Major Gifts Officer

For nearly 35 years, Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS) has worked to address climate change and safeguard biodiversity by promoting the rights of Indigenous peoples and supporting their efforts to protect and defend their rainforests. Science shows that forests managed by Indigenous peoples are healthier, suffer less deforestation, capture more carbon, and contain more biodiversity than forests managed by private or public entities--including nationally protected areas. What’s more, scientists tell us that protecting forests is as important as reducing greenhouse emissions if we hope to stem the tide of ecological collapse.

RFUS works in partnership with Indigenous communities and their representative organizations to protect tropical rainforests by supporting their efforts to secure rights to their lands, strengthen monitoring and land security, influence laws and policies that protect their resources, and build strong and sustainable community leadership. By investing directly in Indigenous communities, RFUS connects the people rooted in the land with the tools, training, and resources to be effective advocates and protectors of the forests they call home. RFUS currently operates four country programs in Brazil, Guyana, Panama, and Peru, and hosts a number of regional partnerships in Central America, the Amazon Basin, and across the tropical belt.

About this position

We seek a Major Gifts Officer to steward and cultivate a portfolio of major donors and corporate supporters. The goal is to retain and upgrade current donors in their giving and engagement and identify and reach out to new prospects to bring in new funds. The ideal candidate will be excited to apply their experience and skills to RFUS’ mission. The position will report to the Director of Development, sit within the Development Team, and collaborate with two other members of the team who work on donor relations. The new hire has the option of working remotely or out of the Brooklyn office. 

Responsibilities

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift prospects and donors
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate and cause marketing prospects and donors
• Personally manage a portfolio of up to 150 major donors, creating a tailored plan to cultivate, solicit and steward each according to their capacity and affinity
• Qualify new donors and major donor prospects from our donor database, adding them to the portfolio, if appropriate
• Create corporate and cause marketing deck
• Ensure that portfolio of donors is informed of the impact of their giving by regularly sharing programmatic updates in collaboration with the communications team
• Prepare persuasive solicitation letters, revise proposals, and create other materials for major donor prospects and donors
• Organize opportunities (e.g., in-person meetings, calls, zoom meetings, webinars) for donors to engage with our leadership, board, and program staff
• Occasionally travel for in-person visits with donors
• Systematically record notes about the donor as well as correspondence and interactions with the donor in our shared CRM

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years as a major gift officer
• Proficiency with CRMs (we currently use Virtuous), Google Suite, and Microsoft Office
• Strategic planning skills and data analytics to prioritize prospect outreach
• Ability to translate and convey meaningful concepts to donors in an inspirational manner
• Exercise good judgment based on information and analysis in a dynamic, deadline-driven environment
• Strong integrity, a professional demeanor, and a self-motivated drive to consistently perform at a high level
• Proactive and organized; focused on ROI and fundraising goals
• Full proficiency in English and excellent written and interpersonal communication skills

Desired skills:

• Experience with corporate relationships and cause marketing
• Planned giving experience is a plus
• An entrepreneurial spirit that uses creativity to uncover novel pathways for fundraising
• Passion for protecting the environment and the rights of Indigenous peoples

Language:

• Full professional proficiency in English is required, fluency in Spanish desired.

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation: Compensation for this position is commensurate with experience and ranges between $90,000 – 100,000 USD annually.
• Benefits:
  • full health, vision, and dental insurance
  • 20 days per year of vacation leave
  • 10 days per year of sick leave
  • 2 days per year of personal days
  • 5 days for bereavement leave per event
  • up to 12 weeks of parental leave
  • accommodations for additional time off under extraordinary circumstances.
  • Annual phone stipend
  • Annual Professional Development stipend

Travel

For this role, nights or weekends will not be expected except possibly during work-related travel, in which case compensatory time will be accrued.

Workplace Culture & Conditions

Rainforest Foundation US prides itself on providing a flexible, equitable, family-friendly, and inclusive work environment that values work-life balance. Our offices are pet friendly and located in a historic downtown Brooklyn neighborhood that is easily accessible by public transit and boasts many restaurants and services. This position can be remote or in the Brooklyn office, if preferred.

Commitment to Equality & Equity

​​Rainforest Foundation US does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. Black, indigenous, and people of color are highly encouraged to apply.

Application instructions

• RFUS aims to fill the position by July 1st.
• Interested applicants are encouraged to apply early and advised to carefully study the job description to ensure they meet the requirements and skills we are looking for.
• Applications will only be considered with the submission of a resume and cover letter.
• Please note that the position will be listed as open until filled. Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be contacted.
• The candidate must possess the legal requirements to work in the United States; Rainforest Foundation US will not sponsor visas for international candidates.