Hawaiʻi Land Trust

Hawai’i Conservation Alliance & Foundation; Honolulu, Northern (HI, KY); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

PTO

Retirement plan with 4% match vesting

Job summary

Hawaiʻi Land Trust (HILT) seeks a seasoned Director of Philanthropy to lead a comprehensive fundraising program, including annual gifts, major gifts, grants, and events. The role builds long-term donor partnerships to grow revenue for Hawaiʻi’s lands, waters, and communities.

Reports to the CEO and works with the Board. The position is Hawaiʻi-based, ideally on Oʻahu, with a hybrid schedule and travel between islands.

Qualifications

• Extensive fundraising experience in nonprofit or related field.
• Proven success in raising multi-million dollars annually through philanthropy and grants.
• Established network in Hawaiʻi with funders, government officials, partners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to inspire donors.
• Executive-level leadership and staff management preferred in nonprofit sectors.

Responsibilities

• Raise $2–4M annually to sustain operations and fund projects.
• Manage annual giving program; craft appeals and plan events across islands.
• Oversee major gifts and engage high-net-worth donors with CEO.
• Lead grants program; supervise proposals, reporting, and compliance.
• Plan capital campaigns when needed to support major initiatives.
• Manage donor database, analytics, and reporting to CEO/Board.
• Develop annual development budget and supervise contractors.
• Cultivate donor relationships and grow the donor base.
• Collaborate across staff and communities; supervise Development staff.

Skills

Fundraising

Leadership

Communication

Travel willingness

CRM experience

Strategic thinking

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Our Mission is to protect and steward the lands that sustain Hawaiʻi, and to perpetuate Hawaiian values by connecting people with ʻāina. Hawaiʻi Land Trust (HILT) takes a uniquely Hawaiian and holistic approach to land conservation. We conserve lands that enable Hawaiʻi's long-term well-being, prioritizing the protection of coastlines, wahi kupuna (Hawaiian cultural landscapes), and lands that grow healthy food for Hawaiʻi’s people. We seek to complement the stewardship others are providing for mountaintop watersheds by concentrating largely on needs and opportunities for coastal and agricultural lands. HILT protects valuable and irreplaceable lands through the use of Conservation Easements held in perpetuity, or fee simple purchase.

Opportunity Details

Opportunity Type:

Full-Time Jobs

Opportunity Title:

Director of Philanthropy

Opportunity Description

The Director of Philanthropy is a seasoned fundraiser responsible for implementing a well-developed fundraising program, including annual gifts, major gifts, planned giving, grant proposals and reporting, and fundraising events. They must build long-term donor partnerships that increase organizational revenue to support Hawaiʻi Land Trust’s (HILT) growing portfolio of work throughout Hawaiʻi. The Director of Philanthropy plays a critical role in HILT’s growth, sustainability, and ability to deliver on HILT’s mission to protect and steward the lands that sustain Hawaiʻi and perpetuate Hawaiian values by connecting people with ʻāina. The Director of Philanthropy reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and works closely with staff across the organization. The Director of Philanthropy also interfaces frequently with HILT’s Board of Directors.

This position is located in Hawaiʻi. The ideal candidate lives in Hawaiʻi, preferably Oʻahu, or has lived in Hawaiʻi and is looking to return.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in fundraising, development, or a related field that provides an equivalent skillset.
• Demonstrated success in:
  • raising over $2M per year through philanthropy and grants for 5 years or more;
  • securing individual gifts and grants of $50,000 or more;
  • building long-term philanthropic relationships with individuals and organizations;
  • writing and designing annual appeals and other fundraising-related communications
  • developing and implementing multi-year fundraising plans aligned with overarching organizational goals and consistently meeting annual fundraising goals; and
  • hosting fundraising events.
• Established professional network in Hawaiʻi with relevant partners, funders, government officials, companies, and community leaders.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Able to inform and inspire people to support HILT’s work.
• Results-driven, strategic thinker. Effective under pressure to meet tight deadlines.
• Executive level leadership and staff management experience preferred, particularly in the nonprofit or public sectors.
• Familiar with:
  • Hawaiʻi’s political, cultural, and land use history;
  • major issues currently impacting Hawaiʻi’s lands and people and related solutions;
  • Hawaiian cultural values, worldviews, practices, and language; and
  • practices associated with ʻāina stewardship.
• Able to navigate a wide variety of business and social settings, including cultural gatherings, and enjoy sharing HILT’s work with individuals and organizations that are not yet familiar.
• Able to regularly travel between the Hawaiian Islands and occasionally to the U.S. continent.
• Able to comfortably hike for extended periods through undeveloped and harsh landscapes and participate in occasional land stewardship activities.
• Experience with CRM systems for donor management.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for raising $2-4M annually to sustain HILT’s operations and additional funds as needed to support HILT’s land protection, stewardship, and connection projects.
• Manage the annual giving program. Write and design annual appeals and other communications. Plan, solicit sponsorships and table sales, and execute 3 to 5 fundraising events annually on 2 to 4 islands.
• Manage a major gifts program. Work with the CEO to connect and build relationships with high-net-worth individuals or companies with aligned interests to increase giving.
• Manage a grants program and grant writing consultant. Work with relevant parties to draft, review, and submit grant proposals, track grant deliverables and expenditures, and complete necessary grant reporting. HILT applies for and manages grant funding from a variety of private foundations, as well as federal, state, and county sources.
• Plan and implement capital campaigns when needed to raise funds for major projects.
• Lead donor database management, utilizing fundraising software and data analytics to track donor engagement and campaign effectiveness. Generate reports to inform decision making and measure fundraising outcomes. Provide regular updates on such outcomes to the CEO and Board.
• Develop and manage an annual development program budget. Appropriately procure and manage necessary contractors.
• Build and maintain supportive relationships with individual and organizational donors and other partners.
• Develop and implement, in collaboration with the CEO, staff, board, and volunteers, fundraising plans and initiatives to grow HILT’s donor base, enhance donor retention, and increase donation amounts.
• Work positively and professionally with HILT’s staff across the islands to share HILT’s on-the ground and in-the-community impact with donors.
• Manage and provide direction and oversight to the Development Associate and any othe staff as may be assigned.
• Other tasks as assigned by the CEO.

Compensation and Benefits

Annual Salary: $80,000 to $120,000 based on experience

Benefits: HILT offers a comprehensive benefits program, which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, PTO, and a retirement plan that currently provides a 4% match vesting after 2 years of employment.

Employment Terms

Proposed Start Date: Immediately

Employment Type: Full-time

Location: Hawaiʻi Land Trust primary office in Honolulu (hybrid work schedule available)

Probation Period: 60 days