Organizational Mission:
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s mission is to protect, manage and advocate for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
Organizational Vision:
The Appalachian Trail and its landscape are always protected, resilient, and connected for all.
Position Summary
The Associate Vice President (AVP) of Development is ATC’s lead fundraising officer and a key member of the Engagement Team, reporting to the Chief Growth Officer. This role drives philanthropic growth, manages a portfolio of major donors, and inspires a talented team to fund the ATC’s operations and achieve its mission.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The AVP of Development is primarily responsible for establishing and implementing the infrastructure needed to grow a ~$15M annual budget (of which approx. 2/3 is funded via philanthropic donations) and the endowment through solicited gifts.
The AVP of Development leads a team of nine total staff members including six direct reports (five Directors and one manager), plus two contract fundraising professionals and contracted firms that provide support services.
This position is responsible for expanding and diversifying the ATC’s donor base/pipeline, working closely with other team members to secure funding for existing and new initiatives that support the strategic plan, and the ATC’s Centennial Campaign, a five-year comprehensive campaign that has raised $40M of its $50M goal since it launched in 2023. The AVP is expected to build relationships and regularly meet with current and future donors. In addition, the AVP of Development will work closely with the board of directors and support board members as they take on a more active fundraising role. The amount raised by the ATC is expected to increase in future years as the AVP of Development strengthens the organization's fundraising capacity.
- Lead and inspire a high‑performing team: Mentor, hire, and support development staff to enable their success on ambitious, goal‑driven outcomes with clear metrics.
- Shape the future of fundraising: Drive long‑range and annual development strategies, leading fundraising campaigns and initiatives; educate and inspire staff across ATC to understand the crucial role they play in contributing to ATC’s organizational success in fundraising.
- Fuel growth and sustainability: Set ambitious yet feasible revenue and donor goals, rally the team to maximize opportunities, and build lasting impact.
- Steward high-impact donors: Manage a small but strategically significant portfolio of high-value prospects, donors, and board members who require sophisticated cultivation and solicitation. Co-manage select relationships alongside development team members to build capacity and sustain momentum toward transformational giving opportunities.
- Inspire donor engagement: Introduce and maintain best practices in donor stewardship, recognition, and communication, ensuring funders feel engaged and appreciated.
- Forward-thinking: Track philanthropic trends, advise leadership on fund development issues, and recommend forward‑thinking policy positions.
- Drive fundraising success: Personally engage in cultivation and solicitation while guiding executives and Campaign Advisory Committee to maximize Campaign impact.
- Expand and energize the donor base: Lead and coordinate strategy development with directors overseeing membership, mid-level, major, and institutional giving to develop and align program-specific growth strategies. Ensure fundraising plans are integrated, mutually reinforcing, and pipeline-driven, while serving as the connective leader who empowers subject-matter experts to grow their programs and advance donors seamlessly toward deeper engagement and investment.
- Drive organizational collaboration and impact: Partner with the leadership team, program teams, and across the engagement team to align fundraising, marketing, communications, and donor strategies with ATC’s growth vision.
- Elevate communications and strategy: Collaborate with the AVP of Marketing and Communications and their team to craft compelling proposals, briefing materials, messaging, and collateral that inspires giving.
- Strengthen development budgeting: Responsible for managing and tracking accurate spending and ROI of the annual development budget and partnering with the CGO and development team to create annual budgets and three-year expense and revenue forecasts; partner with finance and administrative leaders to safeguard the ATC’s financial health and ensure accurate reconciliation of fundraising and financial reports.
- Operational Excellence: Oversee the Operations team responsible for processes and systems to ensure data integrity, compliance and accurate gift processing; have a vision and input on KPI selection as well as the tracking, preferred dashboards, and reporting that is needed for the Development, Engagement, and Leadership Teams and the Board of Directors to ensure transparency and accountability; identify and prioritize the creation of necessary dashboards and reports to maximize the ATC's available data for revenue growth and stewardship.
- ATC mission advocate: Learn and understand the programmatic, mission-driven work, strategic plan, organizational priorities and Trail community, so you can effectively advocate for support.
Qualifications
Required:
- A bachelor’s degree is required, and an advanced degree and/or specialized certification is preferred. Experience in lieu of education will be considered.
- People and team management experience is required, including effective leadership and management of a high-performing team, leading in a decentralized environment, collaborating with executive staff, and working well with people at all levels of an organization.
- Minimum of eight years of fundraising experience in a professional position and demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting and closing gifts of $100,000 and above.
- Knowledge and experience in the following areas are required: ethics in philanthropy, motivations for giving, standard fundraising techniques and best practices including face-to-face solicitation, research and cultivation practices, proposal writing, solicitation, and development office functions including gift processing, donor databases, prospect and donor histories, cultivating and soliciting principal and major gifts, and fundraising tracking, forecasting and reporting.
- Comprehensive management skills and experience should include, but are not limited to, short- and long-term planning, evaluation, directing and motivating staff and volunteers, oral and written communication skills, communicating with board members, demonstrated success in strategic planning and project management, marketing and financial management, and governance.
- The highest degree of professionalism, a results-oriented nature, demonstrating leadership and gravitas to reflect the ATC brand positively.
- Strong technical and analytical skills, including skills in donor database management systems like Salesforce and Wealth Engine, and proficiency in Microsoft Office, are essential.
- Visionary fundraiser with a demonstrated record of success in major gift cultivation and campaign leadership; a collaborative relationship builder, strategic thinker, and inspiring team leader who thrives in mission-driven environments.
Preferred:
- Experience leading a capital campaign.
- Experience in a recreation or conservation organization is strongly preferred.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
- Periodic travel to meet with individual donors, foundations, corporations, ATC offices, regional events, partner meeting sites, and limited site visits to trail locations.
- Combination of remote and/or shared office environments. Remote workstations will require reliable, high-speed internet access.
- The position involves extended periods working at a computer or on the phone
- Flexibility to work extended hours during or on weekends during peak season or special event periods.
- Occasionally requires the ability to lift, carry, push, or move light to moderate weights, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Additional Details:
- Location: Residence in one of the 14 Trail states (Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine) or Washington, D.C. with a strong preference for proximity near the Appalachian Trail.
- Annual Salary Range: ($125k - $135k)
- Health, dental, and vision insurance available.
- Company paid long-term disability and life insurance provided.
- 403(b) Retirement Plan with up to 7% match after 1 year of service.
- Why Join ATC? This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of one of America’s most iconic landscapes. As AVP of Development, you’ll play a pivotal role in ensuring the Appalachian Trail remains protected and cherished for generations to come.
ATC Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
ATC encourages collaboration, flexibility, and fairness with all employees and volunteers to enable participation and contributions to their fullest potential.
We are committed to being an inclusive organization and recognize that a broad range of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds contributes to an effective and successful organizational culture and mission.
ATC prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and/or expression), national origin, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, political affiliation, union membership, or any other status protected by the laws and regulations in the locations where we operate.
ATC's Identity Statement
