Senior Director, Individual Giving

Position summary:

We are looking for a dedicated, hardworking and passionate Senior Director of Individual Giving to join our Development Team, where you will be responsible for driving unrestricted revenue from individual donors. You will successfully achieve this by unleashing the resources required for the Rainforest Alliance to achieve its transformative mission.

As part of the organization’s Development Team, and reporting directly to the Chief Development Officer, the Senior Director will lead the Individual Giving team and work closely with the Chief Development Officer, the Leadership Team, and the board of directors, to identify, cultivate, and secure major gifts. In this role, the Senior Director of Individual Giving will transform the Individual Giving team into a coordinated and effective operation and create a cohesive strategy for proactive prospecting and more innovative fundraising.

The position will design and implement a donor-centric individual giving strategy to increase annual and multi-year revenue from individual donors, principally through major gifts, unlocking an untapped revenue source for organizational sustainability and growth. As part of that, this role will conduct a needs assessment of the Individual Giving team, ensuring the creation of a cohesive strategy tailored to the team’s goals, strengths, and potential. Additionally, this role will be responsible for aligning fundraising efforts with the Rainforest Alliance’s Vision 2030 strategy.

Through prospect identification, donor engagement, and compelling value proposition design, the Senior Director of Individual Giving will be accountable for elevating the Rainforest Alliance mission and brand by driving donor engagement and growing the individual donor pipeline.

Responsibilities: 

• Lead the individual giving team in a coordinated effort to cultivate, solicit and steward a growing portfolio of prospective and current donors at all giving levels to ensure a steady pool of unrestricted funding and a robust donor pipeline.

• Build and maintain a personal portfolio of prospective and current major donors through the donor cultivation cycle and secure gifts.

• Support the Chief Development Officer in developing strategies for top funders and establish measurable goals and objectives to meet organizational goals in cooperation with senior leadership.

• Provide leadership, direction, and management of individual giving team to include the Annual Fund, fostering an environment of respect, accountability, motivation, professional growth, and high productivity.

• Work closely with the Chief Development Officer and senior leadership on cultivating board members, creating personalized stewardship plans to secure major gifts, and using them as champions to grow major donor pipeline.

• Develop a cohesive annual workplan for the individual giving pillar, including specific fundraising, prospect development, and programmatic goals with an emphasis on achieving established standards and metrics.

• Serve as an advisor to senior leadership and program teams, providing expertise in identifying, cultivating, and securing strategic fundraising partnerships, as well as trainings on HNWI cultivation best practices, as needed.

• Strengthen individual donor operations and stewardship in coordination with Revenue Operations team and create donor-centric cultivation materials in coordination with Marketing and Communications team.

• Use events to engage donors, prospects, and supporters across portfolios.

• Develop strong relationships with program and regional staff, create effective ways to showcase their work to donors and prospects.

• Become knowledgeable and conversant in all aspects of the Rainforest Alliance’s mission, programs, and strategic framework.

• Amplify a culture of philanthropy amongst Rainforest Alliance staff, board, and partners.

• Perform special projects, research, and other duties, as assigned.

 
Qualifications: 

• 8-10 years fundraising experience, with emphasis on annual and major gifts fundraising strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated success in identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individual donors with experience securing gifts from individual donors of 5- to 6- figures.

• Excellent written, verbal, and analytic skills and the ability to write and edit persuasively.

• Highly energetic with superior interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively.

• Extensive knowledge of individual giving and proven track record of securing major gifts.

• Strong background working with and c