The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) is responsible for growing and stewarding a portfolio of individual donors and family foundations with the capacity to make gifts of $10,000+. The MGO will identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects; develop personalized strategies; and partner with Foundation leadership and board members to close gifts that advance our mission. The ideal candidate is a proactive relationship builder who is metrics driven, donor centric, and skilled at translating complex programs into compelling philanthropic opportunities.
Principal Duties And Responsibilities
Portfolio Strategy & Revenue
- Manage a balanced portfolio (~120–150 prospects) with clear movement strategies across qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship stages.
- Drive annual revenue to meet or exceed an agreed upon fundraising goal; track progress with weekly pipeline hygiene and forecasting.
- Create customized solicitation strategies, proposals, and gift agreements aligned to donor interests and organizational priorities (research, education, advocacy, community health partners and events).
Donor Engagement
- Conduct 12–15+ meaningful donor interactions per month (virtual or in person) and maintain a disciplined cadence of touchpoints that advance relationships.
- Plan and execute stewardship plans for major donors, including impact reporting, insider briefings, program site visits, and recognition.
- Attend key events to interact with donors and prospects.
- Travel locally and nationally to meet with donors and prospects, representing the Foundation and our mission with credibility and enthusiasm.
Collaboration & Internal Partnerships
- Collaborate with program managers and leadership to align fundraising opportunities with programmatic priorities.
- Partner closely with the Special Events team to leverage the Gala and other high visibility moments for cultivation and stewardship.
- Work with External Affairs to craft donor-ready materials, cases for support, and impact stories; coordinate with Finance on pledge schedules and receipting.
- Engage Board and volunteer leaders; brief executives in advance of joint meetings with concise call materials and follow-ups.
Data, Systems & Compliance
- Maintain timely, accurate activity, contact reports, moves, and opportunity records in the CRM (e.g., Raiser’s Edge), adhering to data and gift acceptance policies.
- Conduct research and use wealth screening to identify prospects; prepare prospect analyses and reports.
