Membership and Annual Giving Manager, Washington DC

This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days per month in the office. You will be based in WRI's Washington, DC office. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position. To be eligible for this position in US, you must be a resident of DC, Maryland or Virginia at the start of employment.

About the Program:

Now is the time to move from commitments to action on climate change—WRI is at the forefront of this urgent transition. WRI has the knowledge, convening power and tools to drive change and its Individual Philanthropy Sector builds relationships with Individuals and Family Foundations to help the Institute deliver results and bring about a more equitable and sustainable world.

The Individual Philanthropy Sector is part of WRI's broader Global Development Program, which coordinates all fundraising for the organization. As WRI advances its comprehensive capital campaign, the Individual Philanthropy Team is central to strengthening the organization's fundraising capacity and driving the campaign across the finish line by securing critical general and flexible support.

From principal and major gifts to mid-level, annual and legacy contributions, the team ensures WRI has the philanthropic resources needed to power its mission and achieve transformative impact.

Job Highlight:

The Membership and Annual Giving Manager plays a key role in building philanthropic support by acquiring, retaining, and engaging prospects and donors across annual, sustainer, mid-level and legacy giving.

This position develops and implements strategies to grow and sustain WRI's nascent membership and annual giving programs, strengthening donor participation and revenue among individual supporters up to $10k.

The Manager uses donor insights, performance data, and audience segmentation to inform fundraising priorities and strengthen membership and individual giving results. This includes developing multi-channel approaches to attract new supporters, retain existing donors, increase annual contributions, and create pathways toward more sustained and significant giving. The role is accountable for establishing measurable objectives, monitoring performance, and adapting strategies to achieve or exceed revenue and participation goals.

Success in this role requires a strong understanding of one-to-some and one-to-many donor management, multi-channel fundraising strategies, acquisition and retention techniques, and the ability to move donors along a continuum of giving—from increased annual support to lasting legacy commitments.

Working collaboratively with colleagues across development and communications, the Manager will help strengthen the organization's donor pipeline while building a sustainable pipeline of future planned gifts, ensuring long-term philanthropic support for the organization's mission.

You will be supported by the Individual Philanthropy team.

You will report to the Director, Individual Philanthropy Services.

This position will be an office-flex position. Candidates must be able to work from the DC office at least 8 days a month and as needed to support cultivation & stewardship opportunities.

What you will do:

Membership & Annual Giving Strategy (35% time)

• Manage the strategy and performance of WRI's membership and giving circle programs, including annual giving, sustaining, mid-level, and planned giving programs.
• Develop data-informed strategies to strengthen donor acquisition, retention, engagement, and revenue, incorporating stewardship, benefits, and experiences to move donors toward increased giving and the major gift pipeline.
• Partner with Individual Philanthropy team leadership to identify and advance giving level and mid-level donor pipeline opportunities.
• Establish and monitor program metrics, regularly evaluating performance and adapting strategies to meet or exceed goals.
• Develop and manage budgets for membership and annual giving programs.
• Maintain accurate reporting on fundraising performance, including campaign, acquisition, retention, revenue, and participation metrics.
• Use WRI's CRM and analytics systems to support fundraising strategy, reporting, moves management, and program optimization.
• Ensure the integrity and accuracy of donor data and systems that support fundraising and stewardship activities.

  Donor Engagement & Development (35% time)

  • Provide a high level of customer service as a point of contact for individuals and family foundations, ensuring a polished and sophisticated engagement experience.
  • Strengthen relationships within the mid-level portfolio through personalized and automated outreach, including phone calls, emails and personalized invitations to WRI-related events.
  • Create and manage donor engagement and solicitation plans that support revenue and donor participation goals across giving levels and types.
  • Support and enhance philanthropic, stewardship, and donor recognition activities that strengthen the overall donor experience.
  • Manage engagement and stewardship for WRI's individual giving circles, including the Sustainer's Circle and Legacy Society.
  • Develop and implement strategies to communicate donor impact and deepen engagement with Sustainer's Circle and other priority audiences.

    Digital Fundraising & Communications (30% time)

    • Help establish and grow multi-channel fundraising campaigns across email, direct mail, digital advertising, social media, text, phone, and other channels.
    • Develop digital donor journeys, automated communications, and engagement pathways that support acquisition, conversion, retention, and stewardship.
    • In partnership with Individual Philanthropy communications colleagues, create compelling fundraising and engagement content and coordinate with internal and external content partners to ensure consistent, effective messaging across multiple channels.
    • Use strategic donor segmentation to identify and reach priority donor and prospect audiences.
    • Design and implement email and digital campaigns that convert subscribers and engaged audiences into donors and deepen existing donor relationships.
    • Use automation tools to personalize and optimize communications with donors and prospects, building efficiencies that can scale.
    • Establish digital campaign goals and use performance data, analytics, and peer benchmarking to evaluate and improve results.
    • Participate in cross-functional communications initiatives that improve the donor experience and strengthen WRI's digital presence.

      What you will need:

      • Education: Bachelor's degree; equivalent work experience can be considered in lieu of a degree.
      • Experience: You have 5+ years of full-time work experience
      • Track record of managing successful membership and annual giving programs to grow revenue and donor participation.
      • Specific knowledge of membership strategies and understanding of the drivers, levers, and best practices that drive performance.
      • Experience with multi-channel marketing, specifically email, direct mail and social media.
      • Ability to produce fact-based reporting to make recommendations and inform decisions.
      • You have experience with and knowledge of Microsoft Office 365, Asana, and with a CRM database, preferably Salesforce.
      • Experience working independently and proactively
      • Experience managing multiple projects and priorities

        Languages: Proficiency in verbal and written English.

        Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization.

        Potential Salary:

        $85,000 - $100,000 - Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

        How to Apply:

        Please submit a resume with a cover letter by October 1, 2026. Internal applicants should submit their application through the Jobs Hub portal in Workday. External applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. We may close for applications sooner if we receive a high volume of applications from qualified candidates.

        What we offer:

        • Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
        • The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities
        • A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
        • The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
        • Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
        • Generous leave days that increase with tenure.
        • If based in the US: Medical Coverage, Dental Coverage, Vision Coverage, retirement plan access and employer contribution.

          About Us:

          World Resources Institute works to improve people's lives, protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization, we leverage our data, expertise and global reach to influence policy and catalyse change across systems like food, land and water; energy; and cities. Our 2,000+ staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations.

          Our mission and values:

          WRI's mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth's environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

          Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Independence, Integrity, Impact, Partnership and Care.

          Our culture:

          WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission including equal opportunities in employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, caste, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status.

          Our People team carefully reviews all applications.