Development Operations Fellow

About the Organization:

Founded in 2017, The Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance (ASHA) represents one of the world's largest Indigenous-led conservation initiatives. Our Alliance unites 30 indigenous nations working to defend the rainforests of the Napo and Pastaza and Marañon river basins in Ecuador and Peru. We are collectively monitoring, defending and advocating for the protection of 86 million acres (35 million hectares) of highly bio-culturally diverse tropical rainforests – an area the size of Oregon.

Since 2017, our Alliance has grown to 28 member organizations, 25 of which are Indigenous. Supported by a Technical Secretariat based in Ecuador, the alliance coordinates workgroups and is guided by an Indigenous wisdom council and a global commission of experts from around the world. In 2023, we began a transition to a newly created “Fundación Alianza Cuencas Sagradas”, an Indigenous-led legal nonprofit in Ecuador governed by an Assembly of all 28 members. The Assembly meets twice a year for strategic planning and has elected a mostly Indigenous board (9 of 11 are indigenous board members). The Pachamama Alliance, a U.S.-based nonprofit, continues to serve as fiscal sponsor until ASHA is incorporated in the US. Our team is based in Ecuador, Peru and has a three person global team in the United States focused on fundraising and alliance building.

http://www.sacredheadwaters.org

Position Description: 

Position Overview
ASHA is seeking a highly organized and proactive Fundraising Assistant to support our Global Partnerships Coordinator in strengthening our development systems. The intern will play a key role in organizing donor and partner databases, creating CRM infrastructure, and supporting strategic follow-up from international advocacy and fundraising trips. This is a great opportunity for someone interested in global environmental movements, Indigenous rights, and nonprofit development.

Key Responsibilities
Support the creation and maintenance of a fundraising CRM and contact management system

Organize and update donor and partner databases

Assist with scheduling and drafting follow-up communications from donor meetings and trips

Track progress on donor engagement tasks and deliverables

Research prospective donors and partners

Create internal reports and summaries of donor engagement activities

Collaborate with the Global Partnerships Coordinator and broader fundraising team

What You’ll Gain:
Experience building fundraising systems within an Indigenous-led international alliance

Exposure to international advocacy in the climate movement

Mentorship from experienced leaders in environmental philanthropy and partnerships

Professional development through GWMP's Constellations Fellowship cohort activities

Desired Qualifications: 

Interest in nonprofit fundraising, climate justice, Indigenous rights, or environmental conservation

Strong organizational and systems-thinking skills

Experience with spreadsheets, data management, or CRMs (e.g., Airtable, Salesforce, Hubspot, etc.)

Strong writing and communication skills in English

Detail-oriented and able to manage multiple tasks independently

Familiarity with Google Workspace (Drive, Sheets, Docs, etc.)

Ability to work remotely and coordinate across time zones (Eastern Time preferred)

Time Commitment:  20+ hours/week