MATLT is very pleased to announce a $10,000 grant from Momentum Conservation as part of their Land Trust Grant Fund Program. This has been a major driver for programs like #WEOUTSIDE where a land trust focused on conservation – like MATLT – can sometimes struggle to attain funding for programs to get people in the outdoors. There are many wonderful organizations in Maine who offer programming but there is never enough to serve everybody – especially BIPOC, low-income people, LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities. Funding from Momentum Conservation allows MATLT to have the time and resources to really step into helping with a program like #WEOUTSIDE that MANA runs, but MATLT provides some assistance for. We can rent boats. We can pay trip leaders. We can rent bikes. We can have an awesome lunch.

In the world of philanthropy and grants $10,000 might not seem like much, but it is vital to MATLT and for our programs. Thank you to Momentum Conservation for providing this great funding for organizations all around Maine.

The High Peaks Initiative (HPI) recently convened the annual Conservation and Recreation Summit in Farmington, Maine, gathering local, regional, and national organizations working in Maine’s High Peaks region. This summit is a chance for people living, working, and playing in the A.T. region where ten of Maine’s fourteen highest mountains lie. It’s a place that’s heavily focused on a way of life built around the outdoors – not just the mountains but the forests, rivers, streams, lakes, trails, and communities that are all a part of the High Peaks. It’s also a place that, like everywhere else, is undergoing changes and dealing with disruptions. Use of private lands by the recreation public is a Maine tradition but with changes in use (larger ATVs, varying logging road conditions, new kinds of landowners, etc.) there can be issues to resolve. Resources are always a topic of discussion, as everybody from local towns to land trusts to state agencies needs funding to maintain trails and make sure that public access is secure. In an ideal world there would be sufficient funding to pay for all the trail maintenance projects and resource securing all the public land, but that’s not always the case!

We would like to thank our High Peaks Initiative partners for making this summit possible:

High Peaks Alliance
Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust
Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust
Northern Forest Canoe Trail
Maine Mountain Collaborative
Maine Huts and Trails
Norhtern Forest Center
Trust For Public Land
The Wilderness Society
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Greater Franklin Development Council 

Marketing & Development Manager

About MATLT

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust was formed in June 2002 as an independent land trust for the purpose of acquiring and protecting land surrounding the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in Maine for public benefit.  MATLT has one full-time employee (the Executive Director) and is governed by an active, committed board of directors. MATLT welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds and encourages people who may not meet every qualification to apply.

Position Overview

The Marketing & Development Manager will lead MATLT’s marketing and communications and support the organization’s fundraising functions — spanning digital marketing, donor stewardship, grant support, and community engagement. Working closely with the Executive Director, this person will implement the organization’s Marketing & Development Plan (adopted 2026), manage the Bloomerang donor CRM, and drive the individual giving program.

This is a high-autonomy, high-impact role for a mission-driven communicator who is equally comfortable writing a fundraising appeal, analyzing donor retention data, coordinating a community hike, and cultivating a partnership with a peer organization. The Manager will set the pace and standard for MATLT’s external presence.

Core Responsibilities

Communications & Content

• Manage MATLT’s monthly email newsletter (Mailchimp): write, design, schedule, and analyze performance. 
• Maintain and grow social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
• Write and publish blog posts, one-sheets, and program descriptions for the website.
• Maintain and update MATLT’s website including content, program pages, donation pages, event listings.
• Develop and maintain a branding guide for board and volunteer use.
• Write and produce one annual report (digital PDF) per year

Fundraising & Appeals

• Design and execute MATLT’s annual appeal calendar
• Set and track individual donor giving targets in coordination with the Executive Director. 
• Research and implement new fundraising channels 
• Manage CRM daily: donor data entry, thank-you email automation, gift acknowledgment letters, duplicate cleanup, mail merges, and segmentation.
• Track and report on donor retention rate 

Donor Stewardship

• Prepare and provide ED and Board Chair with data and reports to support donor stewardship 

Grant Support

• Maintain the grant pipeline tracker: prospective funders, deadlines, amounts, and status.
• Research new grant prospects 
• Draft letters of intent, grant narrative sections, and funder reports in collaboration with the Executive Director.

Community Engagement & Partnerships

• Assist with logistics and planning for 3–4 community hike events per season
• Interface with the broader Maine conservation network to foster partnerships and visibility.
• Represent MATLT at events, tabling opportunities, and community gatherings as appropriate.

Metrics & Reporting

• Produce a monthly marketing and fundraising dashboard for the ED. 
• Set annual engagement and donor conversion targets in coordination with the ED; report progress to the board quarterly.
• Maintain Bloomerang as the organization’s system of record for donor data; ensure data quality.

Growth & Strategic Initiatives

In the first year, the Manager is expected to establish systems and cadence. In years 2–3, the role evolves toward greater strategic ownership. Specific initiatives include:

• Develop MATLT’s audience segmentation strategy 
• Build out a Next Gen Council concept: a cohort of younger, diverse community members engaged in MATLT programming and brand ambassadorship.
• Explore and implement new fundraising or awareness channels 
• Lead the organization’s website redesign or platform migration if warranted.

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of experience in nonprofit communications, marketing, development, or a closely related field.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills across formats: fundraising copy, newsletters, social media, grant narratives, and donor communications.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple communications platforms and deadlines simultaneously.
• Comfort working with donor or CRM data systems (Bloomerang, Salesforce, Little Green Light, or similar).
• Ability to work independently and with high autonomy in a small organization setting.
• Alignment with MATLT’s conservation mission and values.

Preferred

• Experience managing a nonprofit fundraising appeals calendar, including mailed appeals and email sequences.
• Familiarity with the Maine conservation landscape, the Appalachian Trail, or land trust work.
• Experience managing websites or CMS platforms (Wix, Squarespace, WordPress, or similar).
• Experience with paid social media campaigns and digital advertising.
• Grant writing or grant research experience.
• Experience with Mailchimp or comparable email marketing platform.

Compensation, Benefits, and Miscellaneous

• Salary $65,000–$80,000 annually, commensurate with experience
• Full time/40 hours per week
• Monthly Wellness Stipend
• 15 days PTO
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid co-working space to be determined
• Mileage reimbursement for work travel (IRS rate)
• Hybrid position; Portland-based presence expected. Regular travel within Maine for hike events and partner meetings.
• Reports to: Executive Director

To Apply:

Please send resume, cover letter, and three references to info@matlt.org.

A Maine landowner has pledged to donate his 50% share of a 5-acre private inholding within the Bigelow Preserve, setting in motion an effort to permanently protect a scenic stretch of Stratton Brook and eliminate a private motorized right-of-way in the preserve. The parcel — a 5-acre lot surrounded on all sides by lands managed by the Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands (BPL) — includes over 1,000 feet of frontage on Stratton Brook and sits within one of western Maine’s most celebrated wild landscapes. The Bigelow Preserve encompasses more than 36,000 acres and includes seven summits of the Bigelow Range, with the Appalachian Trail traversing its ridgelines and peaks.

“This acquisition strengthens the long-term protection of the Bigelow Preserve by closing a key inholding and safeguarding a sensitive area near the Appalachian Trail. Just as importantly, this bargain sale reflects the extraordinary generosity of the landowners, whose willingness to give back ensures this landscape remains part of Maine’s shared natural heritage, open and unspoiled for generations to come,” said Rex Turner, Director of Planning & Acquisition, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands – Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry.

The remaining 50% interest and associated project costs were paid for with funds from Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Wild East Action Fund and the High Peaks Initiative. “Every acre within the Appalachian Trail landscape plays an important role in safeguarding the beauty and character of the Trail,” said Dan Ryan, the ATC’s Vice President of Conservation and Government Relations. “We’re honored to support the protection of this property in Bigelow Preserve with a grant from Wild East Action Fund.”

“The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust values the partnerships that are committed to protecting the trail in Maine, and the acquisition of this parcel within the Bigelow Preserve is an example of this collaboration in action,” said MATLT’s Board President, David Kallin. “Our work with partners like the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands and Appalachian Trail Conservancy will ensure that this remains one of Maine’s most special natural areas and one of the Appalachian Trail’s most treasured sections.”

The parcel carries a legal right-of-way which crosses near the Appalachian Trail at Stratton Brook and currently serves as a public corridor for hiking, biking, and snowmobiling, as well as providing access to the Jones Pond ski trail on National Park Service land. Inholdings of this kind can create user and resource conflicts, and if the parcel were developed with a camp or house, structures would likely be visible from sections of the Appalachian Trail between The Horns and Route 27. This acquisition ensures that the wild, remote nature of this portion of the Bigelow Preserve remains intact.

Located in western Maine about 40 miles north of Farmington, the Bigelow Preserve encompasses over 36,000 acres of public land managed by the Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands. The Bigelow Range includes seven summits, with West Peak at 4,150 feet — one of only 10 Maine summits above 4,000 feet. The Appalachian Trail traverses the Preserve along its ridgelines and peaks, including Avery Peak.

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust (MATLT) is proud to announce our partnership with project leads the Northeast Wilderness Trust and the Trust for Public Land to protect the Moxie Pond parcel — a nearly 1,845-acre property in Somerset County’s Bald Mountain Township that represents one of the most ecologically and scenically significant conservation opportunities along Maine’s Appalachian Trail.

A Landscape That Exemplifies the Maine A.T. Experience

Situated in the Caratunk–Bald Mountain Pond priority focus area, the Moxie Pond parcel lies on the north side of the A.T. corridor between Pleasant Pond Mountain and Moxie Bald Mountain. Nearly 99% of the parcel is visible from the Appalachian Trail, making it one of the most prominent viewshed area along the entire Maine A.T. (among large parcels statewide, Moxie Pond ranks 7th for this metric).

Ecological Significance

The conservation value of this parcel extends well beyond its visual impact. Nearly 98.5% of the property remains undeveloped, and over 92% falls within a identified 34,959-acre ecological core block — part of the greater Caratunk–Bald Mountain Pond landscape. The parcel contains more than 1,077 acres scoring high for climate resilience and is contiguous with approximately 20,000 additional acres of climate-resilient land, making it a vital piece of a much larger refuge for wildlife and native plant communities in a region already feeling the effects of climate change.

Bald Mountain Brook traverses the property before entering Moxie Pond at its southwestern corner, contributing to the parcel’s strong ranking for active river area. These streams are a reflection of the significant elevation gradient from the nearby ridges of Moxie Bald down to the pond’s shore, where water winds down the slopes.

A Rich Cultural and Historical Landscape

The Moxie Pond parcel also carries layers of human history. The shore of Joe’s Hole was once a loading point on the Somerset Railroad, where logs were transferred for rail transport and at least one pre/historic tool-making site documented by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission lies near the shoreline. Today, the western shore of the pond is dotted with recreational camps and the Moxie Pond parcel will be open to the public for outdoor recreation.

Why This Partnership Matters

MATLT’s mission is to permanently protect the lands and waters that make Maine’s Appalachian Trail corridor one of the most treasured stretches of wilderness in the eastern United States. The Moxie Pond parcel is a priority acquisition in the Caratunk–Bald Mountain Pond priority focus area due to sweeping A.T. views, a large ecological core, and  intact forest landscape.

We are thrilled to be working alongside the Northeast Wilderness Trust and the Trust for Public Land – trusted partners whose commitment to lasting wild land conservation aligns closely with our own. Together, we are working to ensure that the forests, waters, and wild character of the Moxie Pond landscape remain protected for hikers, wildlife, and future generations.