Associate Director, Donor Communications

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Oversee the daily operations of ClimateWorks’ donor communications function.

• Supervise the donor communications team, which currently includes two direct reports.

• Manage donor-facing materials such as presentations, memos, talking points, stewardship documents, narrative briefs, and customized two-pagers.

• Convert organizational and program content into materials suitable for funders.

• Develop and uphold messaging frameworks for donor communications.

• Handle the intake, scoping, workflow, review pathways, and approval processes for donor communications requests.

• Administer strategic and segmented communications for ClimateWorks’ funder community.

• Collaborate with program communications and Philanthropic Partnerships to ensure narrative coherence across funder interactions.

• Supervise list management, audience mapping, and lead prioritization.

• Create and implement personalized stewardship plans and cultivation strategies for key funders and prospects.

• Facilitate significant donor interactions and impactful engagement experiences in partnership with the Events and Marketing and Communications teams.

• Provide customized narratives, talking points, and meeting preparation support for leadership and program staff.

• Formulate and implement prospect engagement strategies to enhance the philanthropic pipeline.

• Develop actionable prospect campaigns, including peer-to-peer outreach, prospect events, and connections with philanthropic associations and climate-related funders.

• Monitor and report on prospect engagement activities and pipeline progress.

• Delegate tasks, manage team workload, mentor staff, and aid in career development.

• Maintain oversight of ongoing donor communications projects and timelines.

• Act as the operational liaison to Philanthropic Partnerships.

• Coordinate with Partner & Program Communications, Institutional Communications & Public Affairs, Creative Studio, Channels & Operations, Events, and Partnerships.

• Report directly to the Director of Partner + Program Communications.

⛳️ Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in fundraising communications, donor relations, development communications, or a closely related field.

• A minimum of 2-3 years of experience supervising staff.

• Comprehensive understanding of how communications facilitate fundraising, including donor stewardship, cultivation, prospect engagement, and the development of funder-facing materials in a philanthropic or nonprofit setting.

• Capability to distill complex organizational strategies into clear, persuasive, funder-ready documents across various formats including presentations, memos, narratives, talking points, and emails.

• Exceptional writing and editorial abilities.

• Proven experience managing team workflow and capacity, including intake procedures, project timelines, and prioritization.

• Familiarity with audience segmentation, funder journey mapping, or CRM-driven communication strategies.

• Advanced analytical and critical thinking capabilities.

• Strong project management abilities and capacity to juggle multiple priorities.

• Excellent interpersonal skills for building relationships with fundraising teams, program staff, and leadership.

• Strong commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment.

• Experience working with or closely with philanthropic foundations, climate organizations, or mission-driven nonprofits with intricate funder ecosystems is preferred.

• Background in prospect research, pipeline development, or prospect engagement strategy is a plus.

• Familiarity with Salesforce, Account Engagement (Pardot), or similar CRM/marketing automation platforms is preferred.

• Understanding of the climate philanthropy landscape is desirable.

• Experience in a matrixed organization is a plus.

• Proficiency in Asana, Google Workspace, and presentation software is preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare coverage plans (medical, dental, and vision).

• 20 days of paid time off for first-year employees, with additional paid time off in subsequent years.

• 14 paid holidays each year.

• Paid sabbatical leave for eligible employees.

• 401(k) plan with contributions from ClimateWorks and matching employee contributions.

• Life insurance and short-term and long-term disability coverage.

• Support for fertility, child, elder, and pet care.

• Physical wellness benefits, including gym memberships and fitness equipment.

• Financial wellness benefits, including financial planning services.

• Mental wellness benefits, including therapy and coaching services.

• Annual in-person week in San Francisco, all-staff retreat, and departmental retreat.