Application Guide
How to Apply for One-Year Direct Response Assistant
at Earthjustice
🏢 About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization, fighting landmark legal battles to protect our planet and combat climate change. Working here means joining a passionate team dedicated to using the power of law to safeguard public health, wildlife, and natural resources. This is an opportunity to contribute to high-impact campaigns that shape environmental policy.
About This Role
As a One-Year Direct Response Assistant, you will be the backbone of Earthjustice's direct mail fundraising efforts, coordinating production schedules, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring campaigns run smoothly. Your work directly supports the financial resources needed for critical environmental litigation and advocacy.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start by checking email for updates from vendors or internal teams, then updating campaign production schedules and tracking invoice approvals. You could spend time coordinating with the Development Operations team on gift processing procedures, monitoring premium inventory levels, and preparing meeting agendas for upcoming campaign planning calls.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Earthjustice Is Looking For
- You have at least 2 years of experience in administrative or project coordination roles, ideally in fundraising, marketing, or nonprofit operations.
- You are exceptionally organized and detail-oriented, able to juggle multiple projects with shifting priorities without missing deadlines.
- You have working knowledge of CRM systems like Salesforce or Blackbaud eCRM, and are comfortable with Microsoft Suite (Excel, Outlook, Teams).
- You communicate clearly and professionally, both in writing and verbally, and enjoy collaborating with internal teams and external vendors.
📝 Tips for Applying to Earthjustice
Highlight any experience with direct mail campaigns, fundraising operations, or production schedules in your resume and cover letter.
If you have used Salesforce or Blackbaud eCRM, mention specific tasks like data entry, report generation, or gift processing.
Emphasize your ability to manage vendor relationships and coordinate multiple stakeholders, as this role involves frequent vendor communication.
Showcase your organizational skills with concrete examples, such as managing complex calendars, tracking inventory, or streamlining processes.
Tailor your cover letter to Earthjustice's mission: briefly explain why environmental justice matters to you and how your support role contributes to their legal work.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your passion for environmental causes and alignment with Earthjustice's mission to protect the planet.", 'Your experience with administrative coordination, especially in fundraising or campaign settings.', "Your proficiency with CRM systems and Microsoft Suite, with specific examples of how you've used them to improve efficiency.", 'Your ability to handle multiple projects under tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read about Earthjustice's recent major cases or victories (e.g., climate change, clean air/water, biodiversity) to understand their impact.
- → Familiarize yourself with their fundraising channels (direct mail, digital, events) and how this role supports donor engagement.
- → Review their website's 'About' and 'Careers' sections to understand their culture, values, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- → Look up their annual report or donor communications to see examples of direct mail pieces and understand their brand voice.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic cover letter that doesn't mention Earthjustice or environmental passion – they look for mission alignment.
- Overlooking the 'one-year' term – be clear you are available for the full duration and not seeking permanent conversion immediately.
- Neglecting to proofread your application materials – with a role requiring attention to detail, typos or errors are a major red flag.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!