Summary
Description
The Vice President of Philanthropy is a member of the American Alpine Club’s leadership team, responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to support the organization’s long-term financial sustainability. This role oversees all areas of development, including major gifts, annual giving, corporate partnerships, foundation grants, campaigns, donor communications, and planned giving.
The Vice President leads a growing team of development professionals, manages a personal portfolio of major donors, and serves as the primary architect of strategies and systems to diversify and grow AAC’s fundraising portfolio. They will work closely with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and staff to build a strong culture of philanthropy and drive meaningful donor engagement across the organization.
The ideal candidate is a strategic, relationship-driven fundraising leader with deep experience in major gifts, demonstrated success in building and managing fundraising teams, and a strong understanding of nonprofit financial strategy. They will bring a combination of humility, drive, and vision to help shape the next era of AAC’s fundraising and community support.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Leadership
- Partner with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and team to set and execute a multi-year fundraising strategy.
- Align fundraising goals with AAC’s strategic plan, programs, and capacity-building objectives.
- Lead planning and execution of major initiatives, including capital campaigns, endowment growth, and legacy giving programs.
- Set realistic annual revenue targets, with a current development goal of $2M+ annually and clear strategies for year-over-year growth.
- Translate long-term aspirations into achievable, phased plans that build confidence, sustainability, and momentum.
2. Fundraising Strategy and Execution
- Serve as a lead fundraiser managing a portfolio of major donors and prospects, with direct responsibility for making six- and seven-figure asks.
- Partner with the Executive Director to develop and implement an annual fundraising plan for the Executive Director, providing active support and strategy for high-level donor engagement.
- Guide the development of donor-facing materials, including proposals, case studies for support, stewardship reports, and impact stories, to effectively communicate the organization's mission and impact.
- Ensure robust systems for donor acquisition, major gift pipeline development, and donor stewardship.
3. Department and Team Leadership
- Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing, collaborative development team.
- Set departmental KPIs and cultivate a results-driven, donor-centered culture.
- Ensure team members have clear responsibilities related to portfolio management, prospect research, stewardship, and gift processing.
- Develop and manage the department’s budget; oversee the creation of internal policies and protocols.
- The current team structure includes 2–3 direct reports, with planned growth aligned with revenue goals.
4. Board and Volunteer Engagement
- Collaborate with the Executive Director and the Development Committee to engage the Board in the development and execution of fundraising strategies.
- Equip and coach board members and key volunteers to be confident fundraising ambassadors.
- Build partnerships with mission-aligned influencers and volunteers who can extend AAC’s reach and access to resources.
5. Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with the Marketing & Communications team to align storytelling, brand strategy, and fundraising content.
- Partner with Finance and Operations to ensure accurate gift processing, fund tracking, reporting, and compliance with donor intent.
- Participate actively in organizational planning, goal-setting, and cross-departmental strategy as a member of the senior leadership team.
6. Systems, Data, and Reporting
- Oversee the effective use of AAC’s CRM (Salesforce) for donor management, segmentation, and reporting.
- Implement dashboards and performance metrics to inform strategy and track progress.
- Lead continuous improvements in data integrity, donor tracking, gift acknowledgment, and reporting systems.
Qualifications and Competencies
- Fundraising Expertise: 10+ years of fundraising experience, with 5+ years in a senior leadership role. Proven success in securing six- and seven-figure gifts and managing complex donor relationships.
- Direct Ask Experience: Demonstrated ability to personally solicit and close multiple major gifts of $100K+; strong understanding of donor identification, cultivation, and stewardship strategies.
- Portfolio Management: Experience managing a portfolio of 50+ major donors, institutional partners, or high-net-worth individuals.
- Team Leadership: Proven success in building and leading development teams and managing performance toward clearly defined goals.
- Strategic and Operational Skills: Skilled in planning, budgeting, systems development, and the use of data to drive decision-making.
- Communication: Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills. Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and compellingly to donors and stakeholders.
- Mission Alignment: Strong commitment to AAC’s values and purpose. Experience in outdoor, environmental, or recreation sectors is preferred but not required.
- Preferred: Familiarity with estate planning vehicles (DAFs, QCDs, CRTs), campaign planning, and endowment strategy. CFRE certification is a plus. Access to a major airport is preferred.
Work Environment and Travel
- 75% Desk-Based Work: Work using Google Workspace, Slack, Salesforce, and Zoom.
- 25% Travel and In-Person Engagement: Includes donor visits, events, and relationship development.
- Note on location: This position may be remote or hybrid in Golden, Colorado.
Benefits
The AAC currently offers a comprehensive benefits package including employer-paid medical (with reproductive and gender-affirming care), HSA, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, a wellness program, a matching 401k retirement plan, a flexible work scheduling, pro deals, generous paid time off, and bonding leave. Benefits are reviewed annually and change as needed. Team members are notified when any benefit changes occur.
How to Apply
All who love the AAC mission are encouraged to apply, including people of color, Black, Indigenous, transgender, and non-binary people. Apply online. No phone calls or emails, please. Cover letters are strongly encouraged. Priority will be given to applicants who apply by September 1, 2025. Candidates will not be contacted prior to the priority deadline.
The AAC is an equal-opportunity employer. Your gender, religion, sex life, skin color, first language, marital status, and size and ability of your body do not factor into employment decisions here. If you love our mission and are good at what you do, come as you are.
A note about applying: our position descriptions outline general needs for a role, but these are not set rules. If you meet more than two-thirds of the suggested skills, we encourage you to apply. Include any applicable experience, both paid and volunteered, that helped you build these competencies.
About the AAC
Founded in 1902, the American Alpine Club (AAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to providing climbers with resources that advance knowledge, inspiration, and advocacy. Through our rescue benefit and medical expense coverage, climbing and grief grants, campgrounds, and discounts, we are committed to empowering our members. We share knowledge and inspiration through the American Alpine Journal, Accidents in North American Climbing, and preserving climbing history in the AAC Library and Archives. Finally, we advocate for our members and the places we climb by breaking down barriers to climbing and seeking to preserve our climbing landscapes and public lands nationally and locally. At the AAC, we are connected through our passion for climbing. United We Climb.
