Leadership Gift Officer

Connecticut College; New London (CT); On-site; USD 88,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Connecticut College seeks a Leadership Gift Officer to advance philanthropic relationships with current and past parents and families. The role builds strategies to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership-level parent prospects for top priorities.

Responsibilities include managing a ~150-strong portfolio, securing five- to six-figure gifts, and leading the Parents and Family Council. Collaboration with senior leaders, volunteers, and campus partners is essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3–5 years of fundraising experience, preferably in higher education.
• Proven success in cultivating and soliciting leadership-level gifts (50k–1,000,000+).
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to build relationships with diverse constituencies and work with senior administrators.
• Willingness to travel extensively, including evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of ~150 parent prospects and donors across territories.
• Personally solicit gifts at leadership levels (five and six figures).
• Recruit, engage, and manage the Parents and Family Council (PFC).
• Staff leadership during regional travel and events; coordinate with senior leaders.
• Prepare briefing materials with prospect background, strategy, and outcomes.
• Maintain detailed donor/prospect records and collaborate with advancement teams.

Skills

Fundraising experience

Leadership

Communication skills

CRM experience

Travel ability

Tools

Salesforce/Raiser's Edge

Job description

The leadership gift officer, parent giving is a key member of the College's advancement team and is responsible for developing and advancing philanthropic relationships with current and past parents and families. Working in partnership with the senior director of development and colleagues across advancement, the leadership gift officer develops and implements strategies to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership-level parent prospects in support of the College's highest fundraising priorities.

The leadership gift officer manages a portfolio of approximately 150 current and past parent prospects and donors, with a focus on securing leadership-level commitments of five and six-figure gifts. The officer develops individualized strategies for each relationship and partners closely with senior college leadership, volunteers, faculty, coaches, and other campus partners to engage parents and families in meaningful ways and advance philanthropic opportunities.

A central responsibility of the role is to recruit, engage, and manage the Parents and Family Council ( PFC ), a key volunteer leadership body that helps strengthen the College's relationships with current and past parents and supports institutional fundraising priorities. The leadership gift officer develops and executes a comprehensive strategy for identifying and recruiting parent leaders, facilitating council meetings and activities, providing ongoing coaching and engagement, and equipping members to serve as effective ambassadors, connectors, and philanthropic partners for the College.

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of parent leadership gift prospects across multiple territories and participate in all aspects of the gift cycle.
  • Initiate contact with prospective leadership donors.
  • Develop and implement individualized cultivation strategies, including partnership with volunteers and senior leaders.
  • Move prospects toward solicitation and closure in a timely and strategic manner.
  • Personally solicit gifts at the appropriate level.
  • Provide ongoing stewardship and engagement for donors.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with current and prospective parent donors in support of college and individual fundraising goals.
• Develop and execute an annual plan for the PFC including recruitment, communications, meetings, events, volunteer assignments, and opportunities for members to support fundraising and parent engagement.
• Attend and support regional and on-campus engagement events for parents.
• Staff the President and senior administrators during regional travel, including events and individual prospect meetings.
• Prepare detailed briefing materials for senior leadership, including prospect background, strategy, and desired outcomes.
• Maintain detailed and timely records of donor and prospect interactions including visit, calls, and written correspondence.
• Collaborate with colleagues across annual giving, gift planning, prospect research, donor relations, the Camel Athletics Network, and advancement engagement and communications to implement integrated donor strategies.
• Work in partnership with the gift planning team to secure planned gifts and blended gifts.
• Uphold the highest ethical standards, demonstrate discretion with confidential information, and maintain a donor-centered, empathetic approach.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Skills

• Minimum of 3–5 years of progressively responsible fundraising or related experience (higher education experience preferred).
• Demonstrated success in cultivating and soliciting leadership-level gifts, with experience closing gifts of $50,000–$1,000,000+.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to build effective relationships with diverse constituencies and to work effectively with senior administrators, trustees, and high-capacity donors.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to align donor interests with College priorities to build long-term philanthropic partnerships.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Extensive experience with Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, or comparable CRM .
• Knowledge of fundraising best practices and experience with capital and/or comprehensive campaigns.
• Interest in and commitment to higher education and the mission of the College.
• Demonstrated leadership, initiative, and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively, including occasional evening and weekend work.

Preferred Qualifications

Physical Demands

Driving Required

Driving Required Yes

Salary Range

Salary Range 87,872.18 - 90,000

Note

Connecticut College is committed to fair and competitive compensation. The final offer will reflect the candidate's experience, education, and the institution's pay structure to ensure internal equity.

Applicant Credentialing

Thorough applicant credentialing will be conducted on the selected candidate which will include criminal records check, DMV check and depending on the position psychological exam and pre-placement physical.

Open Date

Open Date 10/07/2026

Applications accepted through

Open Until Filled Yes

Documents needed to Apply

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * What is the highest level of education attained?
  • GED
  • High School Diploma
  • Associates Degree
  • Bachelors Degree
  • Masters Degree
  • PHD
• * How many years of experience do you have in this type of position?
  • 0-1
  • 1-3
  • 3-5
  • 5-7
  • 7+
• * Are you eligible to work in the U.S.?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have a valid drivers license?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B visa)?
  • Yes
  • No