Director, Gift Planning

Director, Gift Planning

NRDC is seeking a Director, Gift Planning to work with the Development Team in any of our U.S. based offices, with a preference for New York, Washington, D.C., or Chicago.

Position Summary

NRDC is seeking a Director, Gift Planning to secure planned gifts by identifying and building relationships with those donors who have a propensity for making future gifts for the organization and manage two additional planned giving officers. As a member of the Gift Planning team, this individual will work closely with the Senior Director, Gift Planning, gift planning team and major and membership gift officers to conduct solicitations for planned gifts.

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:

• Create and execute front-line comprehensive strategy and workplan in line with department goals and increase planned giving donors nationally
• Strategically manage a portfolio of prospects (200-300) with capacity and interest from identification to securing planned gifts
• Partner with membership gift officers to identify, cultivate and motivate members to make significant gifts, assisting them with gift planning strategies to increase the number of planned gifts nationally
• Strategize with Major Gift and Membership Gift Officers to identify planned giving prospects from their respective portfolios and increase the number of blended gifts to NRDC
• Plan events that maximize donor and prospect cultivation opportunities
• Cultivate prospects and current gift planning donors through in-person visits, phone calls, written correspondence
• Develop a strong working knowledge of NRDC funding priorities and campaign objectives specifically to articulate a compelling case for support to all constituents
• Manage and mentor a gift planning team by partnering, coaching, equipping and encouraging development staff to pursue planned gift opportunities, assisting them in the design and implementation of individualized strategies for the identification, cultivation, and solicitation and stewardship of planned, major and blended gifts as appropriate

Minimum Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience required
• 7+ years of previous work experience in gift planning fundraising or related experience with proven success of 6-7-figure planned gifts
• 3+ years of previous experience in direct supervision or management of others

Skills, Abilities, Competencies

• Proficiency in Salesforce (or similar database) and PGCalc
• Creative problem-solving skills to engage and cultivate relationships with donors
• Efficient multi-tasker and flexible in working towards philanthropy goals
• Familiarity with financial, legal and investment topics relating to gift planning and the ability to communicate those topics in lay person's language
• Enthusiastic, outgoing, and can handle simultaneous, ongoing projects
• Ability to work independently and with a team
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• A commitment to continued education regarding gift planning and fundraising in general
• Keen interest in nature and the environment is preferred
• Management, functional buildout, and strategy development are expected to comprise approximately 50% of the role.
• Donor-facing activities are expected to make up approximately 40–50% of the role. This will include local, regional, and occasional national travel for in-person donor meetings, retreats, and time spent with NRDC staff.
• Commitment to NRDC's mission, values, and DEI principles is essential.

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…