Associate Individual Giving Officer (West Coast)

Description

National Forest Foundation (NFF) is pleased to offer an exempt, full-time position to a candidate who will grow philanthropic support from individual donors. The ideal candidate would be based in the Western US (preferably CA, OR, WA) within a 1-hour drive of a major airport.

About the NFF: As the official national partner to the US Forest Service (USFS), the National Forest Foundation was chartered by Congress in 1990. Today, the NFF advances forest resiliency, healthy watersheds and wildlife habitat, and recreation for all by working with communities and organizations across the country. The Foundation has grown significantly in the last few years in programmatic impact, revenue and support, and organizational capacity. NFF leads with impact, deploying roughly 90% of its expenses towards projects and programs across the country’s 193-million-acre National Forest System. NFF is forward-thinking and innovative, with ambitious strategies and goals to advance and prepare forests for a new economy.

Position Function: The Associate Individual Giving Officer will report to the Senior Director of Individual Giving and is responsible for generating restricted and unrestricted funds from existing and new individual donors to support the NFF’s mission. The position will work closely with the Advancement team and other key staff across the NFF to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward gifts from major gift donors (capable of contributing $25k or more annually). This is an externally focused role with most of the time dedicated to donor outreach, donor meetings, and travel to visit prospects and donors. This position is an opportunity to build on an important donor program that capitalizes on the organization’s rapid growth and success. 

Position Duties and Responsibilities: The Associate Individual Giving Officer will:

• Partner with Advancement Operations to identify mid-level donors ($1K–$24,999) who have not yet reached their giving potential and develop strategies to cultivate them toward a major gift ask ($25K+/annually). 
• Qualify prospects from within and beyond NFF’s donor pool to build a mature portfolio within three years of 75-90 individuals capable of giving $25K+/annually. This position will fundraise throughout the West Coast and Alaska (including CA, WA, OR, and AK).
• Employ a donor “matchmaking” approach—aligning individual interests with NFF’s core priorities in Wildfire Mitigation, Land and Water Restoration, and Recreation, as well as specific on-the-ground projects—to develop tailored strategies that maximize each donor’s philanthropic potential. Developing strategies for prospecting, cultivating, and soliciting donors for showcase projects within the assigned region. 
• Cultivate strong donor relationships through regular in-person and virtual meetings, experiences, and timely communications that deepen engagement with NFF’s mission and programs. 
• Design and implement robust stewardship strategies to help donors understand and experience their impact. 
• Maintain timely and accurate records of donor engagement, strategy, and activity using CRM and moves management systems. 
• Serve as the advancement representative for regional conservation teams, ensuring alignment between fundraising strategies of the national fundraising team, and the needs of NFF’s field-based Conservation Teams. 
• Travel approximately 35–40% of the time (averaging 1 ½ trips per month) by air, car or public transit. 
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Education and Qualifications: NFF expects the Associate Individual Giving Officer to possess the following educational and experiential qualifications:

• At least 3 years’ nonprofit development experience with proven results.
• Commitment to ethical fundraising principles.
• Commitment to the Mission of the NFF.
• Must have valid U.S. driver’s license, clean driving record. and access to a reliable personal vehicle for transportation to/from the airport, meetings, and donor visits within driving distance.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Abilities and Skills: NFF expects the Associate Individual Giving to possess the following proven abilities and skills:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including comfort with phone calls, presentations, and soliciting donors. 
• Ability to communicate the NFF’s mission with enthusiasm, passion, candor, and nuance. 
• Ability to effectively leverage technology to connect with geographically dispersed donors. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft suite of software applications. 
• Strong relationship building and management skills. 
• Ability to work independently and remotely while still functioning as an integral member of a team. 
• Ability to set priorities while managing a variety of tasks and deadlines. 
• Strong attention to detail. 

Location: The location for this position is California, Washington, or Oregon, with a preference for candidates living in proximity (within 1 hour) to a major airport. Applicants must be able to travel regularly throughout West Coast and Alaska. This position is a work-from-home position and requires reliable internet access and a dedicated workspace.

Compensation: NFF offers a competitive compensation and benefits package that reflects our total rewards strategy. The starting salary range for this position is $75,000 to $86,250, with the ability to grow to $97,500 based on performance outcomes over time and assessed annually. NFF monitors mandated state minimum wage updates. Individual state conditions will be honored during the offer process.  

Benefits: NFF is proud to offer our staff: 

Health and Wellness:

• Medical and dental insurance paid at 75% by the organization for you and any dependents. 
• Vision insurance paid 50% by the organization for you and any dependents. 
• Health savings account (HSA) with employer contributions between $1,878-$3,750 per year, predicated on coverage type. 
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSA). 
• Employee assistance program (EAP) at no cost. 

Financial Wellbeing:

• 403(b) retirement plan with a 5% employer match after one (1) year of service. 
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance at no cost. 
• Basic life and AD&D insurance at no cost, with voluntary life insurance options. 
• Whole life insurance at a discounted rate

Flexibility and time off:

• Employees start with 35 days of annual leave, sick leave, personal leave and holidays (annual leave accrual rates increase with years of service) 
• Family & medical leave for up to sixteen (16) weeks with up to four (4) weeks paid. 

Personal Development:

• Training & Development Programs  
• Professional development reimbursement for up to $1,000 per year. 

Journey of a Lifetime:

• The opportunity to support an incredible mission and travel to / work in spectacular locations.

To Apply: Applications must include both a cover letter and resume. Incomplete packages will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. This posting will close on September 25th, or earlier if filled. Please visit our careers site to apply online.

The National Forest Foundation is an equal opportunity employer – meaning we provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law. Further, we prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, benefits, training, and termination. We strive to foster a work environment where every individual is respected, valued, and treated fairly. This statement reflects our unwavering dedication to fairness, respect, and equality in employment practices and sets the foundation for a positive work environment.