Development Director

Outdoor Recreation Alliance (ORA Trails); La Crosse (WI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

ORA Trails in La Crosse, WI seeks an energetic Development Director to lead philanthropic growth and external relations. You will move donor engagement from cultivation to commitment, drive annual and capital campaigns, and oversee grants and donor systems.

The role partners with the Executive Director to achieve board-approved revenue goals and to advance ORA Trails’ mission through strategic fundraising, events, and communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, marketing, business, public administration, or related field preferred; equivalent professional experience will be considered.
• 5+ years of progressive fundraising/ development experience with demonstrated revenue goals.
• Experience with major gifts, capital campaigns, corporate sponsorships, grants, events, donor stewardship, CRM/donor databases.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute annual fundraising plans in partnership with the Executive Director and maintain a donor/prospect portfolio of 75–125 relationships.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and sponsors; lead campaigns, major gifts, recurring giving, and planned giving initiatives.
• Lead capital campaign fundraising, including strategy, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and reporting; manage Community Trail Farm fundraising.
• Oversee corporate sponsorship acquisition and management; coordinate partner relationships with senior leadership.
• Lead grant research, writing, submission, tracking, and reporting; align program/budget info with staff.
• Coordinate donor appreciation events and donor-community activities, with support from staff.
• Equip Executive Director and Board for donor introductions and solicitations while Board governance remains with the Executive Director.

Skills

Relationship building

Fundraising strategy

Donor stewardship

Major gifts

Capital campaigns

CRM management

Storytelling

Project management

Communication

Emotional intelligence

Education

Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management

Equivalent professional experience

Tools

CRM software

Microsoft Office

Job description

ORA Trails seeks an energetic, highly relational Development Director to lead the organization’s philanthropic growth. This external-facing role is ideal for a fundraiser who enjoys building authentic relationships, listening for what inspires people, and inviting donors and partners to make meaningful investments in ORA Trails’ mission.

The successful candidate will pair warmth and emotional intelligence with initiative, disciplined follow-through, strong systems, and a demonstrated ability to move relationships from cultivation to commitment.

Position Summary

The Development Director is ORA Trails’ senior fundraising leader, responsible for executing fundraising plans, managing donor and sponsor pipelines, leading capital and annual campaigns, overseeing grants and donor systems, and directing most external marketing and communications functions. The role works in close partnership with the Executive Director, who retains organizational accountability for fundraising strategy, financial sustainability, brand strategy, governance, and overall organizational leadership. The Development Director is expected to achieve board-approved contributed-revenue goals, currently $500,000+ annually, in addition to defined capital-campaign targets.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute annual fundraising plans in partnership with the Executive Director; maintain a qualified donor and prospect portfolio of approximately 75–125 relationships and build a healthy pipeline through networking, referrals, research, events, and community engagement.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and sponsors; lead annual and special campaigns, major gifts, recurring giving, planned-giving opportunities, and donor-retention and upgrade strategies.
• Lead and manage capital campaign fundraising, including prospect strategy, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, recognition, and progress reporting, with particular responsibility for Community Trail Farm fundraising.
• Lead corporate sponsorship acquisition and management; coordinate corporate and community partner relationships with the Executive Director and other directors as appropriate.
• Own grant research, writing, submission, tracking, and reporting; coordinate program, project, budget, and compliance information with staff responsible for those areas.
• Lead fundraising and donor-appreciation events, including the Trail Lovers Ball and other major fundraising events, with logistical and administrative support from the Business Support Coordinator.
• Equip and coordinate the Executive Director and Board members for donor introductions, meetings, solicitations, and stewardship while the Executive Director retains ownership of Board relations and governance.

Donor Systems & Reporting

• Maintain accountability for the donor CRM (Neon or successor system), including data standards, workflows, segmentation, reporting, and development analytics; coordinate gift entry and routine database administration with the appropriate team member.
• Oversee donor acknowledgement and stewardship processes, ensuring timely, accurate, and personalized communications while coordinating routine processing with the appropriate staff member.
• Track fundraising performance, donor movement, campaign progress, grant activity, and other development metrics to support forecasting, accountability, and decision-making.

Marketing & Communications

• Implement ORA Trails’ brand standards and messaging in alignment with the Executive Director, who retains accountability for organizational brand strategy.
• Lead the social media content calendar and posting, organizational newsletters, press releases and media relations, website content, print materials, graphics, marketing collateral, and program/event promotional materials in coordination with appropriate staff.
• Lead communications request management and the Marketing & Communications Committee; maintain accountability for inbound public inquiry systems and marketing-event tabling, with routine response and production support from the Business Support Coordinator.
• Oversee ORA Trails merchandise and storefront management, including brand alignment, product strategy, and vendor/staff coordination.

Collaboration & Organizational Leadership

• Contribute to organizational strategic planning and provide clear, regular development and communications updates to the Executive Director and organizational leadership.
• Coordinate Trail Farm fundraising and stakeholder communications with the Trail Farm Manager, who owns overall Trail Farm project management, site operations, budget, risk, partnerships, and project delivery.
• Collaborate with the Operations Director on program marketing and mission-aligned communications while Operations retains ownership of program delivery, participant communications, volunteer systems, and non‑Trail Farm trail operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, marketing, business, public administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant professional experience will be considered.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in fundraising, development, business development, nonprofit leadership, communications, or a related field, with demonstrated success achieving measurable fundraising or revenue goals.
• Experience with major gifts, capital campaigns, corporate sponsorships, grants, fundraising events, donor stewardship, and CRM/donor database systems strongly preferred.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and storytelling skills; strong project management, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities independently and collaboratively.
• High emotional intelligence and relationship‑building ability, with genuine curiosity about people and the capacity to build trust across varied backgrounds and constituencies.
• Proximity to La Crosse, WI is required to fulfill onsite, donor, partner, event, and project‑site responsibilities.

Core Competencies

• Relationship building and donor stewardship
• Strategic fundraising and campaign management
• Communication and storytelling
• Project management and execution
• Data‑informed decision‑making
• Collaboration, adaptability, and accountability

Working Conditions

Work is performed largely within an office environment with prolonged mental and visual concentration. Evening and weekend work is expected for donor, fundraising, community, and organizational events. Regular local travel between project and program sites is required. Must be able to lift and move up to 30 pounds of supplies and equipment. Frequent walking and hiking may be required. Serves as a representative of the organization at appropriate functions.

General Notice

This position description describes the general nature and level of work performed and is not intended to be all-inclusive. The employee may be required to perform other job‑related duties. Requirements are subject to change and reasonable accommodation. This position description does not constitute an employment agreement and may be revised as the needs of ORA Trails and the position change.

ORA Trails is committed to providing an inclusive work environment and equal employment opportunity consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law.