Philanthropy & Development Director

Position Summary

The Philanthropy & Development Director will lead the strategic growth and diversification of revenue at American Wild Horse Conservation, building a best-in-class development program that advances philanthropy, institutional funding, donor stewardship, and long-term sustainability in service of protecting America’s wild horses and burros.

The ideal candidate is both strategic and relationship-driven, someone who can build sophisticated fundraising systems while cultivating meaningful donor relationships and translating AWHC’s mission into compelling philanthropic opportunities. This role is focused on fundraising strategy, donor development, and revenue generation, in partnership with Marketing & Communications who lead storytelling and audience engagement efforts.

Key Responsibilities

Development Strategy & Revenue Growth

Build and execute multi-year fundraising strategy
Develop annual revenue goals and forecasting
Diversify funding streams across:
major gifts,
foundations,
institutional grants,
corporate partnerships,
planned giving
Partner with leadership on long-term organizational sustainability

Major Donor Cultivation

Build long-term, values-aligned donor relationships rooted in stewardship, trust, and sustained philanthropic engagement.
Manage and grow portfolio of high-net-worth donors
Develop donor journeys and stewardship strategy
Create meaningful donor experiences:
field visits,
salons,
retreats,
impact briefings,
range experiences
Support board fundraising engagement

Institutional Giving & Foundations

Partner closely with communications and program teams to translate organizational priorities into compelling funding opportunities for institutional partners and foundations.
Lead foundation strategy and relationship management
Build institutional funding pipeline
Identify aligned conservation, animal welfare, environmental, and family foundations
Oversee grant strategy, narrative development, and reporting

Campaigns & Fundraising Architecture

Transition organization from reactive fundraising toward a scalable, strategic, relationship-based engine
Build donor segmentation systems and lifecycle strategies
Establish KPIs, dashboards, and reporting cadence
Partner with communications to align storytelling with fundraising strategy

Leadership & Team Management

Build operational structure, discipline, and accountability across all development functions.
Mentor and manage existing development team
Collaborate cross-functionally with:
marketing & communications,
conservation,
government relations,
finance,
executive leadership,
and board

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and 6+ years of relevant experience in nonprofit development.
CFRE certification is highly preferred.
Proven experience working with nonprofit boards and managing donor acquisition and retention programs, including multi-year campaigns.
Strong managerial and leadership skills, with a track record of driving significant fundraising results.
Excellent communication and presentation skills, with proficiency in Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Google Suite, Slack, and Canva.
Experience with Every Action or equivalent CRM platforms.
Ability to conduct advanced research using internet resources and a readiness to travel up to once per month for 2-3 days (primarily within the Pacific and Mountain time zones).
A demonstrated commitment to animal/wildlife conservation, equine protection, and to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Emotionally intelligent
Systems-oriented
Strategic and Polished
Able to bridge conservation + culture
Metrics-driven
Movement minded
Someone who understands that donor stewardship is not extraction.