Development Officer (Major Gifts)

Southwest Baptist University; Bolivar (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwest Baptist University is seeking a Development Officer (Major Gifts) to lead frontline fundraising efforts, cultivating and soliciting major gifts from alumni, parents, and friends. The role involves developing annual plans, managing a donor portfolio, and coordinating engagements and stewardship in alignment with university priorities.

The candidate will collaborate with leadership to understand priorities, attend donor events, and maintain CRM records while upholding the university’s

Qualifications

• Two years of experience in fundraising, alumni relations and/or public relations.

Responsibilities

• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts from alumni, parents, organizations, and friends.
• Develop annual cultivation plans with the VP and DOD and manage donor portfolios.
• Solicit and secure philanthropic commitments to support university priorities.
• Maintain CRM records of donor interactions and progress toward fundraising goals.
• Represent SBU with the campus, Bolivar community, and external partners.
• Coordinate donor engagements through campus events, regional events, and service opportunities.
• Collaborate with university leadership to understand priorities and align proposals with donor interests.
• Oversee stewardship to ensure timely, meaningful recognition and ongoing support.
• Support foundations relationships and capital campaign efforts.
• Maintain confidentiality of donor relationships and uphold the Christian lifestyle expected by the university.

Job description

The Development Officer (Major Gifts) serves as a frontline fundraising professional for Southwest Baptist University by identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding SBU Alumni, parents, organizations, and friends capable of making significant philanthropic investments in the University's mission and strategic priorities.

• Intentional Cultivation: Develop annual plan with VP and DOD to advance assigned and potential relationships through stages of the development cycle: discovery, engagement, proposal, closure, and stewardship. Create a relationship development plan for each individual in an assigned portfolio that is updated and reported regularly.
• Portfolio Management: Manages a portfolio of assigned major gift prospects and donors through documented cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies. Maintains timely records of constituent interactions and progress toward fundraising goals within the CRM system.
• Thoughtful Donor Engagement: Conduct meaningful donor visits annually, both in-person and virtual, to advance donor relationships and philanthropic commitments. Discern current and potential donors’ interest in SBU’s mission for strategic proposals meaningful to each donor. Also leverage campus events, regional engagement events, and service opportunities for SBU.
• Pipeline: Qualification of New/Future Prospects: Collaborate with Advancement team to identify, qualify, and strategically engage new prospects capable of making major philanthropic investments in Southwest Baptist University, including potential future major donors in the early stages of their relationship with SBU.
• Expand SBU Expertise: Collaborate with university leadership, deans, faculty, coaches, and Advancement colleagues to develop a working knowledge of University priorities, academic programs, student experiences, and funding needs to effectively align with donor interests.
• Represents SBU: Interacts in gracious and meaningful ways as a key SBU representative with members of the campus community, Bolivar community, and the larger external SBU family.
• Fundraising Results: Achieves annual fundraising goals through the development, presentation, and management of major gift, planned gift, and campaign proposals aligned with donor interests and university priorities. Personally solicits and secures philanthropic commitments that advance institutional objectives.
• Stewardship: Ensures assigned donors receive timely, meaningful, and impact-focused stewardship that strengthens relationships and encourages continued investment in SBU's mission.
• Team Collaboration: Supports the collegial team culture of the Advancement division by contributing to the planning and execution of tradition-building initiatives designed to engage current students, alumni, parents, donors, and friends of SBU in a life-long habit of engagement, prayer, and financial support.
• Event Participation: Participates in donor cultivation, stewardship, and engagement events as appropriate to advance relationships with prospects and donors.
• Foundations: As assigned, develops and maintains relationships with strategic philanthropic foundations and provides funding usage reports as required
• Capital Campaign: Serve as a frontline fundraising representative in comprehensive and targeted fundraising campaigns, helping achieve institutional fundraising goals.
• Assures the confidentiality of all donor relationships
• Regular attendance and punctuality
• Sets an example of a Christian lifestyle for students, staff and faculty
• Commitment and adherence to Southwest Baptist University’s Principles and Expectations
• Other duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibility

• None

Position Requirements

Required

• Two years of experience in fundraising, alumni relations and/or public relations.

Preferred

• Five years of prior fundraising experience.