Director of Philanthropy, Tahoe Fund (Hybrid/Tahoe Fund offices in Incline Village, NV)
Job Summary
The Tahoe Fund is looking for someone who loves Lake Tahoe and knows how to build relationships that last.
Since 2010, we’ve raised more than $35 million in private support, leveraged into $220 million in public investment and 250+ projects that protect the lake, reduce wildfire risk, and make it easier to get to and around Tahoe. We’re growing, our donor community is engaged, and it’s time to add the person who will lead our philanthropy program into its next chapter.
Full Job Description
- Reports to: CEO
- Status: Full-time, exempt
- Travel: Regular travel within the Tahoe area, Sacramento, San Francisco Bay Area, and other locations as needed
- Benefits: Full benefits package including health insurance, 401(k) match, and generous vacation policy.
COMPENSATION
$110,000 to $150,000 annually, Commensurate with experience
Tahoe Fund Intro
The Tahoe Fund is an impact-driven nonprofit using the power of philanthropy to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy. We envision a Lake Tahoe where the natural and human environments are in balance, supported by a growing community that cherishes this mountain treasure.
What You’ll Do
- Strategy and Leadership
- Develop and maintain an annual fundraising plan in partnership with the CEO and COO, with clear revenue targets, donor segments, and accountability milestones.
- Build a sustainable revenue portfolio across individual giving, corporate partnerships, institutional foundations, planned giving, and digital giving to support a broad and diversified donor base.
- Contribute to an organization-wide culture of philanthropy, engaging staff and Board in meaningful donor work.
- Major Gifts and Mid-Tier Cultivation
- 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.
- Corporate Partnerships and Institutional Giving
- 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.
- Emerging Audiences and Digital Giving
- Lead engagement with emerging supporter demographics.
- Partner with the Senior Director of Communications on strategy, messaging, and audience for all annual fundraising appeals.
- Planned and Legacy Giving
- 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.
- Events as Cultivation
- Ownership of 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.
- Work with the contracted event planner and Tahoe Fund team to ensure events serve as cultivation and stewardship moments.
- Board and Team
- 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.
What You Bring
- Essential
- A genuine and personal love for Lake Tahoe.
- A concierge mindset. Supporters of Tahoe Fund are treated like trusted friends, not records in a database.
- Energy for being out in the community. You like events, dinners, hikes, lift lines, and casual run-ins with donors.
- A natural communicator and storyteller. You can talk about the Tahoe Fund’s work with warmth and conviction, in a coffee shop or at a podium, without sounding scripted.
- Curiosity, drive, and ownership. You want to know how things work, you finish what you start, and you do not need to be managed into momentum.
- A strong sense of professionalism paired with genuine humility. This is a small team where everyone pitches in, and the best fit is someone who takes the work seriously without taking themselves too seriously.
- Willingness to travel regularly within the Tahoe Basin and to the San Francisco Bay Area to meet supporters where they are.
- Helpful, Not Required
- 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). Comfort learning new tools matters more than mastery of any specific one.
- 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.
About Tahoe Fund
The Tahoe Fund is an energetic, forward-thinking, and nimble organization focused on getting great things done for Lake Tahoe. Supported by a dedicated donor base, the Tahoe Fund serves as a consistent source of private funding to match, secure, and leverage public dollars for environmental improvement projects across the Tahoe Basin.
How to Apply
Please email your resume and cover letter describing your interest, relevant fundraising or relationship-driven accomplishments, and connection to the mission to careers@tahoefund.org. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Tahoe Fund is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.
Additional Information
- Job Category: Development, Fundraising
- Company Website: https://www.tahoefund.org/
- Careers Page: https://www.tahoefund.org/about-us/careers
- Job PDF: View Job PDF
- Company Address: 948 Incline Way
Incline Village, NV
89451
US - Contact Email: careers@tahoefund.org