Tahoe Fund

Director of Philanthropy Reports to: CEO Location: Hybrid/ Tahoe Fund offices in Incline Village, NV 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. High emotional intelligence and a natural ease with people across very different backgrounds, ages, and giving levels. You read a room well, remember what matters to people, and follow up as it counts. Because it does. - A concierge mindset. Supporters of Tahoe Fund are treated like trusted friends, not records in a database. You take pride in being thoughtful, responsive, and personal in every interaction. - Energy for being out in the community. You like events, dinners, hikes, lift lines, and casual run-ins with donors. You see public visibility as part of the job. - 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. - This is a management position that requires a seasoned professional with 7-10 years of experience. 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.