Major Gifts Director — Minnesota Northwoods

The Trust for Public Land; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 130,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Retirement plan 403(b)

Job summary

The Trust for Public Land in Saint Paul, MN, seeks a Director of Philanthropy to lead Minnesota and the Northwoods fundraising strategy, focusing on high-net-worth donors and six-figure gifts. This role demands entrepreneurial drive, relationship management, and a proven major gifts track record.

Hybrid, in-person donor visits across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with travel up to 25%. Reports to the Mountain West Region Director of Philanthropy and collaborates across program and

Qualifications

• Minimum five+ years demonstrated success in major gift fundraising, securing six-figure gifts.
• Experience planning, leading, and managing action plans, campaigns, and projects, including coordinating with peers to achieve desired outcomes, tracking, and reporting on progress to management.
• Ability to organize and motivate peers and volunteers.
• Demonstrated understanding of best practices across all disciplines of fundraising including major gifts, institutional giving, volunteer engagement, and planned giving, etc.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create powerful written and oral communications for fundraising.

Responsibilities

• Manages and continues to build a portfolio of approximately 100 donors and prospects with an emphasis on individual major gift ($100K+) prospects.
• Conducts donor visits and leads qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies.
• Develops comprehensive engagement strategies, leads cultivation teams, and creates and delivers solicitation and stewardship materials.
• Promotes blended gifts, planned giving, and involves peer volunteers, TPL leadership, and project staff in cultivation as needed.
• Oversees and is accountable for all fundraising activities in the Minnesota and the Northwoods program.
• Collaborates with program team to design and implement annual and long-range fundraising plans to realize annual and multiyear revenue goals.
• Sets priorities and focus for the philanthropy team.
• Tracks and reports progress toward revenue and programmatic goals.
• Monitors philanthropy-related expenses ensuring proper investment of resources.
• Oversees donor communications and recognition, in coordination with regional and national marketing and donor relations departments.
• Oversees donor events and tours.
• Directs and coordinates leadership and program staff involvement with donors and in broader fundraising efforts.
• Collaborates with the Minnesota and the Northwoods and Minnesota and the Northwoods Advisory Board Chair to identify, recruit, cultivate, solicit, and retain Advisory Board members.
• Leads philanthropy-related board activities, including 100% advisory board giving, philanthropic outreach, and donor cultivation events.
• Collaborates with Mountain West philanthropy team, national program directors and state directors to promote prospect engagement and donor communications.
• Assists in strategy development and creation of donor-facing written communications.

Skills

Major gifts

Donor relationships

Strategic planning

Communication skills

Volunteer engagement

Fundraising campaigns

Donor database tools

Tools

Donor database software

Job description

The Trust for Public Land in Saint Paul, MN, seeks a Director of Philanthropy to lead Minnesota and the Northwoods fundraising strategy, focusing on high-net-worth donors and six-figure gifts. This role demands entrepreneurial drive, relationship management, and a proven major gifts track record.

Hybrid, in-person donor visits across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with travel up to 25%. Reports to the Mountain West Region Director of Philanthropy and collaborates across program and