Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships

Department: Philanthropy 

Reports To: Director, Corporate Partnerships

Location: Remote 

FLSA Category: Exempt
Post Date: March 25, 2025 

Close Date: Until Filled 

Candidate Notifications Begin: April 15, 2025 

About American Forests: 

American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests from cities to wilderness, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water, and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. We envision a world in which the significant environmental, societal, and economic benefits of forests are fully realized and equitably available to all people. Established in 1875, American Forests is the oldest national non-profit conservation organization in the U.S. working to restoring urban forests and forested landscapes for nearly 150 years. 

American Forests is proud to be a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible (DEIA) workplace. These are our shared values. We welcome individuals who bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences to be a part of our team to help make a difference individually and collectively as we work toward achieving our mission. We are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and respectful and provides opportunities for advancement and professional growth for every team member. 

Position Summary:
The Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships plays a key role in advancing American Forests’ mission by developing and strengthening corporate partnerships that drive philanthropic impact. Reporting to the Director, Corporate Partnerships, this role is responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding corporate funders, managing a diverse donor portfolio, and implementing strategic engagement initiatives to secure high-value gifts. The Senior Manager will be instrumental in expanding corporate giving, leveraging stewardship opportunities, and aligning partner contributions with American Forests’ strategic goals. 

Success in the first 1-2 years will be demonstrated by: 

• Fundraising Growth: Secure at least $2M in corporate commitments, including multiple six-figure gifts, while building a pipeline for future growth.
• Portfolio Development: Manage and cultivate a donor portfolio of 60-90 corporate partners, with a focus on increasing multi-year commitments and expanding donor engagement.
• Corporate Stewardship Excellence: Implement a structured stewardship plan, ensuring all partners receive meaningful engagement, impact reporting, and recognition.
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Work closely with Marketing & Communications and program teams to create compelling corporate engagement opportunities and elevate American Forests’ visibility among corporate funders.

Overall, a successful candidate requires an entrepreneurial, results-oriented approach, strong collaboration skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.  

Responsibilities: 

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to: 

Relationship Management (70%) 

• Builds and maintains meaningful relationships with a portfolio of 60-90 prospective and current corporate donors using a moves management approach.
• Conducts at least 100 in-person and virtual donor visits per year to establish contacts, gather information, qualify donors, present ideas, develop networks, promote understanding of American Forests’ initiatives, request invitations for proposals, and conduct stewardship.
• Solicits gifts of $25,000+ including at least 3 gift commitment proposals of $500,000+, 5 gift commitment proposals of $250,000+, and 20 solicitations of $50,000+ each year.
• Develops, writes and carries out prospect engagement strategies by identifying, qualifying, and cultivating prospects; determining amount and timing of requests; writes and oversees the creation of proposals and pitches; solicits prospects via proposals and in face-to-face meetings; provides verbal and written communication necessary to secure gifts, and delivers appropriate stewardship such as webinars, tree planting  and other events,  and reports.
• Promotes blended gifts to diversity funding streams from partners, such as matching campaigns, in-kind support, mission advancement, etc. and cause marketing opportunities and involves leadership, senior management, and program staff in cultivation as needed.
• Tracks and meets deadlines and maintains up-to-date and accurate donor records and notes in the CRM, including briefings, contact reports, solicitation plans, and activity tracking to inform metrics.
• Contributes to Philanthropy’s overall success by assuring individual, team, and budget goals are met or exceeded. Develops and implements individual annual and long-range work plans in coordination with the Director of Corporate Partnerships.

Corporate Stewardship (20%) 

• Coordinates with Marketing & Communications to ensure American Forests’ brand and presence is elevated with corporate partners, while corporate partners’ communications resources are leveraged to raise awareness of American Forests. 
• Partners with Marketing & Communications to update and produce Corporate Partnership collateral and other communications, including newsletters, webinars, the corporate webpage, American Forests magazine, annual report, social media, etc.)
• Project manages corporate stewardship program and benefits in partnership with Marketing & Communications to provide PR value to corporate partners while leveraging their communications resources to raise awareness of American Forests.

Other Duties (10%) 

• Helps maintain and manage corporate files, record keeping, acknowledgements and accounting of donations, pledges, and pledge payments as required.
• Contributes to Philanthropy team’s cross-departmental collaboration and overall success and supports Philanthropy with other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: 

While we do not expect any one candidate to possess all of these qualifications, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following: 

• At least 3 years of nonprofit philanthropic experience, including securing and stewarding 5- and 6-figure corporate gifts, with a proven track record of meeting or exceeding fundraising goals.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required; equivalent experience considered in lieu of.
• Strong relationship-building skills with funders and internal teams, with the ability to represent the organization in high-level meetings, conferences, and public engagements.
• Self-motivated and strategic, thriving in a fast-paced, goal-oriented environment, effectively managing multiple priorities with minimal supervision.
• Expert communicator and writer, with a demonstrated ability to translate technical program details into compelling and cogent cases for funding.
• Highly organized with keen attention to detail and a strong commitment to excellence.
• Ensures ethical compliance with fundraising best practices, as defined by the Association for Fundraising Professionals. 
• Passion and commitment to the mission, vision, and culture of American Forests.
• A genuine and proven commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and to the principles of community-centric fundraising.

AMERICAN FORESTS’ CORE COMPETENCIES: 

• Attitude: Brings a positive outlook to the work and helps inspires others to achieve excellence. 
• Communication: Produces strong written documents, edits documents effectively, engages in effective verbal communication—1-on-1 and small group—and conducts effective large group presentations. 
• Organization: Prioritizes tasks effectively, accomplishes tasks efficiently, follows through on all commitments, breaks down large projects to make them manageable, and effectively manages complex projects involving multiple actors. 
• Problem-Solving & Creativity: Identifies issues, effectively structures problems, analyzes data to produce insights, and generates wise, actionable recommendations. Understands the limited resources available and produces creative solutions. 
• Representing the Organization: Serves as an effective ambassador, builds connections, and maintains relationships with outside partners, vendors and donors. Brings credibility to the organization in how they present themselves. 

Working Conditions, Salary, and Benefits: 

• This is a fully remote position, with up to 25% of travel throughout the US and/or to American Forests’ headquarters in Washington D.C.
• The budgeted salary range for this position is $60,000-$80,000 annually.
• American Forests offers an outstanding benefits package, including a Flexible Schedule; Generous PTO; 16 Paid Holidays; Medical, Dental, and Vison Insurance; 401(k) with a 6% Match; Disability and Life Insurance; Employee Assistance Program; Paid Parental, Bereavement, and Military Leave; Pet Benefits; and more!
• The individual must be comfortable with prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing at a desk and working on a computer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.

American Forests is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.  

Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/LGBTQ+