Donor Relations Officer

WTA is looking for a Donor Relations Officer who is passionate about deepening relationships with key donors, fostering an equitable and inclusive hiking community, and inspiring trail users to invest in our vision for trails for everyone, forever. The Donor Relations Officer will be a senior member of WTA’s Development team and the team member specifically responsible for recruiting and sustaining WTA’s Leadership Circle–individuals who contribute $5,000 or more annually to our work. Our Leadership Circle is an important pillar of our community that has seen steady growth over the last three years, with an annual fundraising goal of more than $1.2 million. The Donor Relations Officer will be excited to nurture and grow this community of supporters in order to achieve WTA’s vision. This full-time, exempt role reports to the Development Director and is based in Seattle.

Primary Responsibilities

• Build, execute and track a plan to raise over $1.2 million in major gifts annually, with an eye toward growth in 2025 and beyond.
• Cultivate and manage a portfolio of 100+ current and prospective Leadership Circle members and  establish activity metrics to effectively steward relationships.
• Identify and recruit new Leadership Circle members and support strategies for mid-level (Fireside Circle) and general membership engagement.
• Oversee stewardship activities that foster community among Leadership Circle members and encourage engagement with WTA’s mission and impact.
• Maintain contact and opportunity records in Salesforce.
• Facilitate and support CEO, Development Director and other staff and board members in cultivating, soliciting and stewarding relationships with current and prospective Leadership Circle members.
• Manage and develop strategy for legacy & planned giving programs that provide philanthropic opportunities to donors through trusts, charitable annuities, life insurance, wills, and bequests.
• Contribute to team fundraising strategy and innovation around topics like funding opportunities, data analysis, fundraising program design and audience segmentation.
• Collaborate with the development team on prospect strategies, crafting a compelling case for support and funding proposals. Engage with cross-functional teams as needed to support fundraising activities as well as organizational planning and culture-building.

Experience, Skills, Knowledge, and Values

Candidates will be evaluated on the full range of their lived and learned experience, professional background, volunteer experience, and direct or transferable skills. WTA seeks candidates with a compelling combination of attributes, so we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the qualifications listed.

• Maintain a strong commitment to WTA’s mission and vision for trails for everyone, forever.
• An authentic and proactive communicator who is able to persuasively communicate across diverse audiences in ways that instill confidence and inspire people to make a concrete impact through their giving.
• At least three years of successful track record of moving individuals toward taking action and making investments, ideally in a mission-driven industry or context.
• Experience with direct fundraising, including annual giving, individual solicitations, planned giving programs, strategic donor engagement, or complex fundraising project management. Previous experience as a donor relationship manager or major gifts officer preferred.
• A strategic and data-driven thinker who is eager to build fundraising strategies that achieve income growth through a combination of proven approaches and explorations of new funding opportunities.
• Ability to manage up in supporting donor relationship management for the relationships held by the CEO and Development Director.
• High ethical standards and diligent record-keeper to maintain confidential donor information.
• Technology proficiency and relationship management database familiarity, ideally with Salesforce or similar CRM.
• Dedicated to advancing the organizations’ goals for diversity, equity and inclusion and a demonstrated ability to work with people of diverse races, ages, genders, abilities and economic backgrounds.

Location and Schedule

The Donor Relations Officer position is a full-time, exempt position based in WTA’s Seattle office. WTA has a hybrid work model with at least 2 days of work per week in-person at our Seattle office. Some tasks may require in-person presence at the office or occasional evening or weekend work for special events.

Compensation

Compensation starts at $75,000 - $90,000 annually. This role has the potential to go up to $95,000 annually with time and demonstrated success in the role. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, retirement, disability, transportation and generous holiday, vacation and sick leave. WTA is a PSLF eligible employer; we support student loan forgiveness. For more information about WTA’s benefits, please visit our website: www.wta.org/benefits.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

WTA is committed to advancing equity and continually working to become a more inclusive organization. We believe WTA, and Washington’s hiking community, is made better by people with varied backgrounds, identities, abilities and lived experience. People of color and others with identities that are underrepresented in the outdoor industry (including but not limited to: gender identity, class, socioeconomic status, conviction history, sexual orientation, age, ability, and background) are strongly encouraged to apply.

In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at WTA will be based on merit, qualifications and abilities. WTA does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of age, ancestry, caste, color, creed, expunged juvenile record, familial status, family relationship (denying employment because a family member already works for the employer), gender identity, marital status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, off-duty tobacco use, political ideology, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, source of income, genetic information, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, status as a victim of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault or stalking, the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability, actual, potential, perceived, or alleged pregnancy outcomes, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.