Senior Director, Principal Gifts | Appalachian Mountain Club | Remote (Northeast USA)

About Appalachian Mountain Club

Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest conservation and recreation organization in the United States. AMC’s mission is simple yet powerful: foster the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the outdoors.

Supported by over 90,000 members and with 11 chapters from Virginia to Maine, AMC works to conserve the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of America’s Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. AMC oversees and stewards well over 100,000 acres of land and 1,800 miles of trails and offers over 5,000 outdoor activities each year to help participants experience, appreciate, and learn more about the outdoors. Additionally, AMC is engaged in scientific research investigating the impacts of climate change and is committed to reducing its burden by protecting and managing land that sequesters carbon, protects biodiversity, and increases the resilience of landscapes and communities. In addition to supporting public policy to address climate change, AMC is committed to reaching “net zero” emissions as an organization by 2050.

AMC is inspired by the untold diversity of its members and friends, and aims to be an inclusive, equitable, and kind community. AMC is united in its adventures by mutual trust, collective safety, respect for the natural world, and appreciation for our time together outdoors. With a focus on protecting mountains, forests, waters, and trails throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, AMC envisions a world where natural resources are healthy, loved, and always protected, and where the outdoors occupies a place of central importance in every person’s life.

For more information about Appalachian Mountain Club, please visit https://www.outdoors.org/

About the Position

A new position, the Senior Director, Principal Gifts (SDPG) will work closely with the Chief Development Officer (CDO), Jennifer Norris, and AMC’s management team at a time of transformation and growth, as the organization launches its largest fundraising campaign in its 150-year history. Informed by a new strategic plan launching in 2025 and guided by the leadership of President & CEO Nicole Zussman, this is an exceptionally special moment to help set the future course for AMC.

This position will lead principal gift strategy by co-creating transformational funding opportunities in partnership with AMC’s program leadership, and collaboratively advancing relationships with ultra-high net worth individual donors and volunteers. The SDPG will play a critical role in contributing to AMC’s overall fundraising success at the highest levels by charting strategies that build towards principal, major and planned gifts in support of campaign priorities.

This position will be responsible for a blended set of responsibilities to include designing and implementing a high-touch principal gifts program, carrying a personal portfolio of major (six-figure) and principal (seven- and eight-figure) gift prospects, and providing oversight, coaching, and guidance to the individual giving team and partners. The SDPG will implement a best-in-class structure and process for raising major- and principal-gift level gifts that propel AMC toward its future. This includes lending support and strategic thought to AMC colleagues and volunteers who serve as relationship managers to major and principal level prospects, and ensuring that these prospects are engaged, solicited, and stewarded during this campaign. The SDPG will oversee a team of six frontline fundraisers.

This position aligns both staff and volunteers to advance AMC’s mission and its four strategic priorities:

• Inspire joyous, meaningful outdoor experiences.

• Protect critical landscapes for the well-being of people and the outdoors.

• Cultivate and sustain a robust, diverse, and welcoming community.

• Foster equity in the outdoors.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy and Implementation

• Develop and implement fundraising strategies and coordinated activities for prospects who can give at the $1M+ level and above, including ultra-high net worth individuals and select corporations, ensuring the timely and appropriate cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

• Lead prospect strategy integration with top-rated donors and prospects managed by the President & CEO and CDO, and provide preparation and follow up support, with the goal to maximize lifetime engagement and support from these prospects and donors.

• Work closely with the President & CEO, CDO, Campaign Director, and individual giving team members to create transformational fundraising priorities to support AMC’s strategic plan, determine areas in which current and prospective donors would be interested in investing and set appropriate short- and long-term goals in consultation with the CDO.

• Help shape the existing principal and major gifts program into a best-in-class program with the use of best practices in data and metrics.

• In partnership with the CDO and Campaign Director, develop and monitor department expense and revenue budgets and projections, as well as the department's annual plan.

Cross-Organizational Collaboration

• Provide strategic thought partnership on fundraising strategies to colleagues and guide the creation of their targeted cultivation plans and establish solicitation priorities.

• Collaborate with and streamline work flows with AMC colleagues enterprise-wide to maximize philanthropic experiences for the organization’s top prospects and donors.

• Build bridges with volunteers across different segments of AMC community to engage them as appropriate in principal gifts fundraising and foster a culture of philanthropy.

Frontline Fundraising

• Build and manage a fundraising portfolio of 30-40 principal gift prospects who have the capacity and inclination to support one or more of AMC’s fundraising priorities.

• Visit donors and prospects independently, as well as in tandem with AMC executive leadership, and work proactively to bring them to AMC facilities for substantive visits and engagements.

• Work closely with the President & CEO, CDO, and the Campaign Director to facilitate movement of specific prospects and donors through various stages of giving, especially with top campaign prospects.

• Oversee the preparation of fundraising proposals, talking points and scripts, assessment of potential support, briefings, and stewardship and impact reports for assigned prospects.

• Maintain a thorough working knowledge of AMC’s strategic vision and philanthropic priorities for advancing transformational gift opportunities.

• Collaborate with the CDO in maximizing fundraising engagement of AMC’s Board of Directors and Board of Advisors in the comprehensive campaign through the cultivation of relationships with assigned Board members.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Manage the frontline fundraising team including the Director of Major Gifts, the Regional Director of Development, • Greater New York, two Senior Philanthropy Officers, and a new, to-be-hired Director of Gift Planning.

• Provide guidance in frontline fundraisers’ work with programmatic experts to secure major and principal-level gifts, including strategizing and maximizing the use of resources in engagement and solicitation plans.

• Supervise front-line fundraising team’s processes, outputs, communication, and performance using a data-informed, team-based approach, and identify and implement improvements as needed to ensure campaign and annual revenue and activities goals are met.

Key Qualifications:

• Minimum 10 years’ proven experience in fundraising leadership positions.

• 5+ years managing front-line fundraisers, motivating, and guiding them to high performance and professional growth.

• Demonstrated track record of fundraising success in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major (six-figure) and principal gifts (seven+ figures)

• Success in strategically engaging and securing gifts from previously unaffiliated constituencies.

• Proven experience playing a key leadership role in a fundraising campaign

• Facility with employing CRMs and reporting to inform a data-driven approach to moves management. Experience using Salesforce a plus.

• Experience engaging and mobilizing groups of diverse stakeholders, from complex organizational teams to volunteers.

• Strength in developing fundraising strategies and experience working directly with the most senior levels of an organization.

• Strong willingness to collaborate in a highly team-based environment; ability to build working relationships up, down, and across a large and diffuse organization.

• A history of and commitment to diversity, inclusion, and confidentiality.

• Excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills to deliver effective, persuasive messages. Previous proposal writing experience is preferred.

• Successful track record translating research and program activity into compelling philanthropic objectives. • Knowledge of climate and conservation policy and/or environmental issues is a plus.

• The ability to travel frequently in support of AMC’s philanthropic priorities (including weeknights and weekends), staffing multiday events as well as cultivation and solicitation visits with the President & CEO, CDO, Board members, and other volunteers. Travel may involve going to backcountry locations and staying in dormitory-style accommodation.

• The ability to travel frequently in support of AMC’s philanthropic priorities (including weeknights and weekends), staffing multiday events as well as cultivation and solicitation visits with the President & CEO, CDO, Board members, and other volunteers.  

• Travel involves going to backcountry locations that require ability to ski, snowshoe, or hike comfortably up to 7 miles in difficult terrain in all weather conditions, carrying loads of up to 20 pounds, and staying in dormitory-style accommodations. 

• Strong interest in outdoor recreation and a willingness to be trained in outdoor leadership skills including Wilderness First Aid. 

• Willingness and ability to adhere to Association of Fundraising Professionals Code of Ethical Standards. 

• Valid driver’s license.  

What AMC Can Offer You  

Salary range:  $123,240 – 178,672

We are committed to equitable compensation practices. The initial salary represents our starting point, and our compensation philosophy is designed to reward and recognize the contributions of our employees as they grow within the organization. External candidates typically begin their journey with us at the starting point of the salary range. The final compensation offer will be based on factors such as experience, education, competencies, and geographic differential relevant to the position, and will be discussed during the interview process.  

Benefits  

• Health Plan: Generous employer contributions through Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts with optional vision and dental.   

• Other Insurance: 100% employer paid life insurance, AD&D insurance, long-term disability.  

• Career Progression: The potential to have annual compensation reviews commensurate with performance and effort.   

• Retirement: 403(b) with 4% matching employer contributions and a vesting schedule. This benefit increases with tenure.  

• Paid Time Off: up to 4 weeks of Paid Time Off and up to 11 paid company holidays at hire. This benefit increases with tenure.  

• Other Team Member Perks:   

• 30% discount on AMC Merchandise  

• Free Annual AMC Membership  

• 10 Free nights at AMC locations  

• Educational Assistance  

• Pro deal discounts on equipment & gear and more!  

To Apply:  

Please include a resume and letter of interest. No phone calls or agencies please. To read more, click here.

AMC welcomes all qualified candidates to apply, and we invite the full participation of all individuals currently underrepresented in the outdoor community. This includes but is not limited to, individuals from racially and/or ethnically diverse communities, individuals with disabilities, individuals from LGBTQ+ communities, and individuals who experience intersectionality with one or more of these identities.  

The Appalachian Mountain Club has zero tolerance for child abuse or placing children in danger. The AMC requires all employees who work in a program or facility that serves children, disabled persons, or the elderly to have a criminal background record check performed on their name annually with employment contingent upon satisfactory results.