Executive Director - Balsam Mountain Trust

Balsam Mountain Trust seeks a relational, strategic, and mission-centered leader to serve as its next Executive Director. The ideal candidate will bring conservation and natural-resource fluency, strong relationship-based fundraising experience, excellent communication and storytelling skills, sound nonprofit management judgment, and the ability to build trust across a distinctive residential, philanthropic, educational, and conservation ecosystem.

Mission: To inspire people to be responsible stewards of the natural and cultural resources of the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains through education and conservation leadership.

Reporting Structure: The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and leads a small staff team responsible for conservation education, animal ambassador care, community programming, volunteer engagement, administration, development support, partnerships, and day-to-day operations.

Total Staff and Budget: Balsam Mountain Trust operates with an annual budget of approximately $500,000 and a staff of three core staff members, a part-time administrative/development coordinator, seasonal interns, and an Ameri Corps service member.

Compensation: The salary range for this position is $90,000-$105,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications, plus flexible total compensation elements, including stipend, IRA contribution, and possible relocation support.

Working Environment/

Location:

This is a highly visible, place-based leadership role located at Balsam Mountain Preserve in Western North Carolina. The Executive Director should expect a strong on-site presence at the Nature Center and throughout the Preserve, with regular external meetings across the region and appropriate flexibility for administrative work.

• Honor the Trust's conservation and education legacy while helping the organization clarify its next-stage priorities, focus, and operating model.
• Work with the Board to define realistic first-year and long-term priorities, including what should be advanced, paused, narrowed, or sequenced.
• Translate the Trust's mission into compelling strategies that connect land stewardship, resident engagement, community education, and public benefit.
• Use sound judgment to balance many worthy opportunities against available staff capacity, funding, and partner support.

• Lead a relationship-based development program that moves residents, donors, volunteers, and friends from awareness to meaningful investment.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors in partnership with the Board, Resource Development Committee, and volunteer leaders.
• Develop a clear and compelling case for support that explains what the Trust does, why it matters, how it is funded, and how donors can make a difference.
• Strengthen fundraising systems, donor stewardship practices, event strategy, gift tracking, grant opportunities, and long-term resource planning.

• Make the Trust's purpose, structure, funding model, and value to Balsam Mountain Preserve simple, memorable, and repeatable.
• Build intentional pathways for new and long-time residents to learn about the Trust, participate in programs, volunteer, and give.
• Serve as a visible, approachable ambassador through tours, hikes, talks, donor conversations, resident orientations, and community gatherings.
• Communicate with warmth, clarity, responsiveness, and follow-through across residents, donors, staff, volunteers, partners, and Balsam entities.

• Guide a balanced program strategy that supports resident-facing experiences, external education, land stewardship, conservation leadership, and community outreach.
• Assess the scope and sustainability of external programming with schools, libraries, youth, universities, conservation partners, and regional organizations.
• Ensure the Nature Center, animal ambassadors, trails, biodiversity, habitat work, and interpretive experiences reflect the Trust's mission and quality.
• Support staff and partners in translating…