Gift Planning Officer

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation has grown into America's largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 53 state/territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and stripes. The mission of the National Wildlife Federation is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world. We advance this mission through programming focused on conserving wildlife, restoring habitats and waterways, expanding outdoor opportunities, connecting children with nature, advancing environmental justice, and addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.

The National Wildlife Federation believes that in order to save wildlife and ourselves, we need to ensure that everyone in America has clean air and water, safe communities, easy and equitable access to the daily benefits of nature, and protection from the ravages of climate change. These basic needs, equally necessary and urgent for all people, are foundational to bringing the conservation movement and ethos into the 21st century.

To fuel this mission, and achieve the bold priorities for people and wildlife outlined in our strategic vision, we are seeking a Gift Planning Officer (GPO) to join our Philanthropy team in Reston, VA.  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all employees are currently teleworking.  We anticipate National Wildlife Federation offices will begin reopening in January, 2022.  As a Gift Planning Officer you will identify, cultivate, solicit and steward donors, prospects, and their financial advisors for the purpose of raising bequest revenue and securing deferred gifts (charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts etc.) in support of the National Wildlife Federation. As a GPO you will engage prospective and current donors through visits, phone calls, correspondence, and stewardship events, and develop tailored strategies for securing support from and stewarding donors.

This is an exciting time of growth and expansion at NWF, and this role is ideal for an entrepreneurial self-starter seeking opportunities to contribute meaningfully toward the goal of achieving substantial increases in planned and outright giving in the years ahead.

Your role is comprised of these main areas of responsibility:

• Identify, cultivate, solicit and steward donors and prospective donors through virtual or face-to-face visits, calls, emails and other written communications. Meet high standards of performance metrics designed to monitor and evaluate performance.
• Develop a donor strategy to build excellent rapport in cultivating, soliciting and closing gifts managing a portfolio of 100 - 125 planned gift prospects. Develop and implement highly tailored moves management strategies to effectively engage a portfolio of top prospects. Responsible for data input for all donor interactions (individual contacts, prospect management steps and stewardship efforts) in CRM database. Provide reports on activities, prospective pipelines and progress toward revenue and engagement targets regularly.  Develop a personalized stewardship strategy for VIP Legacy Society members in their portfolio to confirm intended gift(s), maintain donor’s connection to NWF and increases financial support whenever possible. Participate in other donor stewardship events in the assigned region. 
• Establish and maintain close collaboration with Philanthropy staff, program staff, regional offices and affiliates to advance gift planning efforts by providing excellent customer service and fostering continued internal collaboration. Ability to identify major gift prospects to assist in increasing the number of outrights gifts to NWF.
• Network across the industry to foster learning and information sharing, as well as build awareness of benchmarking data and engagement strategies and marketing tactics.
• Maintain professional aptitude in gift planning, keeping abreast of industry trends and changes to tax law, through conferences, seminars, specialized training, and professional literature (when appropriate and within the budgetary limits) to remain current in the gift planning field.
• Stay informed of the Federation’s conservation priorities and its efforts to address America’s wildlife crisis and shares it with prospects and Legacy Society members as appropriate.
• Dedicated to deepening understanding of cultural and systemic racism and the intersectionality of multiple forms of social inequality.

Qualifications:

• College degree required
• 5+ years of professional development experience, with a demonstrated history of successfully building relationships with individual donors capable of making gifts of $25,000 or more through major gifts or their estate planning
• Extensive knowledge of gift planning vehicles and giving instruments, coupled with the ability to effectively share this information and support donors in achieving their philanthropic goals and establishing their philanthropic legacies
• Experience working with attorneys, financial advisors, seniors, and their families – and with an approachable and engaging demeanor will serve this position well
• Self-starter with excellent problem-solving, organizational, writing and interpersonal skills with the demonstrated ability to work independently and as an integral part of the team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and ability to present to a variety of audiences, specifically racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse communities
• Knowledge of industry trends
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with CRM database. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree 
• Experience working with non-profit conservation organizations a plus
• Supervisory experience a plus
• PG Calc experience preferred

Further, in this position, your actions are expected to reflect the staff values of the National Wildlife Federation: collaboration, mindfulness, empowerment, inclusivity, and mission focus.

Travel:

This position is centered on donor relations and frequent overnight travel is expected.  

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $80,000 to $85,000, depending on experience.

The National Wildlife Federation values work-life balance and a family-friendly atmosphere.  Our paid time-off includes 3 weeks of vacation leave, open wellbeing leave, 10 paid holidays, 3 floating holidays, a week-long winter break, and additional leave options, per year.  In addition, our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, company paid life insurance, AD&D, short- and long-term disability, 16 weeks of paid FMLA leave, 403b retirement plan with employer matching and annual contribution, adoption benefits, and flexible work options including telecommuting, non-traditional work hours, and compressed work weeks.  Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s benefits package at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.

We strive to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) in all elements of our work and with our partners to support the interdependent needs of wildlife and people in a rapidly changing world. We recruit, employ, train compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at nwf.org/equity.

If you have a disability and require an accommodation or assistance with our online application process, please tell us how we can help by calling us at 703-438-6244.

The requirements listed in our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, and if you have 75% of the qualifications listed we encourage you to apply.  Your experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, which helps build the competencies, knowledge, and skills that translates directly to our openings.  Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.