Major Gift Officer

Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin in Milwaukee area is seeking a Major Gift Officer to grow our portfolio of individual and corporate donors. You will lead the full donor cycle—from discovery to stewardship—developing personalized engagement plans and making direct asks to secure meaningful gifts.

Collaborating with our Development team and volunteers, you will prepare compelling funding opportunities, manage CRM records, and report progress against goals.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of donor solicitation and stewardship experience.
• Proven success managing a portfolio and securing gifts.
• Ability to build trust, understand donor motivations, and make asks.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with donor databases or CRM to track activity.

Responsibilities

• Manage a qualified donor portfolio with annual goals for contacts, solicitations, and gifts.
• Develop individualized relationship plans based on donor interests and capacity.
• Identify new prospects through referrals, research, events, and staff/board collaboration.
• Move donors through discovery to solicitation and stewardship.
• Maintain accurate donor records in the CRM.
• Cultivate relationships with individuals and corporate donors.
• Prepare proposals, sponsorships, and gift agreements.
• Make direct solicitations in partnership with leadership.
• Track activity and adjust strategies to improve outcomes.
• Represent RMHC professionally at events and donor meetings.

Skills

Donor solicitation

Donor stewardship

Portfolio management

CRM management

Relationship building

Travel locally

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

Location: RMHC | 8948 W Watertown Plank Rd, Wauwatosa, WI 53226

(position requires occasional nights and weekends)

Job Purpose

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin (RMHC) keeps families together and promotes the health and well-being of children. Guided by our core values of communication, connection, community, and compassionate care, we serve families, engage supporters, and inspire belief in our mission.

The Major Gift Officer advances RMHC’s mission by building trusted, long-term relationships with a portfolio of individual and corporate donors and prospects. Using a donor-centric approach, this position connects each supporter’s interests and philanthropic goals with meaningful opportunities to strengthen services for families.

The Major Gift Officer will work in a collaborative team consisting of the Development Director, Signature Events Manager, Community Events Manager, Storytelling and Impact Communications Manager, Group Volunteer Manager, Development Assistant, and a Grant Writing Consultant.

This position owns the full donor relationship cycle—identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, recognition, and stewardship—and develops individualized strategies that deepen engagement, retain support, and inspire increased investment. The Major Gift Officer is expected to make direct asks, secure significant gifts, and maintain consistent, meaningful contact with donors.

The role works closely with Development colleagues, executive leadership, board members, Programs, and Finance to align donor interests with organizational priorities, prepare compelling funding opportunities, and ensure every donor experiences timely communication, gratitude, transparency, and evidence of impact.

Primary Areas of Responsibility

Manage a qualified portfolio of current and prospective individual and corporate donors, with clear annual goals for meaningful contacts, solicitations, gift revenue, retention, and upgrades.

Develop and execute individualized relationship plans based on each donor’s interests, giving history, capacity, and preferred engagement.

Identify and qualify new prospects through referrals, research, events, volunteer networks, and collaboration with staff and board members.

Move donors thoughtfully through the relationship cycle from discovery and cultivation to solicitation, stewardship, renewal, and increased commitment.

Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential donor records, contact reports, strategies, gift information, and next steps in the constituent relationship management system.

Build authentic relationships through personalized meetings, calls, correspondence, tours, events, volunteer opportunities, and mission experiences.

Listen for donors’ motivations and priorities, then connect them with giving opportunities that are meaningful to them and responsive to RMHC’s needs.

Prepare and present compelling proposals, sponsorship opportunities, gift agreements, and other materials for individual and corporate prospects.

Make direct, timely, and respectful gift solicitations independently and in partnership with leadership, board members, or volunteers.

Create personalized stewardship plans that include prompt acknowledgment, appropriate recognition, meaningful impact reporting, and consistent follow-through.

Individual & Corporate Donor Engagement

Cultivate individual donors and families through highly personalized engagement that honors their values, experiences, and philanthropic goals.

Develop relationships with corporate leaders, employee champions, community partners, and decision-makers to secure philanthropic gifts, sponsorships, and deeper mission engagement.

Coordinate benefits, recognition, reporting, and renewal strategies for corporate donors in partnership with Events, Communications, Finance, and Programs.

Engage donors in ways that go beyond transactions, creating opportunities to understand RMHC’s work firsthand and see the impact of their generosity.

Represent RMHC professionally at donor meetings, community gatherings, cultivation activities, and fundraising events.

Collaboration, Proposals & Performance Management

Partner with Programs and Finance to develop accurate cases for support, budgets, impact updates, and donor reports.

Prepare donor briefings, meeting strategies, talking points, proposals, and follow-up materials for leadership and board members.

Track portfolio activity and results, analyze progress toward goals, and adjust strategies to strengthen donor engagement and fundraising outcomes.

Support a collaborative culture of philanthropy by sharing donor insights, coordinating outreach, and helping colleagues provide a consistent, donor-centered experience.

What Success Looks Like

A well-qualified and actively managed portfolio with current strategies, documented next steps, and consistent donor contact.

Fundraising goals are achieved through thoughtful qualification, meaningful engagement, direct solicitation, and diligent follow-through.

Individual and corporate donors feel known, valued, informed, and connected to the impact of their giving.

Strong donor retention, renewed commitments, increased giving, and a healthy pipeline of new major gift prospects.

Accurate CRM records and reliable reporting support sound forecasting, accountability, and coordinated relationship management.

Core Competencies

Donor-centered relationship building and stewardship

Confidence and skill in direct gift solicitation

Active listening, empathy, diplomacy, and sound judgment

Strategic portfolio and moves management

Persuasive written and verbal communication

Goal orientation, initiative, accountability, and follow-through

Collaboration, discretion, and responsible handling of confidential donor information

Qualifications

Required

Minimum of five years of demonstrated experience in donor solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship, preferably in a nonprofit or mission-driven organization.

Documented success managing a portfolio and securing significant gifts from individuals and/or corporations.

Demonstrated ability to build trust, understand donor motivations, make direct asks, and maintain long-term relationships.

Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.

Experience using a donor database or CRM to manage relationships, document activity, and report results.

Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple donor strategies, priorities, and deadlines.

Ability to attend occasional evening and weekend activities and travel locally for donor visits and events.

Preferred

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Experience securing major gifts, corporate philanthropy, sponsorships, or multi-year commitments.

Experience partnering with executive leaders, board members, and volunteers in donor cultivation and solicitation.

Familiarity with prospect research, wealth screening, moves management, and fundraising performance metrics.

Knowledge of the southeastern Wisconsin philanthropic and business community.