Director of Philanthropy

About the role

The Tahoe Fund is an impact-driven nonprofit using the power of philanthropy to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy. This position reports to the CEO and is a full-time, exempt role.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain an annual fundraising plan in partnership with the CEO and COO, with clear revenue targets, donor segments, and accountability milestones.
• Build and manage a sustainable revenue portfolio across individual giving, corporate partnerships, institutional foundations, planned giving, and digital giving to support a broad and diversified donor base.
• Engage staff and Board in meaningful donor work, contributing to an organization-wide culture of philanthropy.
• Own and manage a portfolio of mid-tier donors and prospects with a structured upgrade pathway to Stewardship Circle leadership tiers.
• Partner with the CEO on transformational donors, providing strategy, briefings, prospect research, and follow-through so the CEO can focus on the highest-impact relationships.
• Use prospect research tools to identify capacity among existing donors and surface qualified new prospects.
• Expand the Tahoe Fund’s corporate partnership program to reach new supporters.
• Provide strategic oversight and continued growth of the Dollar for Tahoe program.
• Develop a structured institutional foundation outreach program, including proposals, site visits, reporting, and multi-year cultivation for family, community, and corporate foundations.
• Lead engagement with emerging supporter demographics, partnering with the Senior Director of Communications on strategy, messaging, and audience for all annual fundraising appeals.
• Grow the Tahoe Fund’s existing Legacy Circle, including case development, legacy society structure, and prospect identification among long-tenured donors.
• Advance the Tahoe Fund Endowment and the Tahoe Trails Endowment as a meaningful vehicle for legacy support, with a documented outreach plan and stewardship cadence.
• Own all Tahoe Fund events (Founders Circle Dinner, Boat Parade, Pre-Summit Cocktail Party, and others): guest list curation, theme development, prospect pipeline integration, and follow-through.
• Staff the Board Development Committee: set agendas, track introductions, build annual goals by constituent audience, and equip members to activate their networks effectively.
• Coordinate closely with the Operations Coordinator on CRM pipeline data, stewardship cadence, acknowledgment workflow, and list management.
• Partner with the CEO and COO on Board and leadership reporting, including progress against the fundraising plan, pipeline status, and donor engagement metrics.

Requirements

• A genuine and personal love for Lake Tahoe.
• A high emotional intelligence and a natural ease with people across very different backgrounds, ages, and giving levels.
• An energy for being out in the community, enjoying events, hikes, lift lines, and casual run-ins with donors.
• A natural communicator and storyteller, able to talk about the Tahoe Fund’s work with warmth and conviction, in a coffee shop or at a podium, without sounding scripted.
• A strong sense of curiosity, drive, and ownership, wanting to know how things work, finish what you start, and do not need to be managed into momentum.
• A willingness to travel regularly within the Tahoe Basin and to the San Francisco Bay Area to meet supporters where they are.

Qualifications

• Experience in fundraising, philanthropy, sales, private client services, or another relationship-driven field where trust and follow-through are the product.
• Familiarity with donor databases or CRM systems (Salesforce, Bloomerang, or similar).
• A background or active interest in conservation, outdoor recreation, or place-based work in mountain communities.
• Existing relationships in the Tahoe, Reno, or Bay Area communities.
• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.

Skills

• Strategic planning and execution.
• Donor acquisition and stewardship.
• Event planning and management.
• Board development and engagement.
• Prospect research and analysis.
• Corporate and institutional partnerships.
• Legacy and endowment fundraising.
• Effective communication and storytelling.

Benefits

Full benefits package including health insurance, 401(k) match, and generous vacation policy.

Pay

$110,000 to $150,000 annually commensurate with experience.

Schedule

Hybrid/ Tahoe Fund offices in Incline Village, NV.