VP, Corporate Partnerships

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer, the Vice President, Corporate Partnerships serves as the senior leader responsible for the vision, strategy, and execution of American Forests' corporate fundraising program. The VP will set and drive ambitious revenue goals, build and steward a high-value portfolio of corporate partners, and lead a high-performing team to advance American Forests' philanthropic priorities at scale.

What You’ll Do

• Executive-Level Relationship Management (40%)
  BUILD AND MAINTAIN A PORTFOLIO OF 50–70 HIGH-PRIORITY CORPORATE PROSPECTS AND PARTNERS, WITH A FOCUS ON SEVEN-FIGURE AND TRANSFORMATIONAL GIFTS OPPORTUNITIES.
  CONDUCT IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL DONOR ENGAGEMENTS ANNUALLY, INCLUDING C-SUITE AND SENIOR EXECUTIVE MEETINGS, TO DEEPEN PARTNERSHIPS AND ADVANCE SOLICITATIONS.
  DEVELOP SUFFICIENTLY TAILORED ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR TOP PROSPECTS; WRITES AND PRESENTS HIGH-STAKES PROPOSALS AND STEWARSHIP MATERIALS.
  CULTIVATE BLENDED AND MULTI-YEAR INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING CAUSE MARKETING, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, MATCHING CAMPAIGNS, IN-KIND SUPPORT, AND CO-BRANDED INITIATIVES.
  PARTNER WITH THE CRO, CEO, AND BOARD MEMBERS TO ENGAGE EXECUTIVE-LEVEL RELATIONSHIPS AND CREATE MEANINGFUL TOUCH POINTS THAT DEEPEN CORPORATE INVESTMENT.

• Strategic Leadership & Program Development (25%)
  WITH THE CRO, SET THE VISION AND MULTI-YEAR STRATEGY FOR THE CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM, INCLUDING ANNUAL AND LONG-RANGE REVENUE GOALS, PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT, AND A GROWTH INVESTMENT FRAMEWORK.
  PARTNER WITH PHILANTHROPY LEADERSHIP TO INTEGRATE THE CORPORATE PROGRAM INTO THE BROADER DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, ENSURE ALIGNMENT WITH ORGANIZATIONAL PRIORITIES AND FUNDSRAISING GOALS.
  LEAD THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUOUS REFINEMENT OF AMERICAN FORESTS' CORPORATE VALUE PROPOSITION AND PARTNER BENEFITS SUITE, ENSURE OFFERINGS ARE COMPETITIVE, COMPELLING, AND MISSION-ALIGN.

• Team Leadership & Management (25%)
  LEAD, MENTOR, AND MANAGE A TEAM OF THREE, WHICH WILL EXPAND AS THE PROGRAM DOES.
  SET CLEAR PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS, PROVIDE REGULAR COACHING AND FEEDBACK, AND FOSTER A TEAM CULTURE OF COLLABORATION, EXCELLENCE, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
  BUILD TEAM CAPACITY THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, BEST PRACTICE ADOPTION, AND RAISER'S EDGE OPTIMIZATION.

• Brand, Communications & Cross-Functional Collaboration (10%)
  COLLABORATE WITH MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS TO ELEVATE AMERICAN FORESTS' BRAND AND VISIBILITY WITH CORPORATE AUDIENCES, ENSURE ALIGNMENT OF MESSAGING, COLLATERAL, AND DIGITAL PRESENCE.
  OVERSEE THE DEVELOPMENT AND REFRESH OF CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP MATERIALS, INCLUDING DECKS, IMPACT REPORTS, PROPOSALS, AND STEWARSHIP COMMUNICATIONS.
  LEAD CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION WITH PROGRAMS, FINANCE, AND MARKETING TO DEVELOP BUDGETS, MANAGE GRANT DELIVERABLES, AND ENSURE PARTNERS RECEIVE A SEAMLESS AND EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCE.
  SERVE AS A SENIOR LEADER ACROSS THE PHILANTHROPY TEAM, CONTRIBUTING TO DEPARTMENT-WIDE STRATEGY AND SUPPORTING BROADER FUNDSRAISING INITIATIVES AS NEEDED.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree a plus.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive fundraising experience, with at least 5 years in corporate partnerships, or major gifts role. (Conservation experience a plus.)
• Demonstrated success closing seven-figure corporate gifts and managing a portfolio of complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• Proven track record of building and leading high-performing fundraising teams.
• Exceptional relationship builder with demonstrated ability to engage and influence C-suite executives, board members, and senior organizational leadership.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate organizational priorities into compelling corporate narratives and partnership structures.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including experience crafting high-stakes proposals, executive briefings, and stewardship materials.
• Highly organized and self-directed; comfortable managing multiple priorities and leading through ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
• Deep commitment to ethical fundraising practices in accordance with Association for Fundraising Professionals standards.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, Raiser's Edge (or comparable CRM), and project management tools such as ClickUp.
• Genuine commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and to the principles of community-centric fundraising.
• Willingness to travel locally, regionally, and nationally for donor engagement and organizational representation.
• Passion for the mission, vision, and culture of American Forests.

About Us

American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests from cities to large forest landscapes that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water, and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. We envision a world in which the significant environmental, societal, and economic benefits of forests are fully realized and equitably available to all people. Established in 1875, American Forests is the oldest national non-profit conservation organization in the U.S., working to restore urban forests and forested landscapes for over 150 years. American Forests is proud to be a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplace. These are our shared values. We welcome individuals who bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences to be a part of our team to help make a difference individually and collectively as we work toward achieving our mission. We are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and respectful and provides opportunities for advancement and professional growth for every team member. American Forests is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law. Reasonable accommodation may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.