Institutional Giving Director

Trust for Public Land; United States; Hybrid; USD 101,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Vacation and sick pay plus holidays

403(b)-retirement plan

Year-end office closure

Job summary

Trust for Public Land is seeking an institutional giving leader to elevate national fundraising. You will build and grow relationships with foundations and corporations, guiding national donor engagement and strategic fundraising plans.

The role emphasizes strong proposal development, cross‑functional collaboration, and leadership in securing major gifts to support statewide and national priorities.

Qualifications

• Nine years of nonprofit fundraising with major institutional partners.
• Strong written and verbal fundraising communications.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Manage portfolio of 60-75 institutional and corporate donors.
• Secure gifts ranging from $50,000 to $500,000+.
• Collaborate across Philanthropy, Finance, Legal, Marketing.
• Develop proposals, letters of inquiry, and gifting strategies.

Skills

Relationship Management

Donor Cultivation

Fundraising Strategy

Proposal Development

Stakeholder Engagement

Tools

Fundraising Databases

Microsoft Office

Online Research Tools

Job description

Who We Are:

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is the leader of a movement to connect everyone in America to the outdoors. A national nonprofit, TPL partners with communities to create high-quality parks and protect public lands—especially in communities that need them most—to improve public health, create social cohesion, strengthen historic and cultural connection to place, and increase climate resilience. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, generated over $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit www.tpl.org.

Who We Are:

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is the leader of a movement to connect everyone in America to the outdoors. A national nonprofit, TPL partners with communities to create high-quality parks and protect public lands—especially in communities that need them most—to improve public health, create social cohesion, strengthen historic and cultural connection to place, and increase climate resilience. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, generated over $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit www.tpl.org.
“For over 50 years, Trust for Public Land has been working tirelessly towards our vision that every individual should have close‑to‑home access to the benefits of nature. In today’s world, our land‑for‑people solutions are more relevant than ever. Quality parks and natural spaces are a fundamental requirement for sustaining healthy, equitable communities that are resilient and prepared for change. Parks and public lands connect us to each other and to the outdoors. We are a vibrant organization with a strategic plan that builds on our success and positions TPL for a comprehensive fundraising campaign. Join us and become part of a growing and forward‑thinking team focused on growing our philanthropic partnerships to ensure healthy, livable communities for generations to come.”

• Patricia Watson, Chief Advancement Officer

Position Summary

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is seeking a dynamic and accomplished Institutional Giving Director (IGD) to elevate and grow corporate and foundation giving. As a member of the national philanthropy team, the IGD will play a pivotal role in raising money to support TPL’s national strategic priorities.

Strong candidates will have a proven track record of building and growing strong relationships that inspire both new and established partners to financially support the mission. This position requires exceptional fundraising ability, internal and external communication skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to collaborate across teams.

The IGD will play a central role as a frontline fundraiser and strategic partner to fundraisers across the organization by empowering philanthropy staff to understand, articulate, and fundraise for a defined national portfolio of work. This includes translating program strategies into compelling donor‑facing narratives, and ensuring colleagues have the tools, training, and confidence needed to engage donors effectively.

Responsibilities

• 70% relationship management: The IGD will manage a portfolio and secure philanthropic gifts from national foundations and corporations who currently give in the $50,000 to $500,000+ range and who have potential for growth. The IGD will progressively add new institutional donors to the portfolio.
• 20% cross functional collaboration: The IGD will play a central role as a strategic partner to fundraisers across the organization to understand, articulate, and fundraise for a defined national portfolio of work.
• 10% strategic alignment: The IGD will foster strong partnerships with program colleagues to create alignment around priorities and plans. This includes timely sharing of revenue forecasts, philanthropic progress, and institutional funding opportunities.

Expectations

• Strategically manage and expand a portfolio comprising 60-75 institutional and corporate prospects and donors capable of granting $50,000 - $500,000+.
• Regularly conduct purposeful donor visits, aiming for 45-60+ meaningful engagements annually, with a target of qualifying at least 24 prospects each year.
• Submit a minimum of three solicitations of $500,000+ and thirty solicitations ranging from $50,000 - $499,999 annually.
• Contribute significantly to Philanthropy's success enterprise-wide, with occasional engagement in developing opportunities that strengthen and elevate field programs.
• Develop impactful proposals and letters of inquiry, compelling corporate pitches, concept papers, and research briefings.
• Conduct purposeful visits with corporate and foundation prospects that lead to invitations for proposals, and the opportunity to provide effective stewardship. Prepare leadership, volunteers, and staff for donor engagements, including pre-meeting planning and post-meeting follow-up.
• Create and implement prospect engagement strategies, including prospect identification, qualification, and cultivation. Determine optimal timing and amounts for funding requests, oversee complex proposal creation including collaboration with budgeting and finance personnel, personally solicit prospects during face-to-face meetings, supply requisite verbal and written communications to secure donations, and deliver comprehensive stewardship, including corporate engagement and volunteer events, and gift reporting.
• Collaborate with colleagues in Philanthropy, Finance, Legal, Marketing, State and Program and National departments to construct proposal budgets, facilitate engagement opportunities, and oversee grant agreement deliverables and reporting.
• Collaborate with fellow philanthropy team members on cross-functional TPL-wide initiatives, such as joint grant solicitations and stewardship activities.
• Collaborate closely with Center for Community Impact program leads to develop, articulate, and integrate their program priorities into compelling philanthropy strategies that drive alignment and impact.
• Fulfill additional responsibilities as assigned.

Experience, Education, and Skills Required

• A minimum of nine years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with demonstrated expertise in devising strategies, securing substantial funding from, and effectively stewarding major institutional partners. A track record of consistently meeting or exceeding fundraising targets.
• Familiarity with and experience in navigating the national philanthropic landscape.
• Proficiency in crafting compelling written and verbal fundraising communications. The ability to convey intricate concepts through presentations, emails, and direct interactions. Substantial experience in composing complex grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and institutional reports.
• Proven and substantial history of cultivating and maintaining fruitful relationships with foundations and corporations.
• Experience conceiving and executing corporate engagement initiatives, encompassing networking events, volunteer participation activities, and more.
• Proficiency in utilizing fundraising databases, Microsoft Office applications, and online research tools.
• Basic proficiency in accounting and comprehension of nonprofit financial practices, with the capability to collaborate with Finance and Program staff to devise proposal budgets.
• Self-driven, adept at managing multiple priorities, paying meticulous attention to detail and deadlines, and achieving success with minimal supervision.
• The capacity to excel both independently as a strong individual contributor and as an active team participant, introducing fresh concepts and opportunities.
• Genuine interest in and commitment to Trust for Public Land's mission.
• A willingness to adopt flexible work hours and occasional travel throughout the region is essential.
• Strong commitment to TPL’s shared values (Belonging, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Hope) to effectively work across the organization.

Compensation

Trust for Public Land is a hybrid work environment, and this role will ideally be located near a Trust for Public Land office. As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for the Trust for Public Land’s comprehensive benefits program which includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Vacation and sick pay plus holidays
• Year-end office closure
• 403(b)-retirement plan, currently with up to a 7% company match

We offer competitive salaries commensurate with experience; the anticipated hiring range for this position is $101,000 to 115,000.

Trust for Public Land’s active goal is to be an inclusive and equitable place to work and build community. As the organization actively works to eliminate racial and other disparities it welcomes candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skillsets.

We are open to the possibility that a great candidate for this job may not precisely meet all the above criteria; if you believe you are the right person for this job and can persuasively make that case, we encourage you to apply.