Major Donor Relationship Manager

Oct 17

Anticipated Start Date: 1/5/2026

Description

The Major Donor Relationship Manager is a pivotal new, full-time role reporting to the Director of Development. The position is responsible for deepening and expanding LLTK’s donor relationships, including identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding key donors.

LLTK is seeking a relationship-focused professional with a proven track record of cultivating mutual trust that leads to lasting donor relationships and significant investments in LLTK’s work. This position will build upon LLTK’s firmly established culture of philanthropy, ensuring our work continues to fuel the most impactful and essential salmon recovery efforts happening in the Pacific Northwest today.

Responsibilities

Major Donor Gifts & Engagement

Develop and implement a personalized, value-aligned strategy to establish meaningful relationships and cultivation strategies for each qualified donor, identifying opportunities to align their passion and resources with our work.
Collaborate with key staff across the organization to prepare compelling value-driven appeals and secure transformational investments, specifically focused on scaling existing donor commitments into the four-, five-, and six-figure levels.
Strategically leverage organizational assets, such as hatcheries, project sites, and field operations, to design and curate meaningful engagement opportunities for donors.
Collaborate with key staff to plan and deliver unique experiences to strengthen donors’ sense of shared purpose and connection to our mission and impact.

Prospecting & Portfolio Management

Develop and manage a portfolio of 100+ qualified donors from our active and lapsed base, focusing on values alignment and investment potential to advance the organization’s mission.
Collaborate with the board and staff to identify and continuously qualify new prospects from all organizational touchpoints, ensuring capacity and mission alignment.
Accurately track all strategic donor interactions, opportunities, and progress in LLTK’s donor database (currently Bloomerang) to support a shared organizational strategy.
Lead prospect research for insights into partner capacity, values, and engagement history to inform strategies for upgrading commitments and strengthening donor relationships.

Major Gifts Strategy

Lead innovation to accelerate transformational giving, while embracing values-based and regenerative practices to meet LLTK’s ambitious goals for sustainable growth.
In collaboration with the team, establish, track, and regularly evaluate key metrics (e.g., partner interactions, acquisition rates, investment opportunities) to assess progress, inform course corrections, and refine engagement strategies.
Employ a robust suite of giving mechanisms (e.g., planned gifts, securities, real estate, and sophisticated investment vehicles) to facilitate transformational resource commitments and maximize tax-advantages for donors.
Develop and execute a comprehensive annual plan and timeline for partner engagement and investment opportunities throughout the year.

Team Collaboration, Values, and Culture

Act as a strategic thought partner within the Development Team, lending expertise and collaborative support to achieve shared goals.
Collaborate with Communications, Projects, and Development staff to develop compelling, value-driven materials and talking points to optimize partner investments and engagement.
Maintain strong working relationships across all organizational teams, ensuring collaborative participation in Development and organization-wide meetings.
Actively contribute to and support the Development Team’s commitment to Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF) practices that are equitable, respectful, and mission-aligned.
Fully engage with organizational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and contribute to building a fun, welcoming, and productive workplace culture.

Requirements

Minimum Skills & Qualifications

5+ years of successful experience with major gifts or planned giving.
Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or 4 additional years of relevant work experience.
Commitment to the mission of Long Live the Kings and Community-Centric Fundraising principles. 
Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to articulate complex impacts with enthusiasm and candor to align partner interests and secure investments.
Proven ability to meet ambitious revenue goals for major giving and an established track record of cultivating and securing five-figure gifts and above.
Demonstrated success in applying a robust variety of giving mechanisms.
Strategic, creative, and innovative thinker with excellent interpersonal skills.
Ability to delegate, collaborate, manage and track tasks to achieve goals.
High degree of situational awareness and the ability to engage respectfully and appropriately with partners from diverse backgrounds and settings.
Ability to effectively leverage technology to connect with geographically dispersed donors and team members, including using cloud-based collaborative tools. 
Ability to work independently and remotely while still functioning as an integral member of a team.
Capacity to travel (locally and occasionally out of state), as well as complete limited evening and weekend work for special events.

Desired Skills & Qualifications

Experience with constituent relationship management (CRM) systems, especially Bloomerang.
Experience curating high-touch, exclusive partner engagement experiences (e.g., site briefings, house gatherings, and field tours).
Direct experience with Community Centric Fundraising and/or values-based fundraising.
Familiarity with impact investing frameworks related to regenerative economies or environmental stewardship.
Demonstrated ability to effectively represent the organization as a principal ambassador in high-stakes public or private settings.
Experience in the nonprofit conservation sector.

Salary Range and Employee Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position. The salary range for this position is $96,000-$108,000. The range aims to accommodate those with varying years of relevant experience and/or education. Final salary offers are dependent on how candidates’ skills, abilities, and experiences align with LLTK's salary framework (Level: Senior Manager I, Tier: 1-6).

How to Apply for this Job

Apply Now

About the Organization

LLTK’s mission is to restore wild salmon and steelhead and support sustainable fishing in the Pacific Northwest. Since 1986, we have been advancing science, improving management, and implementing solutions to balance the needs of fish and people. LLTK envisions a sustainable Northwest with a growing human population, a thriving economy, and flourishing salmon runs.

Our 15-member Board of Directors and 19 dedicated staff members seek broad involvement to help us accomplish our goals. Our core values are stewardship, collaboration, results, and learning. Our staff are located in Seattle, Hood Canal, and Orcas Island, and work throughout western Washington and the Pacific Northwest.

Learn more about us in our 2025 Strategic Roadmap and on our website. LLTK Staff and Board are committed to authentically embracing the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as a core value that drives the success of our people, our partners, and our work. We have been engaged in this work formally since 2021, and we are looking for new staff who want to advance this work and who are excited to be on this journey with us.

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