Region Director of Philanthropy – California

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:
Reporting directly to the Associate Vice President (AVP), Field Philanthropy, the California Region Director of Philanthropy is a member of the Advancement (Philanthropy, Marketing, Communications) team and will be responsible for leading the fundraising strategy for the California Program and directly manages a team of six staff including two Directors of Philanthropy, two Associate Director of Philanthropy, Advisory Board & Volunteer Manager, and Coordinator.

The Region Director of Philanthropy will work closely with philanthropy and programmatic leadership throughout the organization, especially with the Pacific Region Vice President and CA State Director. The Region Director of Philanthropy will help the team leverage resources across the organization to elevate Trust for Public Land at the local level as well as promote and advocate work taking place across the organization.

We are seeking an entrepreneurial and results-oriented individual with proven leadership experience, committed to working at the highest level of quality, able to work both independently and in collaboration, manage multiple priorities, and thrive within a fast-paced, results-oriented team.

This position will serve as a member of the Advancement Management Team and is expected to work closely with a variety of internal partners including the Center for Community Impact, Finance, Marketing, Philanthropy Operations, Philanthropy Programs, and Gift Planning teams to drive the integration of an organization-wide philanthropy program.

Responsibilities:

• 50%     Relationship Manager: Manage a mixed portfolio of approximately 75 donors and prospects with an emphasis on major ($50K+) and principal gift ($1M+) individual donors. Includes donor visits, cultivation and stewardship activities, and solicitations. Creates comprehensive engagement strategies, leads cultivation teams, and leads in the creation and delivery of final solicitation and stewardship materials. Promotes blended gifts, planned giving, and involves peer volunteers, leadership, senior management, and project staff in cultivation as needed.
• 30%     California Region Leadership and Oversight: In cooperation with CA Philanthropy staff, oversee fundraising performance of the programs directly reporting to the position with a special emphasis on identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donors. Ensures the program has developed an annual philanthropy work plan, moves management plans for $100K+ donors, revenue forecast, and annual and long-range (3-5 years) fundraising goals. Works with CA State Director and Field Program leadership to establish agreed upon fundraising priorities. Facilitate collaboration between California philanthropy and all areas of advancement and programs.
• The Region Director of Philanthropy will consult/coach on effective strategies, best practices, and areas for improvement. Identify and advocate for needed resources for the state program. Resolve disputes and make decisions to ensure efficient, effective, and cohesive teams. Deliver annual performance assessment.
• 20%    Work with State Director, Advisory Board Manager, and California Advisory Board Co-Chairs to sustain and grow program’s Advisory Board, including identifying and recruiting new members, directing the fundraising knowledge and efforts of the Advisory Board, and overseeing the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of individual board members and ensuring giving metrics are achieved.

Expectations: 
The Region Director of Philanthropy is expected to:

• Carry a balanced portfolio of 75 prospects with the capacity to make 6-figure+ gifts and effectively move them through the four stages (qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship).
• Make at least 60-80 visits with donors and prospects, annually
• Contribute to Philanthropy’s overall success by assuring budget and goals are met or exceeded in the state programs this position directly supervises.
• Develop, implement, and follow up on the fulfillment of annual and long-range Region and State Philanthropy strategic plans
• Model TPL’s shared values (Belonging, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Hope) to effectively work across the organization.

Experience, education, and Skills Required

• Minimum ten+ years of fundraising experience, including direct major gift solicitations
• Experience supervising philanthropy staff, ideally in multiple geographies
• Ability to organize and motivate others, including direct reports, peers, and volunteers
• Demonstrated understanding of best practices across all disciplines of fundraising (institutional giving, working with volunteers, major gifts, planned giving, etc.)
• Experience in planning, leading, and managing action plans, campaigns, and projects, including coordinating with peers to achieve desired outcomes, tracking and reporting on progress to management.
• Demonstrated ability to build a team with a variety of disciplines and departments.
• The ability to train non-philanthropy staff in the discipline of fundraising as appropriate.
• Strong skills in creating powerful, compelling written and oral communications for fundraising. The ability to convey complex ideas via presentations, e-mails and face to face communications.
• 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
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, along with organizational skills and attention to detail
• 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 California Region Director of Philanthropy will ideally be located in the greater Los Angeles or Bay Areas. 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 and may be eligible for additional locality pay above the base salary depending on the candidate’s California location. The hiring range for this position is $165,000 – $175,000.  This role will also be eligible for additional locality pay based on the candidate’s location.

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.