Major and Planned Giving Officer

EARTHWORKS; Washington (District of Columbia); Remote; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid health, vision, and dent

Unlimited paid leave

Paid parental leave

Sabbatical after 5 years

403(b) retirement plan with 5% match

Job summary

Earthworks seeks a Major and Planned Giving Officer to lead donor relationships and drive revenue for climate and environmental justice initiatives. This senior fundraiser will manage a caseload of major donors and develop a comprehensive planned giving program, collaborating closely with program staff to secure gifts and sustain Earthworks’ mission.

The role requires a track record in major and planned giving, excellent writing and relationship-building skills, and comfort working in a virtual

Qualifications

• 10 years+ experience in major gifts and planned giving.
• A strong track record of relationship building through the whole cycle of donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Expertise in the area of charitable gift planning, including some knowledge of gift structures and financial planning concepts
• Excellent writing and editing skills that show an attention to detail, an ability to tell a story, and facility with synthesizing complex information into clear and engaging materials for donor audiences
• Strong verbal skills and emotional intelligence, with an ability to ask questions, listen, empathize and give and receive constructive feedback
• Organized and able to handle multiple simultaneous deadlines
• Self-motivated and able to work independently, including in a virtual office environment
• Sound judgement and discretion in handling confidential donor information and a commitment to maintaining high ethical standards
• Able to anticipate and solve problems, with a learning orientation that aims for continuous improvement
• Able to work effectively both independently and in collaboration with others
• Experience with CRMs in donor management, preferably Salesforce, and familiarity with prospect research tools such as iwave/Kindsight
• Comfort and competency in an Apple computing environment using Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Slack, and Trello (or other project management software)

Responsibilities

• Major Gifts: Qualify caseload of donors (75–100 people) and manage a portfolio with a goal of raising $700k to $1M+ annually
• Create individual donor goals based on giving history and potential
• Develop cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans tailored to each donor
• Secure project information and craft offers, proposals, and asks for donors
• Report on caseload activity and performance as needed
• Planned Giving: Build a comprehensive program, strategy, and collateral; generate a strong prospect pipeline
• Manage a portfolio of prospects with personalized engagement plans
• Create donor engagement strategies and a legacy society structure
• Implement a stewardship plan for pledged legacies and growth of revenue
• Develop knowledge of planned giving vehicles and secure partnerships
• Prepare gift proposals, bequest language, and agreements; maintain compliance docs
• Secure planned gifts to support long-term sustainability
• Culture of philanthropy: Grow donors’ networks and bring high-value prospects
• Coach staff and board on donor relationships through the gift cycle
• Develop donor engagement opportunities such as webinars and events
• Give periodic trainings on major and planned giving topics
• Support strategic planning to meet revenue goals
• The MPGO reports directly to the Philanthropy Director.

Skills

Major gifts

Planned giving

Donor cultivation

Donor stewardship

Communication

Writing/editing

Organizational skills

Independent work

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree or Masters preferred

Tools

Salesforce

Google Workspace

Trello

Job description

Are you passionate about climate change and environmental justice?

Join Earthworks’ 6-person philanthropy team in raising $8M+ annually from foundations and individual donors to support Earthworks’ mission.

We are looking for someone who has high quality standards and pays strong attention to every detail of your work. You should have a successful track record with helping donors to fulfill their passions through giving to nonprofit organizations. If you are a self-motivated strong communicator and great listener who understands the importance of teamwork while being able to collaborate effectively with other staff across the organization, this may be the role for you.

The Major and Planned Giving Officer (“MPGO”) supports the Philanthropy Director, staff and board members to build strong donor relationships and secure the resources that advance Earthworks’ mission. The MPGO provides opportunities for donors to fulfill their philanthropic interests and passions, encourages them to give, and makes sure that as many as possible are retained and upgraded in their giving and involvement over time.

This position plays a central role in:

• Major Gifts

  • Qualify caseload of donors from larger group of Earthworks donors and manage a portfolio 75-100 people, with a goal of raising $700-1M+ annually

  • Create individual goals for each donor on the caseload based on the donor’s giving history and Earthworks’ knowledge of that donor’s potential

  • Create a cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plan for each donor that takes into account the individual donor’s passions, interests, motivations, giving patterns and ask preferences so that individuals are retained and upgraded over time

  • Secure from program and communications staff appropriate project information, including budgets, and create offers, proposals, and asks that will be used with donors on the caseload to secure gifts and report back on how their giving is making a difference

  • Perform other major donor activities as needed, including reporting on caseload activity and performance

• Planned Giving

  • Develop a comprehensive planned giving program, strategy, revenue goals, and supporting collateral

  • Build a strong planned giving prospect pipeline from Earthworks’ supporter base

  • Manage a portfolio of prospects, including creating and implementing a plan for each person on the caseload driven by the donor’s passions and interests while addressing their estate and financial planning needs

  • Develop creative prospect engagement strategies, including a legacy society structure

  • Implement a stewardship strategy for donors who have pledged to leave a legacy

  • Build expert knowledge of the range of planned giving vehicles and secure partnerships to manage complex financial instruments

  • Prepare gift proposals, sample bequest language, gift agreements, and maintain relevant compliance documentation

  • Secure planned gifts that lead to revenue growth and Earthworks’ long term financial sustainability

• Culture of philanthropy

  • Identify opportunities to grow staff and board members’ philanthropic networks and bring new high value prospects to the organization

  • Coach board and staff members to build their skills to develop strong donor relationships throughout the gift cycle

  • Develop donor engagement and stewardship opportunities such as webinars and events that deepen connection to the mission

  • Make periodic presentations and conduct trainings on topics related to major and planned giving

  • Participate in strategic planning related to fundraising and support the philanthropy team as needed to meet overall revenue goals

The Major and Planned Giving Offer (MPGO) reports directly to the Philanthropy Director.

About Earthworks

Earthworks is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the adverse impacts of mineral and energy development while promoting sustainable solutions. Earthworks stands for clean air, water, and land, healthy communities, and corporate accountability. We work for solutions that protect both the Earth’s resources and our communities. Earthworks has a primarily-remote staff of approximately 50 employees in over 20 states and DC.

Earthworks is committed to challenging and dismantling systemic oppression. Earthworks’ board and staff understand that promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) both within and beyond Earthworks is critical to carrying out our mission to protect communities and the environment from the adverse impacts of resource extraction. We understand that our commitment to DEI means a dedication to constant learning and improvement.

Earthworks welcomes applications from diverse candidates and is an equal-opportunity employer. Earthworks evaluates employees and applicants for employment on merit, competence, and qualifications and does not tolerate discrimination.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Earthworks we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• 10 years+ experience in major gifts and planned giving

• A strong track record of relationship building through the whole cycle of donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship

• Expertise in the area of charitable gift planning, including some knowledge of gift structures and financial planning concepts

• Excellent writing and editing skills that show an attention to detail, an ability to tell a story, and facility with synthesizing complex information into clear and engaging materials for donor audiences

• Strong verbal skills and emotional intelligence, with an ability to ask questions, listen, empathize and give and receive constructive feedback

• Organized and able to handle multiple simultaneous deadlines

• Self-motivated and able to work independently, including in a virtual office environment

• Sound judgement and discretion in handling confidential donor information and a commitment to maintaining high ethical standards

• Able to anticipate and solve problems, with a learning orientation that aims for continuous improvement

• Able to work effectively both independently and in collaboration with others

• Experience with CRMs in donor management, preferably Salesforce, and familiarity with prospect research tools such as iwave/Kindsight

• Comfort and competency in an Apple computing environment using Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Slack, and Trello (or other project management software)

Preferred Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or Masters preferred

• Experience qualifying donor leads and developing donor pipelines

• Experience fundraising for 501(c)4s

• Strong knowledge of financial and legal requirements of planned giving

• Demonstrated experience working with mature populations

• Proven track record of implementation of strategies and plans to substantially increase revenue through planned giving vehicles

• Strong public speaking skills

• Demonstrated success in forging strong working relationships and building trust with donors and colleagues.

• Ability to travel to visit donors (4-6 trips within the US annually), for in-person staff meetings as needed, and occasional evening or weekend work

Location and Travel

Location for this position is remote in the United States, and applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Some travel may be required for certain positions. Employees who are unable to travel/attend in-person meetings for health or disability reasons may request accommodations.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $100,000-115,000 annually, depending on experience. This is the true hiring range, thoughtfully created in consideration of budget and pay equity, and it’s not negotiable. Earthworks provides full-time staff with a competitive package of benefits, including employer-paid medical, vision, dental, life, and disability insurance. Additionally, Earthworks offers unlimited paid leave, paid parental leave, and a 403(b) retirement plan (with a 5% match after one year of employment). After five years of employment, staff are eligible for a 12 week, fully paid sabbatical.

Bargaining Unit Status

Earthworks is a union workplace; our employees are represented by Earthworkers Unite/ Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). This position is included in the bargaining unit.