Associate Director of Annual Giving

Salary Range: $97,750.00 To $115,000.00 Annually

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Development Director, the Associate Director of Annual Giving is responsible for the strategic leadership and management of the organization’s annual giving program. This is a newly revised role which oversees all aspects of annual fundraising below the major gift threshold, including donor qualification, segmentation, and moves management, with a focus on donor acquisition and retention, annual revenue, and long-term donor value. As a senior member of the Development team, the Associate Director of Annual Giving develops and executes annual fundraising strategies, manages the annual donor pipeline, and works closely with frontline fundraisers, Marketing & Communications, and senior leadership to ensure a coordinated, donor-centered approach to fundraising.

About Western Resource Advocates

WRA fights climate change and its impacts to sustain the environment, economy, and people of the West. We respect the different needs of diverse people and partner with them to develop a shared vision for progress—one that advances communities while protecting biodiversity.

Our team of policy experts, scientists, economists, and attorneys has a 30-year history of working where decisions are made, sweating the details, creating evidence-based solutions, and holding decision makers accountable. This on the ground work with policymakers and other advocates advances clean energy, protects air, land, water, and wildlife—and sustains the lives and livelihoods of the West.

Location

The position can work remotely from the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area, be based in either WRA’s Denver or Boulder office; or a hybrid of the two. Access to a major airport is required, as travel (25% or more depending on location) is required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Annual Giving Strategy and Planning

• Develop and implement a comprehensive annual giving strategy aligned with organizational fundraising goals.
• Establish annual revenue, retention, and upgrade goals; monitor progress and adjust strategies as needed.
• Develop and manage the annual giving budget, ensuring effective use of resources across fundraising channels.
• Guide the Annual Fund Manager and Annual Giving Team (i.e., collaborative Marketing & Communications and Development group) in their acquisition and retention of donors who give $1-$5,000 annually
• Support and continue to develop a robust Midlevel Giving Program, Recurring Giving Society, Sponsorship Program, Workplace Giving, Third Party Platforms, and Peer to Peer Giving campaigns executed by the Annual Fund Manager.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director of Donor Communications and Associate Director of Brand and Digital Strategy to ensure donor centric language is utilized in any corporate and individual giving opportunities.

Donor Qualification and Moves Management

• Own donor qualification criteria and moves-management strategies for individual donors under the major gift threshold ($4,999 and below).
• Oversee donor segmentation, engagement tracking, and progression strategies to move donors through the annual giving pipeline.
• Identify donors with major gift potential and coordinate timely handoffs to frontline fundraisers.

Fundraising Programs and Campaigns

• Lead the planning and execution of annual giving initiatives, including appeals, giving days, donor societies, and other recurring or special fundraising campaigns.
• Manages donor stewardship and prospecting events (virtual and in person within WRA’s region).
• Partner with the Associate Director of Donor Communications to align solicitation strategy with messaging, creative, and timing.
• Ensure appropriate stewardship and acknowledgment strategies are in place for annual donors.

Cross-Team Collaboration

• Serve as a primary liaison between annual giving and frontline fundraising teams (Donor Relations and Foundation Relations) to align donor strategy and avoid duplication.
• Collaborate closely with Marketing & Communications to ensure fundraising campaigns are integrated across channels.
• Work with program staff and organizational leadership to align fundraising priorities with organizational goals.

Data, Reporting, and Evaluation

• Analyze fundraising performance, donor retention, and upgrade trends to inform strategy and continuous improvement.
• Prepare regular reports in partnership with the Development Operations Manager for Development leadership on annual giving performance and donor pipeline health.
• Use data to test and refine fundraising approaches, improving donor engagement and lifetime value.

Management Team

• Integrate and leverage strategies, planning, and activities across the development team, revenue streams, and fundraising constituencies.
• Build and use knowledge and expertise of revenue from annual fund to help set and meet overall fundraising goals and metrics.
• Support the Development Director in developing OKRs and an integrated annual fundraising plan to achieve them.
• Help monitor and analyze revenue performance and trends.
• Help build and maintain a strong development team, fostering cohesion and collaboration.
• Implement activities and initiatives consistently across the department.
• Help problem solve issues that get in the way of accomplishing goals and objectives.
• Scope, plan, and implement projects as needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Provide direction, guidance, professional development, and support to ensure staff are highly functioning and impactful.
• Recruit, interview, hire, onboard, and train new staff.
• Oversee the daily workflow of Annual Fund. Manage staffing of key functions, including through vacations, sabbaticals, and parental leave, as needed.
• Provide constructive feedback and timely performance evaluations.
• Handle discipline and termination of employees in accordance with organizational policy.

Qualifications & Competencies

Any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of this position will be considered. For example, the requisite experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities would include:

• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in annual giving, digital fundraising, or individual fundraising.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-channel fundraising programs and donor pipelines.
• Experience with donor segmentation, qualification, and moves management.
• Proven ability to execute fundraising practices and research, and donor-centric outreach experience.
• Expertise in donor management software, Raiser’s Edge preferred.
• Commitment to ethical fundraising practices and donor-centered engagement.
• Experience directly managing staff.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Attention to detail and highly organized.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and goals.
• Comfort and skill in communicating with a variety of donors, constituencies, and audiences.
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with a variety of stakeholders.
• Ability to break down complex subject matter into understandable and compelling language.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those required by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation including:

• A typical office environment with minimal exposure to excessive noise or adverse environmental issues.
• Prolonged periods of time at a desk and working on a computer.
• Position requires some travel by automobile, airplane, etc.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

• Travel to meetings, conferences, donor events, and other work-related events is required within WRA’s region. This is in addition to travel required for retreats, and other internal organizational meetings. Typically, there is at least one all-staff retreat and one Development retreat in our region each year at which attendance is required. Access to a major airport is required. This is approximately 25% of the time depending on the location of work.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for an Associate Director of Annual Giving is $97,750 – 115,000 annually; salary depends on relevant experience and new staff rarely start at the top of the range. WRA’s excellent benefits package includes a 401(k)-retirement plan with up to 5% matching and health, dental, vision, and life & disability insurance with 100% of premiums paid by WRA. Annually, staff receive seventeen days paid vacation leave to start, twelve paid sick days, one paid volunteer day, twelve paid holidays, and WRA is closed for Winter Break between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day for additional paid time off. Employees are eligible for up to twelve weeks of parental leave, and after five years, staff are eligible for up to twelve weeks of paid sabbatical leave. Position is full-time exempt.

Deadline To Apply: April 27, 2026

Diversity and inclusion are a critical component of our business strategy, mission and vision. We welcome candidates from an array of backgrounds and experiences to join our team.Western Resource Advocates is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, marital status, amnesty, or veteran status.

Apply To Be WRA’s Associate Director of Annual Giving!

Thank you for your interest in the Associate Director of Annual Giving position with Western Resource Advocates. You will need to upload the following in PDF format:

• Cover letter to the attention of Associate Director of Annual Giving Hiring Panel, describing your relevant qualifications and the reason for your interest in this position.
• Resume
• Please include a writing sample (no more than 3 pages) of a donor stewardship touchpoint you have created.

The salary range for an Associate Director of Annual Giving is $97,750 – 115,000 annually; salary depends on relevant experience and new staff rarely start at the top of the range. WRA’s excellent benefits package includes a 401(k)-retirement plan with up to 5% matching and health, dental, vision, and life & disability insurance with 100% of premiums paid by WRA. Annually, staff receive seventeen days paid vacation leave to start, twelve paid sick days, one paid volunteer day, twelve paid holidays, and WRA is closed for Winter Break between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day for additional paid time off. Employees are eligible for up to twelve weeks of parental leave, and after five years, staff are eligible for up to twelve weeks of paid sabbatical leave. Position is full-time exempt.