Associate Director of Donor Relations

Salary Range: $97,750.00–$ Annually

This is a newly adjusted role that will work under the direction of the Development Director. Our growing individual giving needs provided a new opportunity to divide a previous role into two new leadership roles, separating major gifts and annual giving. The Associate Director of Donor Relations will be responsible for the revenue strategy for major donors and prospects and will lead the setting and meeting of goals and metrics related to this constituency.

The Associate Director of Donor Relations will be responsible for meeting individual fundraising and activity goals as an active fundraiser who manages a portfolio of 75-100 major gift donors and prospects. As a senior member of the Development team, the Associate Director of Donor Relations collaborates to implement initiatives, coordinate activities, and create alignment throughout the team. This role will also support the Development Director in meeting the revenue goals of the organization.

WRA fights climate change and its impacts to sustain the environment, economy, and people of the West. 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.

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 (30-40% depending on location) is required.

MAJOR GIFTS:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive major giving strategy aligned with organization fundraising goals.
• Establish annual revenue, retention, and upgrade goals for major giving.
• Monitor and analyze revenue, performance, and trends and prepare regular reports and forecasts for internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage and expand philanthropic major gift ($5,000-$249,999 gifts) revenue from individuals.
• Understand, build, monitor, report, and project major gift revenue.
• Recommend and monitor individual and team performance related to major gifts.
• Ensure major gift revenue data is consistent and up to date.
• Develop goals and metrics for and with the major gifts team.

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT & FUNDRAISING:

• Identify, manage and solicit a growing portfolio of largely individual donors and prospects to achieve increasing revenue goals.
• Grow the major gifts pipeline and portfolio by researching and qualifying prospects for personal engagement and growing relationships with donors and prospects.
• Personally solicit donors and prospects for financial support.
• Proactively support the Principal Gifts Team, made up of the President, Executive Vice President, and Development Director with their portfolios, prospecting, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Communicate with donors on a regular basis through a variety of activities: in person meetings, calls, video conferencing, email, texts, events, webinars, letters, publications, etc.
• Create and manage new opportunities for donors and partners to share their networks with WRA, growing our prospect pipeline as project lead for events, webinars, meetings, and other needs as assigned.
• Work in partnership with WRA staff (Marketing & Communications, Program, senior leadership teams, etc.) to create opportunities for funding, cultivation, and stewardship.

CROSS-TEAM

COLLABORATION:

• Serve as a primary liaison between Donor Relations and other fundraising teams (Annual Giving, Operations, 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 Major Gift and individual prospecting performance.
• 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 individual donors and major gifts 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…