Associate Director of Philanthropy, Corporate Relations

The Nature Conservancy (All); Toronto; On-site; CAD 128,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care benefits

Parental leave

Accrued paid time off

Life insurance

Disability coverage

Employee assistance program

Other life and work well-being benfits

Job summary

Nature United is seeking an Associate Director of Philanthropy, Corporate Relations, to secure significant corporate investments and lead multi-year engagement strategies. You will steward relationships with executives, foundations and funders, coordinating proposals, budgets and donor materials across Nature United and affiliated partners.

The role requires a track record of securing $100k+ gifts, strategic collaboration, and strong leadership across cross-functional teams in a conservation

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 6 years’ related experience or equivalent combination.
• Experience securing gifts of $100,000+ and managing corporate funders.
• Proven ability to lead partnerships with senior executives and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage a portfolio of corporate partners and foundations.
• Lead cultivation, solicitation and stewardship to secure multi-year investments.
• Coordinate proposals, budgets and donor-facing materials with internal teams.
• Align corporate interests with Nature United’s conservation priorities.

Skills

Relationship building

Major gifts fundraising

Strategic partnerships

Cross-functional collaboration

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM software

Proposal development

Job description

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Associate Director of Philanthropy (ADoP), Corporate Relations reports to the Director of Major Gifts and is responsible for securing significant philanthropic investments from corporations and corporate foundations in support of Nature United's conservation priorities. The ADoP develops and executes multi-year cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies that align corporate interests with Nature United's mission and funding priorities.

The ADoP manages a portfolio of corporate partners, corporate foundations and prospective funders, building trusted relationships with executives, foundation leaders and key decision-makers. Through strategic engagement, proposals, presentations and events, they advance opportunities for significant annual and multi-year investments while growing a sustainable corporate fundraising pipeline.

The ADoP develops partnership strategies aligned with initiatives such as Indigenous-led conservation, large landscape conservation, nature-based climate solutions and sustainable resource management. Working closely with donor communications, program staff and finance, they develop compelling proposals, budgets, reports and briefing materials that connect conservation priorities with corporate funding opportunities.

Working across Nature United and The Nature Conservancy's global fundraising network, the ADoP identifies and advances corporate funding opportunities, collaborates on shared prospects and aligns corporate interests with high-impact conservation outcomes. They coordinate complex partnerships involving multiple stakeholders, ensure effective stewardship and reporting, and identify opportunities for renewal and growth.

The ADoP serves as a strategic partner to philanthropy, conservation and corporate engagement colleagues, helping maximize opportunities for corporate support while ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, corporate engagement policies and reputational considerations. As a member of a collaborative and high-performing team, they contribute to a culture of learning, inclusion and continuous improvement while staying informed on trends in corporate philanthropy and sustainability.

Responsibilities and Scope

• Build and manage a portfolio of approximately 40-60 corporate partners and corporate foundations with capacity for significant annual and multi-year investments.
• Annual fundraising goal of $1,500,000+ once the portfolio is fully developed.
• Develop and execute engagement, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies to secure philanthropic support from corporations and corporate foundations.
• Build and maintain relationships with corporate executives, foundation leaders and other key decision-makers, aligning corporate interests with Nature United's conservation priorities.
• Serve as the lead relationship manager for assigned corporate partners and foundations, developing long-term engagement strategies that deepen relationships and grow philanthropic support.
• Collaborate with colleagues across Nature United, The Nature Conservancy and affiliated business units to identify, qualify, cultivate and solicit corporate funding opportunities.
• Serve as a strategic partner to conservation, philanthropy and corporate engagement colleagues to develop compelling partnership opportunities that advance organizational priorities.
• Work with prospect research and fundraising colleagues to identify and qualify prospective corporate partners, foundations and executive leadership connections.
• Develop briefing materials, cases for support, proposals, budgets, funding agreements, stewardship reports and other donor-facing materials.
• Coordinate complex partnership opportunities involving multiple internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment across teams and successful execution of fundraising strategies.
• Participate in the negotiation and management of complex, high-profile or sensitive corporate funding agreements and partnerships.
• Assess corporate engagement opportunities in accordance with Nature United and TNC corporate engagement policies, due diligence processes and risk management practices.
• Ensure compliance with Nature United and TNC gift-related policies, corporate engagement procedures and ethical fundraising standards.
• Stay informed on trends in corporate philanthropy, sustainability, ESG, corporate foundations and strategic partnerships to identify emerging opportunities and strengthen Nature United's corporate fundraising program.
• Support corporate cultivation, recognition and stewardship events in collaboration with Nature United and TNC colleagues.
• Demonstrate an active commitment to being in right relations with Indigenous Peoples through philanthropy practices, partnership development and engagement with Indigenous-led conservation initiatives.
• Bring an active commitment to inclusion and belonging.
• Exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality and manage sensitive information with discretion.
• Readily take on additional responsibilities as Nature United's philanthropy program evolves and expands.

We’re Looking for You:

Are you looking for work you can believe in? Nature United is a workplace where we care about each other and know that what we do matters, and that our work makes a difference. We currently have a vacancy for an Associate Director of Philanthropy. We’re looking for someone who builds strong, trust-based relationships and will contribute to a collaborative, high-performing team culture. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the ongoing mission of conservation by supporting the work of our team. Join us as we impact conservation across Canada and 80+ countries and territories around the globe!

What You’ll Bring:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree and 6 years related experience or equivalent combination.
• Experience building and maintaining long-term relationships with corporate funders, foundations, donors or strategic partners.
• Experience securing and closing gifts, sponsorships or partnerships of $100,000 or more.
• Experience managing a portfolio of prospects and partners through all stages of cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
• Experience developing and implementing fundraising or partnership strategies.
• Experience working across cross-functional teams and managing multiple stakeholders.
• Experience with fundraising principles and practices.
• undefined

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience securing philanthropic support from corporations and corporate foundations.
• Ability to determine a corporation's interests, priorities and capacity for partnership and align those interests with Nature United's conservation mission.
• Ability to design and implement customized cultivation, solicitation, stewardship and recognition plans.
• Demonstrated experience building relationships with senior corporate leaders and executives.
• Knowledge of corporate philanthropy trends, ESG-related giving, foundation giving and strategic partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience using listening, diplomacy and tact to build trust with corporate partners and internal stakeholders.
• Proven ability to negotiate complex, high-profile or sensitive agreements.
• Experience assessing and navigating reputational considerations related to corporate partnerships.
• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.

What We Bring:

• health care benefits
• parental leave
• accrued paid time off
• life insurance
• disability coverage
• employee assistance program
• other life and work well-being benefits

Learn more about our benefits in the Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a work environment that is supportive of the health, well-being, and flexibility needs of the people we employ!

Salary Information:

This position is based in Toronto, ON. The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is within the range of $128,000 - $138,000 CAD for annual base salary. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate’s location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.

Who We Are:

Nature United’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.

One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”

What We Bring:

• health care benefits
• parental leave
• accrued paid time off
• life insurance
• disability coverage
• employee assistance program
• other life and work well-being benefits

Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.

We’re proud to offer a work environment that is supportive of the health, well-being, and flexibility needs of the people we employ!

Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Employees must submit their application by logging into Workday and applying via the Jobs Hub.