets
Proven ability to work as a self-starter towards a broad mission in an unstructured
work environment with little supervision or administrative support and with
limited resources
Strong interpersonal skills, personal and professional confidence, and presence,
and the ability to effectively build strong relationships with individuals across
disciplines, cultures, and backgrounds to achieve shared goals
Capability demonstrated by similar prior experience to interact effectively with
scientists, volunteers, major donors, senior executives, foundation officials,
government officials and leaders of non-governmental organizations
Passion for international nature conservation and sustainable biodiversity
development, and commitment to engagement with donors to discuss
environmental problems and promote healthy ecosystems essential for well-being
of humans and wild biodiversity
Demonstrated respect for local communities situated in or near important
protected areas
A commitment to the vision and mission of GDFCF, ACG, and the Wege
Foundation
Collaborative spirit and ability to work in team settings across cultures and
organizations with little formal structures
A reputation for high ethical standards and integrity
Verbal and written fluency in Spanish desirable, but not absolutely required
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Salary and Benefits
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Salary and benefits will be commensurate with experience and is supported for
the first four years with a commitment by the Wege Foundation and other GDFCF
supporters
The Executive Director will be expected to work out of a home office with
minimal administrative support, at least initially. GDFCF will provide for
reasonable and necessary work-related expenses
Application Process:
Please send (1) cover letter addressing the skills and attributes identified above;
(2) c.v. or résumé; (3) salary requirements; and (4) at least three references to
mvp@conservationstrategy.com. No telephone inquiries please.
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