Description
ABOUT THE WILDERNESS LAND TRUST
The Wilderness Land Trust (TWLT), founded in 1992, is a private, 501c3 nonprofit, nationally accredited land trust dedicated to protecting federally designated wilderness from the threat of residential, commercial, and industrial development. The Trust takes an apolitical approach to building working relationships with landowners, agency staff, elected officials, and donors to purchase private properties before transferring them to the federal government, where they become part of the surrounding wilderness. Financial support for the Trust comes from the sale of acquired properties to the federal government, foundation grants, and charitable contributions.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Wilderness Land Trust seeks a fundraising professional with proven major gifts experience to serve as Director of Major Gifts on a part-time (0.5 FTE) basis. This is a permanent, ongoing position—not a limited contract. The Trust is looking for someone with a deep understanding of nonprofit development, a commitment to building meaningful relationships with donors, a multi-year track record of successful fundraising, the courage and confidence to make in-person solicitations for meaningful gifts, and strong alignment with the mission of wilderness conservation.
Given the part-time nature of this role, the Director of Major Gifts will concentrate effort across three core areas: (1) growing and stewarding a focused portfolio of major gift donors; (2) systematic prospect research and pipeline cultivation; and (3) designing and launching a planned giving program. This position is a key member of the fundraising team, which includes the President and the Director of Development Operations, and will collaborate closely with communications and lands staff. The position requires travel, which will be coordinated efficiently to respect the part-time schedule.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
Major Gifts Portfolio (approximately 50% of time)
- Manage a focused portfolio of 30-50 major donors and prospects with the capacity to give $2500 or more annually, conducting at least 2 substantial interactions with each within the first 12 months.
- Lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of four-, five-, and six-figure gifts, with particular attention to donors previously unaffiliated with the Trust.
- Track moves management for all major gift prospects and donors, maintaining accurate records and gift documentation in the Trust’s Raiser’s Edge NXT database.
- Collaborate with board members and key stakeholders to leverage their networks and expertise in donor relations and solicitations.
- Communicate fundraising goals, priorities, and progress to staff and board through briefing materials and presentations.
Prospect Research & Pipeline Development (approximately 25% of time)
- Develop and implement a systematic prospect identification and qualification process to continually build the major gift pipeline.
- Conduct or oversee research on prospective donors, including wealth screening, philanthropic history, and connection to the Trust’s mission.
- Maintain a tiered prospect pipeline and present pipeline reporting and strategy recommendations to the Director of Development Operations and President on a regular cadence.
- Identify and cultivate relationships with prospective donors prior to formal solicitation, including through personal outreach, events, and site visits.
- Coordinate with communications staff to develop targeted cultivation content and touchpoints for prospects at various stages of engagement.
- Assist the Director of Development Operations with expanding the full donor pipeline.
Planned Giving Program (approximately 25% of time)
- Design and implement the Trust’s inaugural planned giving program, including establishing program structure, donor recognition vehicles (e.g., legacy society), and gift acceptance policies in coordination with legal counsel.
- Identify and cultivate planned giving prospects from within the existing donor base, with particular attention to long-tenured donors and those with demonstrated affinity for the mission.
- Serve as the primary relationship manager for donors who have made or are considering a bequest or other deferred gift.
- Develop planned giving collateral in partnership with communications staff, including print materials, web content, and donor-facing resources.
- Build working relationships with professional advisors (estate attorneys, financial planners, CPAs) to position the Trust as a knowledgeable partner in charitable gift planning conversations.
- Stay current on relevant gift planning vehicles (bequests, charitable remainder trusts, qualified charitable distributions, etc.) and educate staff and board as appropriate.
Organizational Participation
- Actively participate in Trust activities, including staff meetings, project site visits, board meetings, and staff retreats as schedule allows.
- Represent the Trust at external events or activities to cultivate relationships, as requested.
- Adhere to fundraising best practices and ethics, Trust policies, Land Trust Alliance standards, and all requirements to maintain accreditation and charitable status.
Requirements
ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
The ideal candidate should have the following:
- Demonstrated track record and proven experience with fundraising success in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts, including success in engaging previously unaffiliated constituencies.
- Minimum of 5 years of proven experience in progressively responsible development positions, including direct fundraising.
- Experience with or strong working knowledge of planned giving vehicles, program infrastructure, and donor conversations; formal planned giving training or certification (e.g., CGP, CSPG) is a plus.
- Experience conducting or overseeing prospect research, including use of wealth screening tools and philanthropic databases.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to build, foster, and maintain positive professional relationships with colleagues, board members, donors, professional advisors, and external constituencies.
- Ability to clearly articulate the Trust’s impact on wilderness conservation to inspire new and increased support, including providing guidance on print and digital communications.
- Demonstrated commitment to the Trust, public lands, and protecting designated wilderness.
- Good understanding of current trends in charitable giving and the basics of charitable gift planning.
- Nonprofit experience required; conservation experience is preferred.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and donor database software, including generating reports and analyzing data. Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge NXT preferred.
- Strong self-management skills and the ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and meet goals within a part-time schedule.
- Completion of a Bachelor’s degree is required.
- Willingness to travel (approximately 20–25% of working time) to meet donors, attend board meetings, participate in staff retreats, and conduct project site visits, including occasional nights and weekends.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary range is $45,000-$52,500 depending on experience (prorated 0.5 FTE, equivalent to a $90,000-$105,000 full-time range). Benefits include flexible work environment, paid time off (prorated), 401(k) retirement plan, and employee health, dental, and vision insurance.
APPLY
Thank you for your interest in applying for the open Director of Philanthropy position with The Wilderness Land Trust. The Trust has a 34-year history (and counting!) of success due to outstanding staff that are deeply committed to fulfilling our mission and to building long-standing relationships with landowners, agency staff, conservation partners, and especially our supporters.
If you feel you meet this description, please send your resume, cover letter and references to Lisa Janeway, Director of Development Operations at: lisa@wildernesslandtrust.org. No calls, please.
This position will remain open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through May 15, 2026.
The Wilderness Land Trust is an equal-opportunity employer.
