Major Gifts Officer

Overview

NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC is working to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, and advance innovative, science-based, and enforceable solutions.

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Today, we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as through the marketplace. Our team works across the United States and around the world, from offices in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Beijing, London, and New Delhi (a subsidiary of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd.).

Supported by our members and online activists, NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis, defend nature and safeguard public health across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. At NRDC, we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent, passion, and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world. Learn more at nrdc.org

NRDC is seeking a Major Gifts Officer to work with our Development team in our Santa Monica office.

Position Summary

The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) will manage a portfolio of donors and potential supporters who have the potential of giving five to six figure gifts. This position will specifically focus on identification and qualification, while building up a portfolio of existing, new, and lapsed donors in the greater Los Angeles area including Santa Barbara and other Southwest markets. They will also manage the relationships they are able to cultivate and bring to solicitation.

The MGO will work with several staff across NRDC, including advocates, scientists and litigators, who work to fulfill NRDC’s mission, as well as our Membership, Planned Giving, Action Fund and E2 teams.

The position you are applying for is part of the bargaining unit represented by The Washington Baltimore News Guild (WBNG / The Newsguild-CWA Local 32035).

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions:

• Identify and develop a pipeline of new major gift prospects, in close partnership with Research and other fundraising colleagues.
• Manage a major gifts portfolio of approximately 100-130 donors and prospects, with a giving capacity of $25,000 to $500,000+, with a specific focus on identification and qualification, while also managing the relationships they are able to cultivate and bring to solicitation, with average gift sizes at $25,000 - $100,000.
• Working closely with Director and Senior Director, implement strategies and timelines for the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of gifts, including strategic in person and/or virtual donor engagement.
• Ensure that the portfolio is routinely updated regarding donor strategy, projections, contact reports, moves management, and documentation of other key milestones in the donor’s relationship with NRDC.
• Support NRDC’s leadership with respect to cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts, using their time and talents appropriately; ensure their effectiveness as representatives of NRDC.
• Deploy fundraising materials and regular communications that will resonate with donors.
• Work with the Donor Engagement, Planned Giving, and Membership teams to plan events in the region that maximize donor and prospect cultivation opportunities.
• Develop and maintain familiarity with programmatic needs, budgets, institutional priorities.
• Adeptly manage Salesforce and other processes such as tracking donor gift projections for your portfolio. 
• Collaborate with NRDC’s Action Fund to deploy effective fundraising tactics to raise non-deductible 501c4 funding. 

The above list of duties is not comprehensive but generally demonstrates the types of matters under this position’s responsibility. Other duties may be assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate experience.
• 4-7 years of professional frontline fundraising and donor engagement experience
• Experience with political or 501c4 fundraising a plus.
• Experience with advocacy or environmental groups a plus.

Skills, Abilities, Competencies

• Strong writing skills and the ability to communicate in a regular, compelling manner with donors.
• Collaborative and inclusive approach to inter and intra departmental work. 
• Professional demeanor when interfacing with NRDC donors and staff members.
• Familiarity with Salesforce or other CRM systems, and their application to performance management and fundraising metrics.
• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles
• Ability to travel locally (within LA County and Santa Barbara) approximately 30% annually (ocassional travel within the US may occur for departmental activities).
• Ability to comply with NRDC's Hybrid Policy: ability to work in-person 8 days per month (this can be a combination of in-office work, fundrasing events, and donor meetings as required by the role).

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer. For this position, the salary range is $100,000 to $120,000.

NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employees are required to come to the office 8 days per month.

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws.

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.