Director of Principal Gifts, Climate Exchange

The New York Climate Exchange is seeking a Director of Principal Gifts to cultivate high-value philanthropic support for its climate solutions initiatives. This role involves engaging with donors and building a sustainable fundraising model, primarily in New York but with the potential for remote work. The position requires an experienced advancement professional passionate about addressing climate change and fostering collaboration across diverse sectors.
Director of Principal Gifts, New York Climate Exchange Organization Overview

The New York Climate Exchange (“The Exchange”) is an exciting new nonprofit climate solutions center designed to build community, foster collaboration, advance climate knowledge, and empower marginalized communities through cross-disciplinary networking, impactful programming, and cutting-edge facilities. While The Exchange will have a physical presence on Governors Island, its spirit and influence will extend beyond the Island into New York City and, eventually, across the country and world.

The Exchange’s diverse coalition of partners – committed and prepared to collectively disrupt the status quo – incorporates local and global perspectives on climate change from academia, industry, environmental justice, public health, and government. As the first of its kind, The Exchange will unlock integrated and scalable approaches to sustainability, ultimately serving as a global model for scalable and sustainable positive change.

The Exchange is a highly impactful and visible initiative, selected in April 2023 after a two-year global competition by the Trust for Governors Island and NYC Mayor’s Office to create a first-of-its-kind climate solutions center.

As the world rallies to face the consequences of climate change, the degree of public and private financial support already expressed for the important work of The Exchange is heartening. The Exchange secured a total of $170 million in philanthropic support as of December 2024, including a combined gift of $100 million from the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International, and $50 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Over an additional $500 million in philanthropy is needed in the next two years to successfully enable the capital and operating visions.
Job Description

The New York Climate Exchange seeks to recruit a Director of Principal Gifts to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors capable of seven and eight-figure philanthropic gifts. This is a unique opportunity to help advance a fundraising organization from the ground up in collaboration with diverse partner organizations focused on affecting real change battling the biggest crisis of our time — climate change.

The Director will be a key leader in extending The Exchange’s outreach in New York and beyond by engaging donors, traveling broadly in partnership with the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), other Exchange leaders, and colleagues across the Exchange’s expansive partner network.

This position will require a seasoned, entrepreneurial advancement professional who wishes to play a key role in building a sophisticated and sustainable philanthropic model for an emerging organization. The Director will be adept in principal giving as well as hold a sophisticated understanding of building sustainable, data-driven fundraising programs.

Preference for someone based in the New York City area although remote work models will be selectively considered for this role.
Qualifications

The Exchange is committed to identifying a diverse hiring pool for the Director of Principal Gifts role.

While The Exchange will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate will have the following qualifications/experience:
• Commitment to, and passion for, the mission of The New York Climate Exchange.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in progressively responsible development leadership positions (staff management experience not required).
• Demonstrated track record of frontline fundraising in a complex nonprofit environment with multiple stakeholders; previous work experience related to climate and environmental issues is preferred.
• Demonstrated success in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of seven, eight, and ideally nine-figure gift prospects; exhibits an entrepreneurial spirit with success in strategically engaging and securing gifts from previously unaffiliated constituencies.
• Commitment to and demonstrated knowledge of organizational mission and vision; ability to communicate and create excitement about the mission, vision, programs, and fundamental value of this historic initiative.
• Stren…