Senior Development Officer

Jan 8

Anticipated Start Date: 03/01/2025

Description

Minnesota Land Trust seeks an experienced and entrepreneurial fundraiser to lead and grow our major gift and planned giving program. Reporting to the Director of Development & Communications and working closely with the CEO, the Senior Development Officer will play a pivotal role in securing significant philanthropic commitments from current and prospective donors. This position will oversee a personal portfolio of 100-125 donors, focusing on gifts and multi-year pledges of $100K+.

We have an ambitious goal to increase overall contributed revenue by 50% in the next three years, and this role presents an exciting opportunity to significantly expand the Land Trust’s capacity to protect Minnesota’s natural landscapes. The ideal candidate is a proven and enthusiastic leader who excels at building meaningful, long-term relationships, delivering exceptional donor experiences, and inspiring action to advance the Land Trust’s mission.

Responsibilities

Major Giving (60%)

Conduct regular discovery meetings and maintain a portfolio of 100-125 individuals qualified from a larger group of donors and key prospects with a focus on those with a capacity of $100K or more.
Annual fundraising goal will be $500,000+, along with a goal for bequest notifications. (NOTE: The size of the portfolio will decrease over time as program and management responsibilities increase.)
Develop and continually refine personal contact and ask plan for each portfolio donor (including target ask amounts and timing goals) that considers the individual donor’s passions, interests, motivations, giving patterns and ask preferences.
Execute the plan so that individuals in the portfolio are retained and upgraded.
In partnership with the Director of Development and Communications, lead major gift strategy and development of CEO’s donor portfolio.
Regularly coordinate with other Development and Communications team members to ensure continuity between the rest of the fundraising program.

Planned Giving (25%)

Grow and enhance the Land Trust’s planned giving program working with the DD&C on developing key messaging, materials and outreach strategies to promote legacy giving.
Ensure effective and timely follow-up for all those requesting planned giving materials or indicating they have included the Minnesota Land Trust in their plans.
Work to secure Declaration of Intent forms and substantiate estimated future gift value.
Work with the Associate Director of Development to provide meaningful stewardship for donors who have already communicated a planned giving intent to the Land Trust.

Program Development (15%)

Direct and grow the Land Trust’s major and planned giving program.
Develop strategies to engage and cultivate key stakeholder groups such as Land Trust landowners and volunteers.
Hire relationship-focused fundraiser(s) and provide direct supervision, including recruitment, training, and regular feedback to support their success. (first FTE starting 2026) Support the development of future fundraising campaigns and initiatives.
Work with MLT program staff to secure appropriate project information such as budgets and impact stories to create custom communications and proposals that will be used to solicit and steward donors.
Utilize Virtuous CRM and other tools to effectively track donor engagement and optimize the experience for MLT donors.
Collaborate with the Director of Engagement to develop events and experiences that showcase the Land Trust’s impact, engaging key donors and prospects in alignment with fundraising goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree OR equivalent experience with at least 7 years of progressively increasing responsibility in fundraising and development administration
Demonstrated expertise in donor discovery and qualification, developing effective solicitation strategies, closing significant gifts, planned giving (bequests, trusts, gift annuities, etc.), and stewarding donors throughout the giving lifecycle
Previous supervisory experience managing a team
Background in event management and volunteer engagement
Experience tracking information in a CRM/development database (Virtuous preferred)
Proficient with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point)
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Exceptional listening skills and high emotional intelligence
Ability to work collaboratively and perform independently
Ability to work with a wide variety of individuals, including MLT staff, Board of Directors, volunteers

Physical Demands

Office duties to be performed at a desk and at a computer.
Must be able to participate in field visits to various conservation sites under varying weather conditions.
Requires walking, standing, and occasionally lifting objects up to 20 pounds, on occasion.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ)

All employees of the Minnesota Land Trust are expected to embrace the ideals of our DEIJ plan and incorporate our DEIJ goals into their ongoing work. All employees should be familiar with the current DEIJ plan.

Salary Range and Employee Benefits

$105,000 – $120,000 annually

How to Apply for this Job

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About the Organization

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