Paxton Ramsdell

Assists in the creation and implementation of strategies for the ongoing cultivation of institutional donors capable of major ($100,000 ) gifts. Conducts initial exploratory meetings with donors and prospects to determine capacity for major gifts. Conducts donor calls to cultivate relationships with donors and prospects. Maintains ongoing contact with past and current donors. When appropriate moves major gift ‘suspects’ to prospect pool for management by senior fundraising staff and integration into the Moves Management process. In addition to my responsibilities on the Institutional Gifts team, I continue to manage the Conservancy's International Leadership Council (ILC). The ILC is a leading corporate-NGO environmental board, and consists of over 30 top multi-national corporations focused on the intersection of biodiversity, natural resource management and environmentally aware business practices. Our group is led by a volunteer Chairman and meets twice a year to discuss important topics to the business and environmental community.

I am the Major Gifts Manager for the Corporate and Foundation Relation team based at The Nature Conservancy's Worldwide Office in Arlington, Virginia. I provide written, logistic, coordinating and planning support to the Corporate and Foundation Relations team. This team manages and fundraises from the Conservancy's highest level corporate and foundation donors. Projects include the Conservancy's identified domestic and international freshwater, marine, forestry and climate related conservation objectives. In addition to my responsibilities on the CFR team, I manage the Conservancy's International Leadership Council. The ILC is a leading corporate-NGO environmental board, and consists of over 30 top multi-national corporations focused on the intersection of biodiversity, natural resource management and environmentally aware business practices.

Advanced land sensitive residential housing by supporting Arcadia’s six-person development team. Focused on Arcadia's current and proposed communities. Among other responsibilities, I compiled comparable data on new home and land (raw ground) sales for proposed mixed-use project in the Philadelphia suburbs. Arcadia follows the "New Urbanism" design philosophy and their land use ethos is rooted in those principles.

As a Land Mangement Intern, I assisted two professional land managers who sought to improve the ecological value of two land preserves owned by the Brandywine Conservancy. The properties totaled roughly 900 acres and included historic structures, grasslands, mature woodlands and successional areas. Challenges included invasive species removal, public use and general maintenance. Gained valuable hands on experience in land management while learning about plant and animal species native to this region of Pennsylvania.

Assisted the Land Stewardship and Municipal Planning departments with official property and research reports for entry into working files. Met with land owners and inspected properties protected with conservation, facade and viewshed easements. Personally researched and drafted a memorandum for a neighboring land trust on unique land protection options for $20 million open space bond. Working to achieve compliance with the Land Trust Alliance’s Accreditation Program.

Activities and Societies: Adirondack Adventure Leader, Student Assembly, WHCL, Annual Fund Volunteer

Semester abroad in Stockholm, Sweden. Course of study included Sweden's relationship with the EU, Swedish language classes, first hand experience learning about Sweden's welfare state and its education system (high school observation and University level courses)