Associate Director, Planned Giving

African Wildlife Foundation•Washington, DC

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Legacy Giving, leads AWF’s legacy giving program, also known as planned giving or gift planning. This hands-on leadership role connects planned-giving strategy with frontline execution and is responsible for formalizing, systematizing, and actively managing a program in a growth phase. The Associate Director acts as a player-coach, combining donor-facing work and technical gift-planning expertise with the development and mentorship of the Legacy Giving Associate. Reporting to the VP, Individual Giving, the role will establish a visible legacy pipeline, develop a clear marketing plan, and formalize standard operating procedures that improve team workflows and donor documentation. The position builds a foundation for long-term program growth and works across AWF’s development, Finance, Data Services, and global offices. The role is based in Washington, DC, with a hybrid schedule requiring three days per week in the DC office, and frequent travel, including international travel, as well as some evening or weekend donor outreach.

Requirements

At least 6 years of frontline fundraising experience, including at least 4 years focused specifically on legacy giving, planned giving, gift planning, or estate giving.
A proven record of cultivating and closing legacy gifts of varying sizes, including blended gifts.
At least 2 years of experience managing direct reports.
Exceptional empathy, discretion, and relationship-building skills for sensitive donor conversations about estate and legacy plans.
Deep expertise in CRM systems, such as Raiser’s Edge/NXT, and understanding of industry-specific software such as PG Calc.
Current working knowledge of charitable gift vehicles, including bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, and charitable remainder trusts, and relevant tax law.
Proficiency in basic donor and prospect research and relevant analysis.
Ability to communicate technical or complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders and integrate work across teams.
A builder mentality and experience formalizing fundraising systems, workflows, and standard operating procedures.
Experience proactively managing donor outreach across a large geography.
Bachelor’s degree required.
High ethical standards and commitment to AFP’s Donor Bill of Rights.
Must be authorized to work in the United States.
Flexibility to travel frequently, including internationally, and work evenings or weekends for donor outreach.

Nice To Haves

Experience within a larger, well-established planned giving program.
Advanced degree or relevant certifications, such as PMP or CFRE.
Conservation or environmental nonprofit experience.
Active involvement in planned giving professional associations or councils.

Responsibilities

Create and oversee a legacy giving program that supports a consistent future revenue pipeline for AWF’s mission and programs.
Develop systems, processes, and tools to communicate legacy fundraising across AWF and integrate it with the broader fundraising strategy.
Liaise between technical data functions and the development department to align systems with fundraising priorities.
Design and implement end-to-end legacy workflows integrating donor data, prospect wealth indicators, and stewardship touchpoints.
Establish processes with Finance and AWF’s global offices for receiving, routing, and acting on bequest notifications, letters of administration, and other estate correspondence.
Attend director-level internal meetings to discuss and implement cross-program legacy strategies.
Lead, manage, and mentor the Legacy Giving Associate, supporting alignment with goals, KPIs, standards of practice, team culture, and professional development.
Provide hands-on guidance and direct execution as a player-coach; conduct regular performance reviews and provide strategic guidance on individual work plans.
Build working relationships with Individual Giving leadership, Finance, and Data Services colleagues.
Mentor staff outside Individual Giving and provide legacy gift training.
Manage a portfolio of current donors and proactively add prospects through cultivation and solicitation.
Develop and implement prospect strategies to move donors between giving levels.
Build donor relationships through varied communications, including frequent personal visits, and proactively plan visits across a broad national geography.
Support colleagues and leadership with gift-planning strategy for estates, trusts, and other deferred giving opportunities.
Discuss estate and end-of-life plans with sensitivity, empathy, and discretion; maintain current knowledge of charitable tax law and gift vehicles and explain them clearly to donors.
Ensure timely and consistent record-keeping and data integrity in the organization’s eCRM database.
Partner with the VP, Individual Giving on budget development, monitor legacy fundraising activities, and produce regular reports on projected goals.
Work with external legacy giving agencies, such as Stelter, to execute campaigns, increase engagement, and close planned gifts.