Molly Ruffle brings outdoor mission experience to Grand Teton National Park Foundation.
The Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of a senior major gifts officer, Molly Ruffle, who joins the organization with over twenty-five years of nonprofit experience in fundraising for conservation, recreation, and outdoor education.
Molly on a hike along String Lake in Grand Teton National Park.
Before joining the Foundation, Ruffle held several senior positions at the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) located in Boston, MA overseeing membership, marketing, and fundraising programs. Most recently Ruffle served as acting vice president of development leading a $24-million Leadership Giving Initiative and prior to, helped successfully complete a $52-million capital campaign to establish a multi-use land model of year-round recreation, overnight lodging, conservation, outdoor education, and sustainable forestry in Maine’s 100-mile Wilderness.
As senior major gifts officer, Ruffle will assist with the organization’s many ongoing and future fundraising initiatives. Her appointment coincides with the implementation of the Foundation’s ten-year long-range plan, which has numerous partnership projects identified.
Ruffle grew up in New Hampshire hiking, skiing, fly fishing, and learning about the natural world. She first came to Jackson and the Greater Yellowstone area in 2011 to lead AMC donor ski trips. She recalls her first trip into Grand Teton National Park in mid-June with wild flowers blooming everywhere along with snow-capped peaks.
“I was driving south from Yellowstone and couldn’t believe what I was suddenly seeing,” said Ruffle, “this incredible mountain range that I’d only seen in photos. I pulled off at the first vantage point. I kept pulling over at each turn because I didn’t want to miss a thing and each view point seemed better and better. The drive into Jackson took half a day!”
Ruffle’s love of the outdoors and the opportunity to continue her work engaging individuals to support critical outdoor places creates a perfect fit with Grand Teton National Park Foundation. Ruffle is looking forward to spending time exploring one of the nation’s most stunning national parks.