Head of Development (Remote)

General Summary The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is the national scientific and educational organization representing the forestry profession in the United States. Founded in 1900 by Gifford Pinchot, it is the largest professional society for foresters and other forest management professionals and academics in the world. The mission of the Society of American Foresters is to advance sustainable management of forest resources through science, education, and technology, promoting professional excellence while ensuring the continued health, integrity, and use of forests to benefit society in perpetuity. More information about SAF is available at
Development Manager Role The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is seeking a Development Manager to lead individual giving, fundraising, and partnership efforts on behalf of the organization. The manager is responsible for creating and implementing SAF fundraising campaigns and events, cultivating and engaging donors, managing SAF’s eight donor funds, developing giving strategies, managing estate giving and planned giving, and coordinating organizational partnerships. This individual ensures that donor acknowledgements and correspondence are timely and acts as the staff liaison to the Hill Fund scholarship program. The development manager also works with local volunteers to coordinate the silent auction and raffle that occurs annually at the SAF National Convention.
The Development Manager reports to the Senior Director of Events and Sales. This is a remote or hybrid (Washington, DC) position.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions): Create and implement SAF fundraising campaigns.
Develop individual giving strategies.
Manage SAF’s eight donor funds and coordinating engagement strategies.
Manage estate giving and planned giving program.
Cultivate long-term donor and partner relationships and develops pipeline of prospects.
Process thank you letters and acknowledgements of donations and gifts in a timely manner.
Serve as staff liaison to Hill Fund scholarship program.
Serve as point of contact and follow-up for new partners interested in understanding how to engage SAF’s varied programs. As interests are clarified, connect partner and the respective program lead to formalize connection to SAF.
Develop proposal "pitches" as needed specific to varying components of the sector (academic, industry, state gov, federal gov, and non profit).
Serve as lead for the development of the SAF "engagement guide".
Attends the annual national convention and assists with staff activities as needed.
Coordinates the silent auction and raffle during the SAF National Convention.
Coordinates VIP/Donor recognition events at convention and throughout the year.
Other: Performs other duties as assigned by CEO and direct supervisor.
Job Specifications: Personable and adaptable with a desire to contribute to the success of our organization.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Excellent customer service ethic and ability to cultivate, grow, and maintain positive relationships.
Adept at developing and maintaining collaborative internal and external relationships; respects differing perspectives.
Proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Must be a self-starter, able to follow instructions and make decisions independently, as well as work effectively in a team.
Detail-oriented, proactive, self-starter, with a positive, hands-on attitude and a desire to grow and develop in the position, on the team, and within the association.
Exceptional time management skills and ability to multi-task and handle multiple deadlines at once.
Takes full ownership of projects from start to finish, ensuring consistent follow-through.
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as a team member.
As a remote or hybrid position, all candidates must have the ability to work from home comfortably with full access to internet and ability to be on video phone calls with staff and partners.
Qualifications and Education Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, nonprofit management, philanthropy, communications, sales, or other associated degree, or equivalent related experience in the nonprofit and association environment.
At least 3 years of experience managing donor management and fundraising within a fast-paced, professional environment.
Ability to travel 5-10% of the time.
Preferred Education/Skills: Association and volunteer management experience is a plus.
Knowledge and passion for forests and natural resources is a plus.
Sales experience is a plus.
Other Duties Please note this position description does not cover, contain, or list a fully comprehensive listing of duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee in this role. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Annual Salary $68,000-78,000
Reasonable Accommodation SAF will provide reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of a qualified individual with a disability unless doing so would pose an undue hardship on the operation of the business. Telecommuting on an ad hoc basis is available following 90 days of successful employment.
EEO Statement SAF provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, gender identification or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, SAF complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall and transfers, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Disclaimer The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.

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