Vice President, Major and Planned Giving
Ocean Conservancy

Bonsai Leadership Group is thrilled to support Ocean Conservancy in its search for a Vice President, Major and Planned Giving. Download the full position announcement here.

ABOUT Ocean Conservancy

Ocean Conservancy works to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with its partners, it creates evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. Learn more about Ocean Conservancy at www.oceanconservancy.org. 
 

THE OPPORTUNITY

Ocean Conservancy seeks a dynamic Vice President, Major and Planned Giving (VPMPG) to advance its individual and legacy giving fundraising efforts. With $10-15 million raised annually from these programs, the VPMPG will drive strategy, execution, and innovation to achieve Ocean Conservancy’s ambitious goals for global conservation impact and long-term financial sustainability.

This strategic and relationship-centered leader will report to the Chief Development Officer (CDO) and serve on both the Development Leadership Team and the Senior Leadership Council, playing a central role in shaping a culture of philanthropy, collaboration, and high performance across the organization.  As a true team player and coach, the VPMPG will also manage a portfolio of key donors and inspire senior staff and Board members to deepen donor relationships and secure transformational gifts.

The VPMPG will have the following primary responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

  • Design and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy for major and planned giving, focusing on securing $100K+ individual gifts and legacy commitments.

  • Oversee portfolio management and partner with senior leaders to align engagement efforts with donor capacity and institutional priorities.

  • Integrate blended giving strategies and multi-year campaigns to ensure long-term philanthropic success.

  • Drive data-informed decision-making by optimizing tools such as Raiser’s Edge NXT for pipeline management, donor insights, and performance tracking.

  • Maintain a significant portfolio of major donors while elevating donor experiences through personalized engagement, bespoke events, and cross team collaboration.  

Donor Communications

  • Elevate donor communications through regular and meaningful data-informed storytelling and impact reporting.

  • Ensure appropriate and strategic donor-centric communication across revenue pillars to achieve a seamless experience for donors.

  • Partner with the Communications and Conservation teams to align donor messaging with program impact and effectively share content across teams.

  • Represent Ocean Conservancy in donor-facing and institutional forums with professionalism, authenticity, and clarity.

Team Leadership & Financial Oversight

  • Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, and excellence.

  • Establish, communicate, and monitor workplans, budgets, and clear metrics and performance indicators in alignment with ambitious but achievable revenue goals.

 Collaboration & Partnership

  • Leverage cross-functional collaboration to create compelling and impactful fundraising strategies and programs that align with conservation priorities, strategic initiatives, and organizational resources.

  • Work closely with the CDO and the Director, Major Gifts to support a Board growth strategy to leverage networks for fundraising success.

  • Ensure seamless donor experiences and engagement in collaboration with the Membership and Development Operations teams.

  • Serve as a strategic thought partner and visible leader within the Development team and across the organization. 

REQUIRED SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate will have many of the experiences and qualifications described below but need not possess them all for consideration:

  • 12+ years of fundraising experience with 5+ years in senior leadership, ideally within conservation, policy or higher education.

  • Superior knowledge of fundraising with a particular strength in donor relationships and strategy.

  • Successful track record in securing six- and seven-figure major gifts, implementing planned giving strategies and developing sustainable multi-year campaigns.

  • Experience designing integrated, data-driven fundraising strategies in complex or evolving environments.

  • Proven ability to solve complex problems with a strategic mindset, balancing detailed analysis with decisive, data-informed decision-making in dynamic environments.

  • Values driven leader with the ability to motivate individuals and teams toward ambitious goals with empathy, clarity, and accountability.

  • Demonstrated ability and track record in leading and developing strong collaborative partnerships with executive leaders to drive collective organizational impact and cohesion.   

  • Comfort with ambiguity and ability to build or refine systems and processes from the ground up.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex concepts into compelling donor messages.

  • High ethical standards and integrity with a passion for collaborative conservation, advocacy, and justice.

TRAVEL 

Approximately 30% of your time will be spent traveling, with substantial time spent in the Washington, D.C. office.  

LOCATION 

Ocean Conservancy embraces a hybrid work structure requiring employees to reside in one of the following US states: AK, CA, DC, FL, MD, OR, VA, TX, WA, and WV. The structure allows staff the flexibility to work virtually and in person while building strong connections across the institution.  

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Ocean Conservancy is committed to fair and equitable compensation as a foundation for fostering a diverse, inclusive, and thriving workplace where every employee feels valued and empowered. It has established pay structures informed by market data and ensures accountability through ongoing monitoring and reporting of its progress toward achieving more equitable pay practices.  

The minimum starting salary for this position is $200,000 annually. Final compensation offers will be determined at the end of the recruitment process based on factors such as the candidate’s location, qualifications, background, experience, and internal pay equity considerations. To ensure alignment, candidates are encouraged to share their salary expectations early. This allows for meaningful discussions about compensation and helps ensure alignment and equity before a final offer. 

In addition, Ocean Conservancy offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:   

  • Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance for employees, spouses (both same sex and opposite sex), domestic partner, and dependent children (effective day 1 of employment)  

  • Short- and Long-Term Disability (free for employee)  

  • Basic Life Insurance (free for employee)  

  • Healthcare and/or Dependent Care Reimbursement Account  

  • Retirement Planning - 100% vested upon hire; can begin contributing at hire. After 1 year, Ocean Conservancy will open a 401(a) account for you and will contribute 6% of your monthly salary whether you participate in the 403(b) or not.   

  • 15 paid vacation days, 11 holidays, 12 sick days, and two personal days  

SHARE YOUR INTEREST

Bonsai Leadership Group has been exclusively retained for this search. For consideration, submit your cover letter and resume outlining your interest and qualifications here.

If you are a person in need of accommodations to help submit your interest, please contact us at careers@bonsaileadershipgroup.com.   We kindly ask that you refrain from using this email to inquire about the status of the search. All candidates will receive a status update within 3 weeks of submitting interest for a position.

All expressions of interest, nominations, inquiries, and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.  

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Ocean Conservancy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.