The Donor Travel and Engagement Senior Specialist plays a lead role in developing and managing the organization’s donor travel program. In partnership with senior Development staff, gift officers, Mission staff and other senior leaders, the Senior Specialist plans and executes exclusive donor travel opportunities for trustees, current and/or potential principal and major gift donors, including representatives of institutional funders, to engage, cultivate and steward donors and to assist in building EDF’s donor pipeline. This position also supports the planning and execution of donor events and EDF Board of Trustees meetings on an as needed basis.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the Manager, Donor Travel and Events, in all aspects of building and managing the organization’s donor travel program.
• Lead the planning, recruitment and follow up for at least 2-4 domestic and international donor field trips annually.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for donors interested in joining an EDF trip, responding promptly to all inquiries and tracking interest and correspondence in Salesforce.
• In collaboration with Donor Communications and Marketing and Communications teams, develop all marketing and orientation materials for donor trips. Includes but is not limited to trip brochures, recruitment emails, postcards, EDF web portal and individual trip websites, and pre-departure briefing packets.
• Create trip proposals that include proposed dates and duration, audience, key staff and partners and potential site visits and/or trip highlights.
• Plan for trips by conducting research trips, creating draft itineraries, engaging and contracting with tour operators and other vendors as needed, coordinating trip logistics, preparing trip budgets and recommending trip pricing based on estimated costs to ensure trips are run in a fiscally responsible manner, developing risk management strategies and preparing staff based on their individual role and responsibilities.
• Serve as trip leader as needed, acting as primary logistical and safety coordinator, or prepare a trip leader.
• Act as team lead on safety and security issues, completing risk assessments and proposing appropriate mitigation strategies in advance of each trip.
• Facilitate pre-trip briefings and debrief meetings with staff, tour operators and partners.
• Ensure all information related to the donor travel program is accurately stored in Salesforce, including donor travel interest and records of donor trips, invitations, attendees and trip materials.
• Support the management and tracking of team budget and all expenses, vendor contracts and invoices related to donor trips.
• Together with the Donor Engagement Coordinators, work with portfolio managers and their assistants to develop trip invitation lists and send and track invitations and responses.
• Working with Donor Managers on donor/traveler follow-up and engagement plans following a trip.
• Participates in advancing EDF DEI goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the experiences fell connected, included and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of best practices in affinity and philanthropic travel, donor engagement and sustainable tourism.
• As needed, this position provides on-site staffing support for EDF and EDF Action Board of Trustee meetings and other donor events.