Director of Philanthropy - Northwest

Trust for Public Land•Seattle, OR

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is seeking an entrepreneurial and results-oriented Director of Philanthropy for the Northwest region (Washington and Oregon). This individual will be responsible for building relationships with and securing major gifts from high-net-worth individuals to support the Northwest program, the Pacific Region, and the organization’s highest priorities. The Director will manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, oversee all fundraising activities in the Northwest program, and manage a small team. This role requires a proven track record in major gift fundraising, strong communication and organizational skills, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively within a results-oriented team. TPL is committed to creating high-quality parks and protecting public lands, especially in underserved communities, to improve public health, foster social cohesion, strengthen cultural connections, and increase climate resilience.

Requirements

Minimum 11 years of professional experience.
Five+ years demonstrated major gift fundraising success.
Ability to organize and motivate others, including peers and volunteers.
Demonstrated understanding of best practices across all disciplines of fundraising (institutional giving, working with volunteers, major gifts, planned giving, etc.).
Experience in planning, leading, and managing action plans, campaigns, and projects, including coordinating with peers to achieve desired outcomes, tracking, and reporting on progress to management.
Ability to focus efforts and train non-philanthropy staff in the discipline of fundraising as appropriate.
Strong skills in creating powerful, compelling written and oral communications for fundraising.
Ability to convey complex ideas via presentations, e-mails, and face-to-face communications.
Ability to work with others to reach common goals and objectives.
Experience establishing and cultivating strong relationships with staff and ability to use good judgment, take initiative, and make recommendations.
Demonstrated ability to utilize database tools to manage donors and build fundraising strategies.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and with complex databases or donor management software.
Available for significant, independent travel (up to 25%).

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of approximately 100 donors and prospects, with an emphasis on individual major gift ($100K+) donor prospects, including donor visits, qualification, cultivation, stewardship, and solicitations.
Identify and qualify new prospects, creating comprehensive engagement strategies and leading cultivation teams.
Oversee and be accountable for all fundraising activities in the Northwest program, collaborating with the program team to design and implement annual and long-range plans to meet revenue goals.
Track and report progress toward revenue and programmatic goals, monitoring philanthropy-associated expenses and ensuring proper investment of resources.
Oversee donor communications and recognition, coordinating with regional and national marketing and donor relations departments.
Direct and coordinate the involvement of leadership and program staff with donors and in overall fundraising.
Collaborate with the Northwest State Director and Advisory Board Chair to identify, recruit, cultivate, and retain Advisory Board members.
Lead philanthropy-related board activities, including 100% advisory board giving, philanthropic outreach, and donor cultivation events.
Support the success of a cross-functional philanthropy team, including two direct reports (Associate Director of Philanthropy and Philanthropy Coordinator), through clear communication, guidance, and management.
Support professional development opportunities for direct reports, monitor progress, provide feedback, and deliver annual performance assessments.
Interact with internal contacts such as the Pacific Region philanthropy team, national program directors, state directors, and other fundraising staff to consult on organizational needs and formulate strategies to promote donor prospect engagement.
Assist with the strategy for and creation of written communications from various program leaders appropriate to a donor’s interests.
Participate in gift solicitations to fund organization-wide or regional programs and to enhance the fundraising efforts of key state programs.