Who We Are:

Nature United is a national organization that is reimagining conservation across Canada. We believe that nature—thriving and full of life—is the foundation of strong communities, a prosperous economy, and a future worth passing on to our grandchildren. We believe that reconciliation is at the heart of our progress as a nation. And we believe that Canada can be a global beacon for hope. We work to advance sustainable resource management by supporting Indigenous leadership and authority and to harness the power of nature to address the climate crisis by advancing natural climate solutions. Nature United is an affiliate of the global organization The Nature Conservancy (TNC).

As a conservation organization, we support the authority of Indigenous Peoples to steward and manage their lands and waters by working in partnership with Indigenous Nations to strengthen governance, build on-the-ground stewardship capacity, support leaders, and catalyze local economies. Diversity, equity, inclusion and justice are central to achieving our conservation mission and we are committed to co-creating a culture that is equitable and a workplace that is diverse, inclusive and safe for all staff, partners, donors, and volunteers.

Our goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues feel a sense of belonging, and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our Mission by hiring and engaging a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we work. In addition to the requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of inclusion! Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote myriad staff members, “you’ll join for our mission, and you’ll stay for our people.”

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Associate Director of Philanthropy (ADoP) reports to the Director of Major Gifts and is a key member of the frontline fundraising team, responsible for securing major gifts in support of Nature United’s conservation priorities. The ADoP manages a portfolio of donors and high-potential prospects, including US-based individuals, and develops and executes multi-year cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies.

They build strong, trust-based donor relationships through personalized outreach, meetings, proposals, presentations, and events. The ADoP advances relationships toward significant philanthropic investments—including annual, multi-year, and campaign gifts—while contributing to a sustainable major gift pipeline.

The ADoP develops donor strategies aligned with priority initiatives such as Indigenous-led conservation, large landscape protection and sustainable resource management. They prepare high-quality briefing materials for leadership and program staff, translating complex priorities into clear, compelling messaging and supporting the development of proposals, budgets and reports in collaboration with donor communications, program staff and finance.

Working closely with The Nature Conservancy’s global fundraising network, the ADoP supports cross-border fundraising by engaging US-based and international donors and collaborating on shared prospects and solicitations, aligning donor interests with high-impact funding opportunities.

The ADoP coordinates across teams to advance key opportunities and ensures effective stewardship by managing reporting requirements, maintaining alignment with funding terms, and identifying renewal and upgrade opportunities. They contribute to a collaborative, high-performing team culture, demonstrating initiative and a commitment to learning while staying informed on Nature United’s priorities and the broader philanthropic landscape to strengthen donor engagement and performance.

Responsibilities and Scope

• Build and manage a portfolio of 75-125 qualified donors and prospects with the capacity to give $100,000+ through one time or multi-year gifts.
• Annual fundraising goal of $1,000,000+
• Collaborate with the Major Gifts team to build a major donor pipeline, including qualifying and disqualifying leads.
• Develop and execute thoughtful strategies to engage, cultivate, solicit and steward prospects and donors.
• Collaborate with internal teams to develop cases, proposals, budgets and reports.
• Refine and lead the fundraising strategy for within TNC, including working with BU counterparts to identify, cultivate and solicit US based prospects.
• Support the stewardship of US based middle donors as part of a pipeline building strategy.
• Support donor cultivation and stewardship events, collaborating with Nature United and TNC teams.
• Understand and comply with all Nature United gift-related policies and procedures and ensure ethical compliance, as defined by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
• Demonstrate an active commitment to being in right relations with Indigenous Peoples through philanthropy practices within the team and fundraising community more broadly.
• Bring an active commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice and contribute to a culture of inclusion and belonging.
• Readily take on additional responsibilities as this growing philanthropy program evolves into one of Canada’s leading development teams.

We’re Looking for You:

Are you looking for work you can believe in? Nature United is a workplace where we care about each other and know that what we do matters, and that our work makes a difference. We currently have a vacancy for an Associate Director of Philanthropy. We’re looking for someone who builds strong, trust-based relationships and will contribute to a collaborative, high-performing team culture. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the ongoing mission of conservation by supporting the work of our team. Join us as we impact conservation across Canada and 80+ countries and territories around the globe!

What You’ll Bring:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree and 5 years related experience or an equivalent combination.
• Experience building and maintaining long-term relationships with fundraising constituents.
• Experience in asking for and closing gifts of $25,000 or more.
• Experience in managing and tracking multiple prospects and donors.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams.
• Experience, coursework, or other training in fundraising principles and practices.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Ability to determine an individual’s interests, capacity and potential for helping the organization meet its goals, and act appropriately to tie those interests with the organization’s work.
• Ability to educate and inform prospective and existing donors about appropriate giving vehicles.
• Ability to implement and manage fundraising plans, including individualized cultivation, solicitation and recognition plans.
• Knowledge of current trends in charitable giving in the areas of capital campaigns, major gifts or planned giving.
• Demonstrated experience using listening, diplomacy and tact to build strong relationships and motivate donors and volunteers.
• Proven ability to negotiate high profile or sensitive agreements.
• Working knowledge of the basics of charitable gift planning.

Compensation & Benefits:

Salary Range: $104,000 - $112,000 CAD annually

Nature United offers a comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits.

This recruitment is being led by Gerard Search on behalf of Nature United.

Application deadline: We are accepting rolling applications until the position is filled.

Check the status of the search process here