Director of Philanthropy – Minnesota Northwoods

Who We Are:

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is the leader of a movement to connect everyone in America to the outdoors. A national nonprofit, TPL partners with communities to create high-quality parks and protect public lands—especially in communities that need them most—to improve public health, create social cohesion, strengthen historic and cultural connection to place, and increase climate resilience. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, generated over $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.

“For over 50 years, Trust for Public Land has been working tirelessly towards our vision that every individual should have close-to-home access to the benefits of nature. In today’s world, our land-for-people solutions are even more relevant than ever. Quality parks and natural spaces are a fundamental requirement for sustaining healthy, equitable communities that are resilient and prepared for change. Parks and public lands connect us to each other and to the outdoors. We are a vibrant organization with a strategic plan that builds on our success and positions TPL for a comprehensive fundraising campaign. Join us to become part of a growing and forward-thinking team focused on growing our philanthropic partnerships to ensure healthy, livable communities for generations to come.”
– Patricia Watson, Chief Advancement Officer

position Summary:

As a member of the Advancement (Philanthropy, Marketing, and Communications) team, The Minnesota Director of Philanthropy leads the philanthropy vision and execution in support of the Minnesota and the Northwoods three-state region (Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan) and the organization’s highest priorities and initiatives. This role focuses primarily on building relationships with and securing six-figure gifts from high net-worth individuals. The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, results-oriented, and self-motivated, with a proven track record of building and managing a major gift portfolio. The Director of Philanthropy works both independently and collaboratively with program staff and leadership, manage multiple priorities, and thrives within a results-oriented team. In-person, personal visits with donor prospects across the region are a priority with anticipated travel at 25%.

Reporting directly to the Mountain West Region Director of Philanthropy, the Director of Philanthropy joins a team focused on expanding relationships with existing donors while identifying and engaging new, highly philanthropic prospects. The role works closely with executive, program, and philanthropy leadership to leverage resources across the organization and elevate work taking place locally, regionally, and nationally. The position is responsible for directly managing a portfolio of individuals, corporate, and foundations, with an emphasis on high-capacity individual major gift prospects and donors.

This position will serve as a member of the Mountain West and Central Region team and works closely with a variety of internal partners including the Minnesota and the Northwoods State Director, National Programs, Finance, Marketing, Philanthropy Operations, Philanthropy Programs, and Planned Giving teams to drive an integrated, organization-wide philanthropy program.

Responsibilities:

60%                     Relationship Manager:
Manages and continues to build a portfolio of approximately 100 donors and prospects with an emphasis on individual major gift ($100K+) prospects. Conducts donor visits and leads qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies. Identifies and qualifies new prospects. Develops comprehensive engagement strategies, leads cultivation teams, and creates and delivers solicitation and stewardship materials. Promotes blended gifts, planned giving, and involves peer volunteers, TPL leadership, and project staff in cultivation as needed.

30%                     Program Oversight:
Oversees and is accountable for all fundraising activities in the Minnesota and the Northwoods program. Collaborates with program team to design and implement annual and long-range fundraising plans to realize annual and multiyear revenue goals.  Sets priorities and focus for the philanthropy team. Tracks and reports progress toward revenue and programmatic goals. Monitors philanthropy-related expenses ensuring proper investment of resources. Oversees donor communications and recognition, in coordination with regional and national marketing and donor relations departments. Oversees donor events and tours. Directs and coordinates leadership and program staff involvement with donors and in broader fundraising efforts.

Collaborates with the Minnesota and the Northwoods and Minnesota and the Northwoods Advisory Board Chair to identify, recruit, cultivate, solicit, and retain Advisory Board members, fostering an environment for continued programmatic and philanthropic success. Leads philanthropy-related board activities, including 100% advisory board giving, philanthropic outreach, and donor cultivation events.

10%                     Regional Program & National Initiative Strategy:

Collaborates with the Mountain West philanthropy team, national program directors, state directors and other fundraising staff to consult on organizational needs, formulate strategies to promote prospect engagement with the organization and identify potential donors. Assists in the strategy development and creation of donor-facing written communications aligned with donor’s interests.  Participates in (often in concert with others) gift solicitations to fund organization-wide or regional programs and to enhance the fundraising efforts of key state programs.

Expectations: 

The Director of Philanthropy is expected to:

• Carry a balanced portfolio and actively move prospects through all four stages of the donor cycle: qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship.
• Complete at least 100 donors and prospects visits and meet annual solicitation targets.
• Collaborate closely with Minnesota and the Northwoods Director on fundraising priorities, donor and prospect visits and donor communication.
• Contribute to Philanthropy’s overall success by assuring budget and goals are met or exceeded.
• Stay abreast of changes and innovations in federal and state tax laws that may be relevant to major gifts prospects.
• Model TPL’s shared values of Belonging, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Hope.

experience, education, and Skills Required

• Minimum five+ years demonstrated success in major gift fundraising, securing six-figure gifts.
• Experience planning, leading, and managing action plans, campaigns, and projects, including coordinating with peers to achieve desired outcomes, tracking, and reporting on progress to management.
• Ability to organize and motivate peers and volunteers.
• Demonstrated understanding of best practices across all disciplines of fundraising including major gifts, institutional giving, volunteer engagement, and planned giving, etc.
• Ability to focus efforts and train non-philanthropy staff in the discipline of fundraising as appropriate.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create powerful, compelling written and oral communications for fundraising. The ability to convey complex ideas via presentations, e-mails, and face-to-face communications.
• Strong collaborative skills and the ability to work with others to reach common goals and objectives.
• Experience establishing and cultivating strong relationships with staff and ability to use good judgment, take initiative, and make recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize database tools to manage donors and build fundraising strategies.
• Available for significant, independent travel (up to 25%)

Compensation

Trust for Public Land is a hybrid work environment; the Director of Philanthropy must be in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area. As a full-time exempt employee, you will be eligible for Trust for Public Land’s comprehensive benefits program which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, vacation, sick leave, and ten holidays. We also offer a 403(b)-retirement plan, currently with an up to 7% company match. We offer competitive salaries commensurate with experience; the hiring range for this position is $130,000-$145,000.

Trust for Public Land’s active goal is to be an inclusive and equitable place to work and build community. As the organization actively works to eliminate racial and other disparities it welcomes candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skillsets. We are open to the possibility that a great candidate for this job may not precisely meet all the above criteria; if you believe you are the right person for this job and can persuasively make that case, we encourage you to apply.