Associate Director of Development

nature; Brunswick (ME); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Nature Conservancy in Maine (Brunswick) is seeking an Associate Director of Development to lead strategic donor cultivation and solicitation. You will manage a portfolio of major donors and prospects, telling compelling stories about our conservation work to deepen engagement and gifts.

Collaborate with the development team to plan and implement fundraising strategies, reports, and stewardship. This role emphasizes discovery, qualification, and high-impact proposals for global and local

Qualifications

• Experience leading major donor fundraising and managing donor portfolios.
• Strong written and verbal communication for donor proposals and stewardship.
• Ability to develop and adapt fundraising strategies for diverse donors.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 80-120 donors with capacity to give $250,000+ as the portfolio matures.
• Meet discovery-based metrics and quarterly outreach goals.
• Complete 60-100 visits and 180-300 moves annually.
• Act independently and exercise judgment to solve problems in donor strategy and management.
• Persuade stakeholders by articulating the Conservancy's mission and program priorities.
• Direct or participate in negotiations for complex donor agreements.
• Ensure compliance with policy, donor, legal, and IRS requirements.
• Set fundraising objectives, evaluate results, and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information and escalate when needed.
• Collaborate across chapters and programs to align donor strategies and budgets.

Skills

Donor relations

Storytelling

Strategic fundraising

Portfolio management

Job description

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Associate Director of Development (ADoD) is an experienced \"out the door\" fundraiser and self-starter with excellent writing skills who excels as a collaborative team member who brings leadership to their portfolio and fundraising strategies. The ADoD develops, implements, and plans for the cultivation and solicitation of gift prospects, primarily individual donors and potential corporate, foundation, and institutional funders. This person will be part of a team that is driven, strategic and thoughtful. This role is ideal for a strategic fundraiser who enjoys identifying, qualifying, and building relationships with new major donor prospects while also managing a portfolio of established donors to contribute to the ongoing mission of our global conservation work.

We're Looking for You:

The Associate Director of Development for The Nature Conservancy in Maine is based out of our Brunswick, Maine office and is responsible for managing a portfolio of qualified donors and for building strong relationships. The ADoD promotes a culture of philanthropy among their peers and volunteers and works closely with the development team, Advisory Board of Trustees, natural partners, and other Conservancy staff to determine effective strategies for engaging identified donors and prospects and deepening their relationships with The Nature Conservancy. This person inspires by telling stories about the Conservancy's work and ably connects donors to their values.

The ADoD understands and applies complex principles of developing donor strategies and builds strong relationships with a portfolio of prospects, as well as new and current donors. They are an experienced, creative and strategic fundraiser driven by donor interest and energized by pipeline discovery and qualification. The successful candidate will be highly collaborative and bring a track record of delivering results. As part of a 9-person team, this role focuses largely on discovery and qualification towards building a high-value portfolio. They are responsible for direct asks for both global and local Conservancy priorities to meet funding needs. They discuss assets proficiently and listen for opportunities for gifts of assets or other non-cash gifts, such as planned gifts and gifts of real estate or trade lands. They incorporate blended gifts and gifts of assets in proposals to donors. They understand organizational budgets and are proficient in utilizing this knowledge to build proposal budgets. They will work collaboratively across chapters and programs with a spirit of \"One Conservancy\" and leverage institutional knowledge and networks for successful and sophisticated donor strategies. They work closely with chapter leadership (including the State Director and Director of Conservation) and manage assigned trustee relationships and/or volunteer engagement. They are required to use the Conservancy's donor database and collaborate with team members who plan events, donor stewardship, and written communications.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

• Manage a portfolio of 80 - 120 individual and corporate/foundation donors, including donors with the capacity to give over $250,000, once the portfolio is developed (composition of portfolio to include 30-40%+ in discovery and 10%+ in loyal donor outreach). Once the portfolio has fully matured, meet an annual fundraising goal of $1,000,000 or more, along with a goal for bequest notifications.


• Meet discovery-based metrics such as annual qualifications, quarterly outreach goals, and other discovery and performance metrics, as assigned.


• Complete 60 - 100 visits and 180 - 300 moves annually.


• Act independently and in supervisor's stead as needed, exercise independent judgment to identify and solve problems.


• Persuasively convey the mission of TNC to various groups important to the organization's overall prosperity.


• Exercise sound judgment in donor strategy, relationship management, and fundraising activities, considering implications across programs, departments, and organizational priorities.


• Direct or participate in negotiations for complex, high-profile or sensitive agreements.


• Ensure compliance with TNC policies and procedures and external (donor/legal/IRS) requirements; be alert to ethical compliance issues.


• Set and meet fundraising objectives, evaluating results, and developing corrective strategies.


• Maintain confidentiality of frequently sensitive and sometimes emotionally charged information.


• Work independently, exercise sound judgment, and resolve complex donor, project, or relationship-management issues while appropriately escalating matters that require additional review or approval.


• Understand and comply with all TNC gift-related policies and procedures, including taking all required trainings and partnering with the operations team to ensure data integrity.


• Manage and implement multiple projects, directing work of staff, managing budget, and setting deadlines.

Engage in learning and practic