Director of Institutional Giving

Natural Lands, a vibrant, regional, nonprofit organization and leader in land conservation, natural resource stewardship, and public engagement, seeks a Director of Institutional Giving to join our team at our headquarters on the Hildacy Preserve in Media, Pennsylvania.

Since the early 1950s, Natural Lands has saved open space, cared for nature, and connected people to the outdoors in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Today, the organization is one of the nation’s largest regional land conservancies and is widely respected for its record of success, technical expertise, respectful and creative approach to partnerships, fiscal strength, and integrity.

Over the course of its nearly 70-year history, Natural Lands has helped preserve more than 135,000 acres including a network of 42 nature preserves and one public garden across two states and 13 counties. These properties total 23,000 acres and include many of the most spectacular and diverse properties in the region, which are enjoyed by more than 300,000 visitors annually. 

The Director of Institutional Giving oversees and manages the full life cycle of Natural Lands’ private institutional fundraising—including research, relationship advancement, proposal and report production, and stewardship—in an extremely fast-paced and highly motivated department. As an integral member of the development team, the Director of Institutional Giving has additional assignments associated with strategic and annual work planning, budgeting, communications, and events.

Natural Lands seeks to hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes our organization stronger. We aim to build a workplace where employees feel empowered to be their full, authentic selves. We welcome you to explore a career at Natural Lands.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as primary relationship manager in attending to the full life cycle of Natural Lands’ private institutional fundraising: prospecting, research, exploratory conversations, relationship advancement, proposal and report production, stewardship visits, recognition, and database record management.
• Broaden foundation funding opportunities by engaging colleagues throughout the organization to advance grants for strategic, campaign, and budgeted priorities.
• Partner with major and leadership gift colleagues to generate proposals and reports for private family foundations utilized by individual donors.
• Collaborate with the Vice President of Development and the Senior Director of Development on fundraising cases, branding, marketing, and communications.

Foundation Fundraising

• Develop and meet strategic, annual work plan, and budgeted goals for private foundation revenue.
• Act as primary relationship manager for all private foundation donors and prospects; support relationship advancement and direct solicitations involving Natural Lands leadership—including members of the Senior Management Team and Board of Trustees.
• Develop and maintain a well-researched, curated, and robust pipeline of local, regional, and national foundation prospects.
• Manage all foundation grant proposals and reports, including related staff involvements.
• Draft, organize, and finalize all foundation communications—including proposal cover letters, interim communications, acknowledgments, and other relevant correspondence.
• Create and/or capitalize on dedicated events and learning opportunities to advance relationships with funders and prospects.

EITC Fundraising

• Leverage Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) to increase corporate funding for Natural Lands’ engagement and educational

Essential Internal Partnerships

• Serve as the department liaison to the Conservation Department for all private grant pursuits and reports. Stay connected to the Conservation Department’s case making with public funders and partners.
• Work with colleagues in the Finance Department to monitor grant budgets and ensure we stay on track with funder
• Coordinate with colleagues in the Communications and Engagement Department to celebrate foundation relationships as appropriate.
• Work with Development Services colleagues to maintain accurate foundation records and

Other

• Assist Development Department colleagues at cultivation and fundraising events as required.
• Read, network, and attend professional meetings to stay informed about best practices and trends in private institutional fundraising.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s
• Minimum 10 years of development experience, including a track record of private institutional fundraising and demonstrated success securing major foundation grants.
• Broad knowledge of land conservation, including facets unique to a land trust.
• Exceptional and practiced written and verbal communication skills.
• Easy ability to understand and articulate an organizational case for support; experience serving as a spokesperson for organizational priorities.
• Skill establishing and cultivating strong relationships with peers, organizational leadership, and colleagues across different levels of the
• A talent for managing up (particularly senior management), including evidence of successful relationship management
• Capacity to balance multiple and sometimes competing deadlines and to work productively and amicably in an extremely fast-paced and highly motivated environment.
• Proficiency in word processing and Excel. Experience working with donor databases – Blackbaud/Raiser’s Edge preferred – as well as donor research and screening tools.

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions: 

This position is primarily an office-based position, requiring frequent sitting for long periods, with occasional periods of walking, standing, bending, and reaching. The position is hybrid with a minimum of two days a week in the office. However, during training more in-office time may be necessary. The position requires use of the computer and the telephone. The position also requires hiking hills and walking uneven terrain in addition to reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling for placement and setup of event support items up to 20-35 pounds (tables, chairs, signs, displays, etc.). The candidate must be prepared to work outdoors under all conditions, including heat, cold, and with occasional exposure to poison ivy, biting and stinging insects, etc. The ability to travel throughout the region (eastern PA and southern NJ), reliable vehicle, and valid driver’s license are required for travel as needed.

Natural Lands is committed to creating an inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. We aim to build a workplace where employees feel empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.