Overview

NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington, D.C.

NRDC is seeking a Managing Director, Institutional, Global and Corporate Philanthropy to work with the Development Team in any of our U.S. based offices.

Position Summary

The Managing Director of Institutional, Global and Corporate Philanthropy (IGCP) leads a team of 12 fundraisers, raising over $50M annually from corporations and large institutional foundations for NRDC’s priority work. The IGCP revenue line is expected to contribute significantly towards overall department revenue goals of $250M+ annually by the end of FY29.

The Managing Director fosters a culture in which team members can thrive, working closely with the Institutional and Corporate Philanthropy Directors, Strategists, as well as the Director of Fundraising Equity and Senior Director of Foundations Prospect and Stewardship Strategy. The Managing Director works closely with Advocacy and Program staff and institutional leadership to cultivate and steward strong relationships with funders. The Managing Director serves on the Development Leadership Team, working closely with the Senior Vice President of Principal, Institutional, and Major Giving, as well as the Chief Development Officer as a thought leader who helps grow NRDC’s fundraising potential and promotes equity and inclusion in NRDC’s operations.

Responsibilities

Ensure that the team meets or exceeds its budgeted and growing fundraising goal, the baseline of which is over $45M for FY26. Future years will increase accordingly in proportion to the overall revenue goals for the organization.
Work closely with NRDC leadership, Advocacy staff and the IGCP team to develop integrated strategic fundraising annual plans for priority work. Refine strategies as opportunities emerge and institutional priorities shift.
Develop strategies for engaging NRDC’s President and CEO and other leadership staff to solicit grants from major U.S. and overseas foundations and corporations.
Grow the prospect pipeline for institutional funders by identifying new prospects as well as maximizing revenue from existing funders. Establish annual and long-term growth targets that are measurable for progress at select biannual intervals.
Develop and execute on innovative plans for new avenues of overseas funding with a focus on EU countries and the United Kingdom. This includes public sector funds from European Governments as well as corporate philanthropy.
Provide strategic leadership to the Senior Director of Global Foundation Strategies, Director of US Foundation Strategies, Senior Director of Foundation Prospecting and Stewardship Strategy and a team Coordinator.
Oversee the Foundations team in projecting, tracking, and reforecasting grants included in the team’s annual revenue budget.
Collaborate with all Development stakeholders including writers, Grant Management, Principal and Major Gifts, Donor System and more.
Integrate, advise, and collaborate, where appropriate, on Principal Gifts and Foundations prospects where an institutional foundation exists alongside an individual principal gift donor(s).

The above list of duties is not comprehensive but generally demonstrates the types of matters under this position’s responsibility. Other duties may be assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Education & Experience

Bachelors degree required, masters degree in business, policy, or applicable degree preferred.
15 years’ experience in professional philanthropy with at least 6-8 years of direct experience leading an institutional and/or corporate philanthropy fundraising team for organizations with a $100m+/year operating budget. Overseas fundraising and environmental NGO experience a plus.
At least 10 years of senior management/organizational leadership experience is required.
Proven track record of securing significant grants from foundations and corporations.
Direct experience with Salesforce preferred.

Skills, Abilities, Competencies

Stellar talent in managing a team of fundraising professionals
Strong EQ skills and ability to effectively manage conflict
Ability to build strong relationships with staff, colleagues, and foundations
Strong big-picture and strategic thinking skills
Organizational skills; ability to prioritize and simultaneously oversee multiple streams of work to meet overlapping deadlines
Ability to analyze, innovate, and improve operations
Detail oriented with high standards of excellence
Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 20% of time
Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer. For this position, the salary range is $230,000 to $250,000.

NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employees are required to come to the office 8 days per month.

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws.

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.

Natural Resources Defense Council

About Us

New Jobs

Managing Director, Institutional, Global, and Corporate Philanthropy