Major Gift Regional Director, Western Region

Overview

NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Bozeman, Montana; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington, D.C.

NRDC is seeking a Regional Director to work with the Major Gifts team in the Western Region.

Position SummaryNRDC is seeking a Regional Director of Development to lead NRDC’s Major Gifts team for the Western region, which comprises the San Francsico Bay Area, Southern California and the entire West Coast, including the Pacific Northwest and Southwest.. Working closely with the National Director, Principal and Major Gifts, the Regional Director is expected to plan, direct, and execute a Major Gifts strategy for the region in partnership with Donor Relations, Special Events, Membership, and all other development colleagues. This includes the effective deployment of the Western fundraising team, which includes six Major Gift Officers, leveraging senior leadership to accelerate giving in the region and personally managing a targeted high-value portfolio of donors with capacity to give at the high six- and seven-figure levels. The Regional Director will join a senior team of three regional Directors of Development, working closely with colleagues in other regional offices to maximize NRDC’s national brand and reach.

The preferred location for this full-time Regional Director of Development posting is San Francisco or Los Angeles. Candidates from Seattle, Denver or other West Coast regional metro areas will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Establish annual regional fundraising goals and a clear strategy for achieving them.
• Manage and mentor a team comprised of six fundraisers.
• Manage a small, high-value portfolio of top donors and prospects with the capacity to give at the six- and seven-figure levels.
• Set strategies and timetables for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-level gifts from current major donors and prospects.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for new fundraising efforts that will expand and diversify the funding base.
• Contribute to the creation of fundraising materials that will resonate with major donors in this region and beyond.
• Partner with and support NRDC’s leadership with respect to cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts, using their time and talents appropriately; ensure their effectiveness as representatives of NRDC.
• Work with the Special Events and Membership teams to plan events in the region that maximize major donor and prospect cultivation opportunities.
• Develop and maintain expert familiarity with programmatic needs, budgets, and priorities.

Qualifications

The Regional Director of Development – Western Region must be highly skilled major gift fundraiser and team leader with track records of successfully and strategically identifying, cultivating, and stewarding donors at the six- and seven-figure levels. Other desired skills and qualifications include:

• Ten-plus years of fundraising experience with a focus on major gifts and a strong familiarity with philanthropic communities across the West Coast region.
• Ability to manage and mentor staff and to coach fundraisers to increasing levels of success. Collaborative and inclusive approach to management essential. 
• Ability to interface effectively with the highest level of NRDC donors and senior staff members.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple, complex fundraising activities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication, writing, and interpersonal skills. 
• Passion for the mission and goals of NRDC.
• Experience with large-scale fundraising campaigns a plus.
• Experience with advocacy or environmental groups a plus.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion essential.
• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience, required.

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer. For this position, the salary range is $174,000 to $194,000.

Our offices are open and we are operating in a hybrid model. We offer NRDCers flexibility, and we ask them to come into the office and spend meaningful time there in collaboration with their colleagues. We call this purposeful presence.

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws.

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.