Senior Development Officer

Company Description

Founded in 1961, WWF works to help people and nature thrive. As a global conservation organization, WWF operates in more than 100 countries, partnering with communities, companies, and governments to protect wildlife, conserve vital habitats, and advance sustainable solutions. Grounded in science and driven by collaboration, WWF works to help nature by conserving biodiversity, supporting resilient communities, and addressing climate change. Nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 5 million globally are WWF members.

Job Description

Major Function

The Development Officer will manage a portfolio of individual and family donor relationships to secure significant philanthropic support for WWF-US’s strategic priorities. This role focuses on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors through a relationship-based approach, contributing to sustained revenue growth and long-term donor engagement.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of donor relationships: Manage a portfolio of approximately 75–100 individual and family relationships, prioritizing donors with capacity and inclination to give at the $100K+ level.
• Develop and execute donor strategies: Develop and implement individualized engagement strategies to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors in alignment with WWF’s fundraising priorities.

Performance will be measured based on:

• Financial goal: Achieve and maintain a three-year rolling average of $1M–$2M in new and renewed philanthropic revenue, with a focus on securing and growing gifts at the $100K+ level.
• Engagement goal: Maintain an average of 8-10 meaningful interactions per year with each assigned donor or qualified prospect, encompassing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
• Proposals: Submit at least 12–18 tailored proposals or solicitations annually, with an emphasis on securing major gifts of $100K and above.
• Pipeline development: Demonstrate consistent progress in identifying, qualifying, and advancing new prospects, with a focus on building a pipeline of $100K+ opportunities.
• Portfolio management: Ensure effective stewardship, timely follow-up, and accurate documentation of donor engagement in CRM.
• Collaboration: Partner with colleagues across Development and program teams to align donor strategies and support broader fundraising goals.
• Support programmatic alignment: Work closely with program staff and leadership to align donor interests with WWF’s highest-priority initiatives and funding opportunities.
• Contribute to team goals and culture: Actively participate in team strategy discussions, contribute to a collaborative fundraising environment, and support shared learning and best practices.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Key Competencies:

• Communicating Effectively: Translates WWF’s work and messaging to internal and external audiences to secure buy-in and inspire action.
• Adaptability/Flexibility:Embraces change by quickly learning and iterating new engagement tools and methodologies; treats emerging challenges as opportunities.
• Diplomatic Communication and Organizational Savvy: This includes discernment, and sound judgement with confidential and sensitive information, and desire to understand the history and relationships that impact processes and behaviors.
• Interpersonal insight: the ability to accurately understand and interpret other people’s thoughts, feelings, motivations, and behaviors.

Skills and Abilities

• A Bachelor's degree with 6+ experience in major gifts fundraising, including:.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of the principles and best practices of non-profit major gifts development (or a closely related relationship management process).
  • Strong customer service and sales skills.
• Passion for WWF’s mission and knowledge of conservation issues.
• Must be flexible, responsible, and able to balance a variety of activities and work as an effective member of a team.
• Ability to succeed within a consensus-building culture: self-motivation, collaboration, and strong written and verbal skills are essential at WWF.
• Intellectual curiosity and sense of humor highly preferred. 
• Proven ability to manage projects, set priorities, and work within deadlines.
• Ability to travel approximately 40% of the time
• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.
• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values:
  • COURAGE – We demonstrate courage through our actions, we work for change where it’s needed, and we inspire people and institutions to tackle the greatest threats to nature and the future of the planet, which is our home.
  • INTEGRITY – We live the principles we call on others to meet. We act with integrity, accountability and transparency, and we rely on facts and science to guide us and to ensure that we learn and evolve.
  • RESPECT – We honor the voices and knowledge of people and communities that we serve, and we work to secure their rights to a sustainable future.
  • COLLABORATION – We deliver impact at the scale of the challenges we face through the power of collective action and innovation.

Additional Information

Please note: DC is the preferred location for this position, but candidates based in the NYC metro area will be considered.

Please note: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.  

Relocation is not provided for this position.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) promotes equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals regardless of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.