Senior Director, Leadership Giving

Audubon; Oakland (CA); Hybrid; USD 186,000 - 208,000; Full time

Job summary

National Audubon Society is seeking a Senior Director of Leadership Giving to advance hemispheric fundraising. You will report to the VP Leadership Giving and manage a team of fundraisers, focusing on major and principal gifts and bequest scenarios.

You will work with directors and senior leadership to grow unrestricted and lightly restricted gifts. You will cultivate relationships with high‑net‑worth donors, close multi‑million-dollar gifts, and guide multi‑year fundraising initiatives while

Qualifications

• Prior experience with major- and principal‑gift fundraising in a campaign environment, closing gifts of $100K to $1M+.
• At least 15 years of related work experience, including at least 5 years of leadership and management experience.
• Keen strategist capable of engaging new and existing donors and fostering strong relationships.
• Ability to manage projects, set priorities, and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Excellent communication to convey Audubon’s mission and programs persuasively.

Responsibilities

• Personally manage a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects; generate substantial revenue through personal solicitations.
• Establish and enhance an individual major and principal giving program with team support.
• Oversee multi‑year fundraising initiatives aligned with Audubon’s Strategic Plan.
• Coach and supervise frontline fundraisers and support staff to grow portfolios.
• Collaborate with executives and regional leaders to align donor activity with the organizational plan.

Skills

Major- and principal‑gift fundraising

Leadership experience

Strategic planning

Communication skills

Team coaching

Travel readiness

Job description

About Audubon

The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

Position Summary

The Senior Director, Leadership Giving collaborates closely with members of Development, Executive, and Senior Leadership Teams and represents Audubon’s hemispheric fundraising interests as a senior individual‑giving focused fundraiser. This position will report to the Vice President of Leadership Giving.

The Senior Director will chart a path of ambitious growth in major and principal gifts to support Audubon’s hemispheric conservation vision, and collaborate with the Gift Planning team to secure bequest intentions and non‑cash assets from high‑net‑worth individuals. They will also provide fundraising leadership for Audubon, supporting a team of gift officers and natural partners in their own fundraising work to help maximize Audubon’s philanthropic potential.

The Senior Director will manage a portfolio of major and principal gift donors and prospects, supervise and grow an existing team of frontline fundraisers and support staff, and partner closely with Audubon's State and Center Directors as well as Strategic Leads to grow an already successful fundraising operation. They will work closely with the VP Leadership Giving to build a cohesive and effective Leadership Giving team that delivers consistent growth in contributed revenue from individual donors, with a focus on unrestricted and lightly restricted gifts, and help develop and lead multi‑year fundraising initiatives for programs and Audubon assets as needed and assigned.

This role will also work closely with Board Members—advisory board members as well as fiduciary board members of the National Audubon Society—to engage them in the identification, cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation of major, principal, and planned gifts. The successful candidate will be entrepreneurial, have demonstrated experience closing six‑ and seven‑figure gifts, and must have a high EQ for managing up, down, and laterally in all levels of the organization.

This position is classified as hybrid, in accordance with Audubon’s “Where We Work” Policy. Hybrid employees are expected to work in an Audubon office every Monday and Tuesday and an additional two days each month of the employees’ choosing. Candidates should be located within commuting distance of one of Audubon’s offices: Albuquerque, NM; Albany, NY; Anchorage, AK; Baltimore, MD; Charleston, SC; Chicago, IL; Columbia, SC; Fargo, ND; Fort Collins, CO; Lincoln, NE; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Oakland, CA; Palm Desert, CA; Roseville, MN; Sacramento, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; Tallahassee, FL; Washington, DC.

Compensation: $186,000 - $208,000/year (Oakland, CA).

Essential Functions

• Personally manage a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects; generating at least $2M‑$5M in annual revenue via personal solicitations that ensure this level of return.
• Establish and enhance an individual major and principal giving program, with the support of a team of fundraisers.
• Oversee a multi‑year fundraising initiative built around the Flight Plan, Audubon’s new Strategic Plan.
• Ensure direct report(s) are successfully staffing and activating Executive Directors and other regional field leadership in support of achieving Audubon’s ambitious fundraising goals.
• Ensure direct reports are informed, engaged, and prepared to share information around the larger organizational strategic plan and how local programming at locations their donors reside rolls up into that plan.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and supervision to a team of direct reports including frontline fundraisers and support staff. The success of these reports in growing portfolios to generate $2‑5M annually is essential to this role.
• Work closely on a team of Senior Development Directors with the VP Leadership Giving and other members of the development management team to ensure, through portfolio management, strategic thinking and team coaching, that revenue generated meets or exceeds organizational needs in support of the new strategic plan—achieving fundraising goals set in consultation with their supervisor and the support of the Chief Development Officer.
• Maintain and foster a culture of safety.

Qualifications and Experience

• Prior experience with major- and principal‑gift fundraising in a campaign environment is a must, as well as a proven track record of closing gifts of $100K to $1M+ gifts.
• At least 15 years of related work experience, including at least 5 years of leadership and management experience.
• Keen strategist who can effectively engage new and existing donors as well as an ability to foster strong internal and external working relationships.
• Ability to manage projects, establish and monitor priorities, maintain flexibility, and meet deadlines with little direct supervision.
• Ability to communicate Audubon’s mission, goals, and programs effectively—you don’t need to love birds (or even the environment) but it’s critical you can communicate persuasively about it.
• Creativity in connecting Audubon’s mission and work to donor interest is important.
• A demonstrated ability to connect with people from varied backgrounds, lifestyles, and perspectives and build strong relationships.
• Excellent communication skills—from in‑person to phone and writing, it is important you’re a strong communicator.
• A commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
• Ability to both work independently and function collaboratively as part of a national distributed team.
• Bilingual Spanish speaking candidates preferred.
• Demonstrated skill in working effectively with colleagues outside your team as well as volunteer leaders.
• Willingness to travel, potentially as much as 25‑50% of the time. Some nights and weekend work will be required (e.g. board meetings, important donor meetings, support of Executive Team development travel, special events, etc.).
• Commitment to Audubon’s organizational values of care, collaboration, change, integrity, impact, and innovation.
• Experience fostering inclusive and collaborative work environments is valued.

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic outlined by federal, state, or local laws. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates.

Accessibility Statement

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