Director of Development

Organizational Leadership:

• Serve as a key member of AWL's senior leadership team, helping to shape organizational culture, fundraising strategy, and cross-departmental collaboration.
• Lead and mentor the development team, fostering professional growth, accountability, and excellence.
• Support organization-wide fundraising participation by cultivating a culture of philanthropy across all staff and board members.

Strategic Fundraising and Planning:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan that supports AWL's strategic objectives.
• Lead a four-person development team responsible for generating approximately $2.8 million annually.
• Create and manage annual revenue and expense budgets for the development department.
• Partner with leadership and board members to craft targeted donor engagement and solicitation strategies.

Individual Giving:

• Manage a personal portfolio of 100–150 mid-level and major donors ($1,000+), deepening engagement through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Provide strategic oversight to annual giving campaigns, donor communications, and appeals.
• Lead efforts to expand planned giving and multi-year commitments.
• Coordinate donor cultivation events and virtual engagement opportunities.

Institutional Giving:

• Supervise the Institutional Giving Manager and oversee the expansion of AWL's foundation and corporate funding portfolio.
• Manage the grants process to ensure high-quality submissions and compliance with reporting deadlines.
• Maintain strong relationships with institutional partners while safeguarding AWL's brand integrity and ethical fundraising standards.

Development Operations:

• Ensure data accuracy, timely gift entry, acknowledgment, and stewardship communications.
• Oversee the use and continuous improvement of AWL's CRM system to support segmentation, reporting, and analytics.
• Maintain compliance with ethical fundraising practices and relevant laws and regulations.

Team Management and Administration:

• Provide clear direction, coaching, and professional development opportunities to development staff.
• Lead and engage development board committees and fundraising volunteers.
• Foster a positive, inclusive workplace that values collaboration, flexibility, and learning.
• Oversee department-level budgeting, performance management, and workflow systems.

This role sustains and expands AWL's philanthropic impact across its entities, including the Alaska Wilderness League Action (C4) arm, by driving fundraising strategy and results that support conservation efforts to protect Alaska's wild lands and waters for future generations.

• Demonstrated progressive experience in fundraising or external relations, including team and board leadership/engagement.
• Demonstrated success in securing major gifts and institutional grants.
• Strategic thinker with exceptional communication, planning, and organizational skills.
• Comfort working in a small, fast-paced organization with shared responsibilities and significant autonomy.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in fundraising and team culture.
• Familiarity with environmental, conservation, or advocacy nonprofits is preferred but not required.

No specific compensation, perks, or culture highlights mentioned in the job description.

Alaska Wilderness League (AWL) protects Alaska's wild lands and waters by engaging citizens and decision-makers to support conservation efforts that ensure these irreplaceable ecosystems endure for future generations, working closely with Alaska-based partners, Indigenous communities, scientists, and advocates nationwide to build a unified, inclusive movement for wilderness protection.