Director of Philanthropy

Savanna Institute

Director of Philanthropy leading major-gift, foundation, and corporate fundraising for Savanna Institute’s Midwest agroforestry nonprofit. Building donor relationships, securing grants, and managing fundraising portfolios.

Posted 8/4/2026full-timeRemote • Wisconsin • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $75,000 - $87,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in nonprofit fundraising, including developing relationships with diverse donors and securing major gifts. Proficient in writing grant proposals and managing donor engagement through effective communication and strategic planning.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Nonprofit Fundraising ExperienceGrant Proposal WritingDonor Relationship ManagementFundraising Software ProficiencyPlanned Giving Strategies

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Fundraising Strategy DevelopmentProposal WritingImpact ReportingPortfolio Performance AnalysisDonor Engagement Tracking

Soft Skills

Interpersonal SkillsNetworking SkillsPersuasive CommunicationCollaborationIndependence

Tools & Technologies

BloomerangDonor DatabasesFundraising Software

Industry Keywords

PhilanthropyMajor GiftsCapital CampaignsStakeholder EngagementCapacity-Building Initiatives

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Develop long-term relationships with individual donors, private foundations, and corporate philanthropy partners
Partner with executive leadership, staff, and volunteer relationship managers on multi-year engagement strategies
Coordinate donor visits, farm tours, presentations, and other relationship-building opportunities
Develop funding strategies for unrestricted, capacity-building, and strategic initiatives
Prepare proposals, concept papers, letters of inquiry, and stewardship reports
Identify and cultivate new philanthropic opportunities aligned with organizational priorities
Track fundraising activity, proposal pipelines, and donor engagement in Bloomerang
Analyze portfolio performance and recommend fundraising strategy adjustments
Participate in staff and team planning meetings
Complete administrative tasks and other duties assigned by the Advancement Team

Requirements

What you’ll need

Minimum of 5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with a proven track record of developing new relationships and securing major gifts
Experience writing successful grant proposals and creating impact reports for post-award grant management
Exceptional interpersonal and networking skills
Ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse donors and key stakeholders
Clear, compelling, and persuasive communication skills
Experience with donor databases and fundraising software
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, growing organization
Willingness and ability to travel up to 15% of the time
Access to personal transportation for occasional work-related travel to car-accessible sites
Demonstrated success securing planned gifts using various giving vehicles (preferred)
Experience with capital campaign feasibility studies, strategy, and messaging (preferred)

Benefits

Comp & perks

160 hours (20 days) of paid time off annually
11 civic holidays
480 hours (12 weeks) of parental/disability leave annually
401(k) retirement savings plan
Monthly home office stipend
Monthly healthcare-cost reimbursement stipend, including ACA marketplace premiums, via an HRA plan
Dependent care pre-tax account
Flexible spending account
Health savings account