Director of Philanthropy

Who we are:  

Conservation Northwest has nearly 40 years of success protecting and connecting landscapes in Washington and British Columbia, and recovering our region’s iconic and vulnerable wildlife including wolves, wolverines, fishers, lynx, and grizzly bears. We recognize that for long-term progress, conservation must go hand-in-hand with healthy, prosperous and equitable communities.  We have an annual budget of $4-$5M and approximately 30 staff working across the Pacific Northwest. Our conservation community includes more than 15,000 supporters. Learn more at conservationnw.org. 

Our Mission: We protect, connect and restore wildlands and wildlife from the Washington Coast to the British Columbia Rockies. 

Our Values: Adaptability, boldness, collaboration, empathy, equity, integrity, pragmatic idealism, rationality, tenacity

Position Details 

• Employment type: Full time; exempt 

• Compensation: $105,000 - $120,000 

• Benefits: Includes employer-paid medical/dental/vision insurance, 3% Simple IRA match, 12 sick days per year, 12 holidays, and vacation starting at 3 weeks per year (increasing to 5 weeks over six years). Sabbatical offered after 8 years. 

• Location: Seattle (hybrid) - 1-2 days per week in the office. Some nights, weekends, and travel within Washington are required. 

Position Summary: 

The Director of Philanthropy has primary responsibility for all fundraising activities. The position oversees strategy, planning, management, and directing all fundraising activities for the organization 

Responsibilities: 

Organizational Capacity Building and Strategy 

• Partner closely with the Executive Director, the Senior Director of Finance and Operations, and the Board ensuring fundraising approaches align with organizational values, equity commitments, and community relationships. 

• Balance revenue growth with organizational health by building realistic plans that prioritize staff sustainability, donor trust, and long-term relationships. 

• Lead the development of an annual fundraising plan and strategy in collaboration with Board and staff, that reflects organizational priorities reflected in the annual budget and workplan. 

• Actively promote a culture of philanthropy amongst staff and board, with a vision to strengthen and deepen donor and member engagement. 

• Seek to embed community-centric fundraising principles into CNW’s fundraising strategy, policies, systems, and team culture. 

Team Management  

• Oversee the three pillars (Institutional Giving, Major Giving, Events) of the Philanthropy team and all activities to achieve annual fundraising goals of $4M+ 

• Serve on Conservation Northwest’s senior leadership team and provide monthly updates to leadership and the board 

• Draft and manage the Philanthropy budget  

• Oversee management of and facilitate improvements to fundraising systems (such, but not limited to, as Salesforce, GoFundMe Pro, Double the Donation, Active Campaign, Wealth Engine, Freewill, etc.) 

• Collaborate with Finance to ensure reconciliation between Salesforce and Quickbooks and coordinate revenue reporting to Finance and to the board. 

Individual Giving 

• Develop, implement, and/or support donor recruitment and stewardship communications (direct mail, email campaigns, social media, etc.) 

• Oversee community level donor strategy and stewardship  

• Create strategies to identify and secure new individual supporters, fully leverage existing relationships, and increase annual and planned giving. 

• Lead creation of the annual report 

• Support major gift stewardship, including donor letters, events and annual appeals  

• Lead planned giving strategy, including partnership with FreeWill, and settlement of realized bequests and estate gifts. 

• Coordinate with Communications Director on external communication strategy and content 

• Maintain a mature portfolio of donors and work closely with the Board to cultivate giving from prospective supporters. 

Events 

• Oversee strategy, planning, and day-of-event engagement for our annual auction and dinner.  

• Collaborate and think strategically with the Philanthropy team to re-envision and implement donor engagement and fundraising events throughout the year. 

Institutional Giving 

• Collaborate with Philanthropy Partnerships Manager on grant research, writing/editing, reporting, compliance, tracking and strategy with institutional funders (foundations, corporate, and government) 

• Support the cultivation of new foundation, agency and other grant funding prospects. 

• Cultivate and steward relationships with company partners for non-grant giving (1% for the Planet, sponsorships, etc.) 

Desired Qualifications 

Conservation Northwest recognizes that successful applicants may have a variety of backgrounds that do not perfectly match the desired qualifications. Candidates that align with a majority of the job description and have an aptitude and interest in acquiring new skills or experience are encouraged to apply.  

• 7-10 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience with at least 3+ years in a leadership or management role 

• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach and inspire a development team 

• Demonstrated success in developing and managing a pipeline of donors, including individuals, corporations, foundations and community partners 

• Strong ability to use data and metrics to drive decision-making, forecasting, segmentation, and portfolio management 

• Experience with capital campaigns or multi-year fundraising initiatives 

• Familiarity with CRM systems, preferably experience with Salesforce 

• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey mission impact compellingly 

• Ability to develop deep, trust‑based relationships with donors, community leaders, and institutional partners  

• Strong public-facing presence; comfort with representing the organization at events, meetings, and donor engagements 

• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and uphold ethical fundraising standards 

• Mission-driven, collaborative, strategic thinker 

• Results-oriented, with a high degree of initiative and follow‑through 

• Comfort working in a dynamic, evolving nonprofit environment 

• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and community-centered fundraising practices