Development Director

Northeast Wilderness Trust’s (NEWT) mission is to conserve forever-wild landscapes for Nature and people. We safeguard over 93,000 wild acres across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. NEWT is the only regional land trust focused exclusively on rewilding through forever-wild conservation. We believe in the immense value of wilderness, both for its intrinsic value and for its unique role to reverse the biodiversity crisis, mitigate climate change, and provide solace to the human spirit. 

Duties of the Development Director:

The Development Director is responsible for managing all development program activities and staff at a time of growth at the organization. NEWT is currently nearing the end of the quiet phase of a successful $18M Campaign for a Wild Future, which will significantly expand NEWT’s ability to protect land, rewild land, and champion wilderness. The Development Director position is aimed at fueling organizational growth. As a pivotal member of the Advancement Program (including Communications and Development Teams), the Development Director will work closely with the VP of Advancement to build NEWT’s fundraising capacity and resource our strategic vision. The Development Director will be responsible for leading fundraising for our three major funding needs: operations, land conservation projects, and endowing our perpetual obligation to steward the land in our care. They will integrate fundraising into a year-long organization-wide calendar that results in growth in revenue while building upon our strong culture of philanthropy. The Development Director will manage and lead the Development Team. 

What You Will Do: 

Stakeholder Management

Individual Donor Engagement 

• Build strong relationships with donors and prospects resulting in philanthropic support, with an emphasis on growing the leadership annual giving program in your first year.
• Steward a portfolio of donors and coordinate strategy with senior leadership team on all major and principal donors.
• Develop and implement an annual calendar of thoughtful donor engagement in coordination with organization-wide priorities.
• Manage and grow a portfolio of 50+ members in the planned giving program, Ancient Forest Society, including conducting regular in-person and virtual meetings along with regular outreach and engagement.
• Grow a portfolio of 150+ members in our monthly giving program, the Forever Wild Circle, with regular outreach and engagement.

Foundation & Corporate Engagement 

• Grow and maintain portfolio of foundation partnerships with the executive leadership team and cultivate new strategic foundation relationships.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with philanthropic advisors, community foundation executives, and managers of Donor Advised Funds.
• Grow corporate support by relaunching Business Alliance program.
• Support Grants Manager in grant writing. 

Strategy, Program Management and Planning 

• Create and implement annual operating fund and land conservation project fundraising plans to ensure fundraising expectations are met or exceeded.
• Ensure that messages of philanthropy are woven throughout all aspects of the organization and interactions with every constituent, and that staff are trained and supported in conveying these.
• Develop and monitor the analytic and reporting tools necessary to maintain an informative prospect pipeline that relates directly to the goals and targets.
• Oversee and further develop all fundraising processes and tools including CRM, wealth screening, and grant tracking, etc.
• Support the VP of Advancement’s work with the Development Committee of the Board of Directors to achieve annual fundraising and 5-year targets by coordinating board fundraising activities with the Committee Chair and maximizing the Board’s philanthropic impact.
• Generate quarterly philanthropy reports and track metrics on all development and fundraising activities.
• Participate in Directors’ team that aims to coordinate work across the organization.
• Participate in building, strengthening, and monitoring the impact of NEWT’s work. 

Lead the Development Team

• Provide leadership and direction that inspires a growing Development Team.
• Train and supervise team members.
• Conduct Annual Reviews and monitor Annual Work Plans.
• Lead Development Team meetings. 

What You Will Bring: 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• At least five to seven years of fundraising experience, preferably in the conservation sector, including major gifts, annual fund management, foundations, and donor cultivation.
• A passionate commitment to wilderness and biodiversity conservation.
• A desire to help build a durable environmental institution in this region.
• An understanding of wilderness conservation in the context of the Northeast.
• A sense of urgency to further the mission of Northeast Wilderness Trust.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, especially on topics related to conservation and wilderness.
• Experience with CRM and fundraising software such as DonorSnap and Grantseeker.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to work effectively with a variety of staff, donors, and external partners.
• Experience with planning and impeccable attention to detail and follow up.
• Experience in providing supervision.
• A commitment to candid and transparent communications.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and team-oriented office environment.
• Willingness to travel and carry a valid driver’s license.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills to meet deadlines and be self-starting.
• Adaptability and openness to evolving job description as the organization grows.
• Willingness to work outside of position’s prime focus and collaborate with staff on other organizational priorities. 

To view the full job announcement, including details on benefits, please visit our website.