Associate Director, Donor Communications

About the role

The Associate Director of Donor Communications manages the day-to-day operations of Climate Works’ donor communications function, overseeing the products, strategies, and touchpoints that help the organization build trust with current and prospective funders and raise capital for climate solutions. This role is the operational leader of a function whose mission is to make fundraising dreams come true — developing the white-glove funder strategies, broad-based communications, stewardship touchpoints, and tailored products that directly support Philanthropic Partnerships in moving funder relationships forward.

The Associate Director supervises the donor communications team (currently two direct reports) and manages across three core areas: product development and funder-facing messaging, broad-based funder communications strategy and execution, and white-glove stewardship and cultivation approaches for high-priority funders and prospects.

This role reports to the Director of Partner + Program Communications, who sets the overarching audience strategy and provides the cross-program, cross-audience perspective that informs donor communications priorities.

The Marketing and Communications team strengthens Climate Works’ ability to achieve its mission by shaping how the organization communicates, builds trust, and engages the partners needed to scale climate solutions. The team ensures that Climate Works’ role, strategy, and impact are clearly understood by the audiences positioned to fund, implement, and amplify this work.

The department is structured around three leadership areas:
Institutional Communications & Public Affairs (media, editorial, events, CEO thought leadership, and organizational narrative), Partner & Program Communications (funder engagement, program and service messaging, and grantee/partner audiences), and Creative Studio, Channels & Operations (visual identity, channels, marketing systems, and production infrastructure).

• Oversee the development of donor-facing materials that help funders understand Climate Works’ strategy, value, and impact — including decks, memos, talking points, stewardship materials, narrative briefs, and tailored two-pagers.
• Translate organizational and program content into funder-ready products, ensuring materials are grounded in the language of impact that resonates with philanthropic audiences.
• Build and maintain messaging frameworks for donor communications, ensuring consistency, coherence, and strategic alignment across programs and partnerships.
• Manage the intake, scoping, and workflow for donor communications requests, setting appropriate levels of support and ensuring work is aligned with audience and relationship goals before production begins.
• Make recommendations on readiness, review pathways, and approval processes — including when Philanthropic Partnerships needs to be involved in developing or reviewing materials.

• Manage the strategic cadence of communications that keeps Climate Works’ funder community informed, connected, and confident — using segmentation, audience mapping, and right-sized channels.
• Oversee the development of segmented communications strategies for funders across roles (principals, program officers, advisors, communications staff), ensuring that different audiences receive content appropriate to their relationship with Climate Works.
• Partner with the program communications team and Partnerships to ensure narrative consistency across all funder touchpoints.
• Oversee list hygiene, audience mapping, and lead triage to support a clear view of how funders interact…