Director of Development, Global Protect

Aug 28

The Nature Conservancy
Arlington, VA

Anticipated Start Date: 10/1/2024

Description

The Director of Development, Global Protect is responsible for leading on all aspects of the development program to secure significant financial resources in support of TNC’s Protection goals and the Global Protect business unit. The Nature Conservancy's mission drives us to conserve representative and resilient land, ocean, and freshwater habitats around the world so that people and nature thrive together.

Conservation of these systems is built on a foundation of ecosystem protection, but our definition of "protect" is broader and more inclusive in today's warmer, more crowded world, where we face the interconnected global crises of biodiversity loss, climate change, and inequity. Indeed, TNC's 2030 Goals demand that we strongly invest in protection efforts, while embracing broader and more inclusive approaches to protecting our oceans, freshwaters, and lands. Our Global Protect programs include global strategies to protect a representative, effective, durable, and inclusive 30% of the planet.

We have 3 priority pathways aligned with TNC’s global campaign:

Transformative Management and Protection – accelerating global 30x30 commitments and implementation and a ‘One Conservancy Protection Initiative’ to support the organizations highest priority protection work; our Enduring Earth collaboration to unlock unprecedented Project Finance for Permanence (PFPs) initiatives around the globe; and Nature Bonds, a critical mechanism to secure global commitments and financing through debt conversions.
We also seek to actively elevate underrepresented systems through durable Freshwater and Ocean Protection efforts and the science and leadership that underpins all of our work.

Responsibilities

The Director has an opportunity to grow the donor base for Global Protect and works within an excellent fundraising team/infrastructure. The Director is externally and internally focused with two main responsibilities. First, they are responsible for growing our protection focused donor prospect pipeline and for continuing to manage a portfolio of prospective donors. Second, they are responsible for socializing Global Protect priorities to key audiences internal to the Conservancy and coordinating, networking, and partnering with fundraisers internally to support their work with donors that support and/or are interested in Global Protect priorities or to grow new interest.

Specifically, the Director is responsible for:

Working with Global Protect leadership and other TNC leaders and development staff to develop, execute, and communicate a development vision and fundraising plan for the Global Protect business unit that aligns with TNC’s global campaign and multi-year fundraising goals, with accountability to achieve these goals.
Directly – and through supporting fundraisers throughout the organization – to raise at least $10 Million in gifts and pledges annually for the Global Protect business unit at the least restricted level possible. Leads fundraising efforts with others to help raise at least an additional $20-25 Million annually to directly support protection priority programs around the organization.
Leads and manages the Global Protect fundraising team, including two direct reports and multiple indirect reports, to execute on the fundraising plan and support a networked approach to fundraising for Global Protect priorities.
Motivating the efforts of a multi-disciplinary network of staff and volunteers in activities related to donor identification, cultivation, and solicitation, participating in some cases as the direct relationship manager and in other cases as an active team member to fundraisers across TNC.
Growing the donor prospect pipeline for Protect. The pipeline goal in the first year will be to identify and begin relationships with 15 new individuals and foundations that can make 7 figure+ philanthropic gifts to TNC (some managed by Director and some managed by fundraising colleagues within the Principal Gifts team and/or Regions or State Chapters).
Ensuring responsiveness to donors/prospective donors and to fundraisers throughout TNC related to engaging them in TNC Global Protect priorities.
Ensuring the fundraising goals for the Global Protect Team and the progress against those goals are clearly tracked and monitored.
Leading the feasibility analysis related to the health of the donor pipeline and adjust the fundraising plan accordingly.
Establishing and monitoring activity level benchmarks and measures of success pertaining to pipeline growth, donor engagement, # of solicitations, dollars raised annually.
Serving as a liaison with the principal gifts fundraising team and network, the global priority development team, as well as other key relationship managers and senior conservation staff to build the best and most robust donor strategies and solicitations – ensuring we represent and communicate the synergies between all of the global priority areas to our donors.
Serving on the Global Protect Leadership Team and contributing to the overall strategy and vision of Global Protect priorities, including alignment with management priorities, communications, and financial management and related systems.
Partnering with leadership to leverage their contacts, relationships and talents related to donor and investor pipeline development and donor and investor engagement and stewardship. • Working closely with and managing relations with key stakeholders including senior management, internal teams, donors, investors and volunteers to achieve program goals.
Coordinating with, and influencing, a network of internal relationship managers to grow their understanding and awareness of Global Protect priorities around the world to help advance bigger gifts for global protection work.
Socializing our Protect program and priorities to fundraisers and key leaders throughout the organization. The DoD is a member of the Global Priorities Development Team (within Principal Gifts) and sits on the Global Protect Ocean, Lands and Fresh Water Leadership Team. The Director reports directly to the Director of Global Priorities Development with a dotted line to the Global Managing Director for Protect and the Protect leadership team. This position also manages two Associate Directors of Development for Global Protect and works closely with an expanded network of development colleagues supporting protection priorities.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

Decisions may have program-wide impact, affect staff in non-program areas, and bind the organization financially or legally.
Design and lead collaborative, complex, and diversified projects, coordinating the work of other professionals, managing budget, and ensuring accountability.
Direct or participate in negotiations for complex, high profile or sensitive agreements.
Ensure compliance with TNC policies and procedures and external (donor/legal/IRS) requirements; be alert to ethical compliance issues.
Financial responsibility for setting and meeting fundraising objectives, evaluating results, and developing corrective strategies.
Maintain confidentiality of frequently sensitive and emotionally charged information.
Maximum opportunity to act independently, resolves complex issues within program area.
Supervise team members; manage the Global Protect fundraising team.
Persuasively convey the mission of TNC to diverse groups important to the organization’s overall prosperity.
May require frequent travel with short notice and work outside of normal operating hours, including weekends, as needed.
Work environment involves only infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements and minor physical exertion and/or strain.

Requirements

We’re Looking for You:

At TNC we strive to embody a philosophy of Work that You Can Believe in, where you can feel like you are making a difference every day. We’re looking for someone who can serve as a fundraising leader, helping develop donor strategies and meet fundraising needs while being a key member of the Conservancy’s team. Collaboration, clear communication, building strong relationships, and navigating complexities are key in this role. Come join TNC and apply today!

What You’ll Bring:

Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of related experience.
Experience building and maintaining long-term relationships with constituents such as individual major donors and foundations.
Experience building and executing fundraising plans for a program or an organization.
Experience in asking for and closing major or planned gifts of $100,000 or more.
Experience in managing and tracking multiple prospects and donors.
Experience working with fundraising principles and practices.
Experience, coursework, or other training in current and evolving trends in charitable giving, particularly in the areas of capital campaigns, major gifts, and planned giving.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
Ability to design and direct fundraising initiatives, including individualized cultivation, solicitation, and recognition strategies.
Ability to determine an individual’s interests, capacity, and potential for helping the Conservancy meet its goals, and act appropriately to tie those interests with the Conservancy’s work.
Ability to educate and inform both internal staff and prospective and existing donors about appropriate giving vehicles.
Demonstrated experience using listening, diplomacy, and tact to build strong relationships and motivate colleagues, donors, and volunteers.
Experience in prioritizing work for several executives.
Experience with grant writing for requests from major private foundations.
Experience working in a large, complex, not-for-profit environment.
Expert knowledge of complex charitable gift planning.
Passion for raising money and for identifying new prospective donors (individuals and foundations)
Proven ability to negotiate complex, high-profile, or sensitive agreements.

Salary Range and Employee Benefits

The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $146,000 to $210,000 for annual base salary. 

The Nature Conservancy offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan including employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, and other life and work wellbeing benefits.

We’re proud to offer a work environment that is supportive of the health, wellbeing, and flexibility needs of the people we employ!

How to Apply for this Job

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The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

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About the Organization

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Founded at its grassroots in the United States in 1951, The Nature Conservancy has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than a million members and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and more than 400 scientists, we impact conservation in 79 countries and territories across six continents.

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