Major Gifts Officer

Indiana University; Bloomington (IN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition subsidy for IU courses

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Indiana University on the Bloomington campus seeks a dynamic Major Gifts Officer for the Scholarships and Student Experience fundraising team. This role drives fundraising strategy within the IU 2030 plan, focusing on scholarships and student success priorities, and leads major gift solicitations from initial conversation to close.

The ideal candidate has a proven track record in major gift fundraising, strong donor relations skills, and the ability to build partnerships across campus leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Advanced degree preferred.
• 5 years in fundraising or related field.

Responsibilities

• Manages a portfolio of high-capacity donors and leads full solicitation cycle.
• Secures philanthropic support for scholarships and student experience priorities.
• Develops portfolio strategy and tracks progress toward goals.
• Collaborates with IU Foundation on stewardship and donor relations.

Skills

Proficient communication

Professionalism

Time management

Attention to detail

Relationship-building

CRM proficiency

Strategic thinking

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Advanced degree in nonprofit management or related field

Job description

Department

VICE PRES/ACADEMIC SUPPORT (BL-VPAS-IUBLA)

Department Information

The Scholarships and Student Experience team leads fundraisingstrategy and results across several key campus units: Office ofEnrollment Management, Office of Student Life, Office of the ViceProvost for Undergraduate Education, Hutton Honors College, and theWells Scholars Program.

Job Summary

Indiana University (IU) is seeking a dynamic and collaborativeMajor Gifts Officer to join the Scholarships and Student Experiencefundraising team on the Bloomington campus. It sits at the centerof Never Daunted: Indiana University's Campaign for the Future, theuniversity's comprehensive fundraising campaign running through2030, and the IU 2030 strategic plan. This is a true major giftsrole and is laser-focused on fundraising and is a person who seespossibilities everywhere, embraces opportunity, and knows how toturn it into game-changing impact.

Department Specific Responsibilities

• Manages their own robust portfolio of high-capacity donors,working alongside a team of major gift officers who share acommitment to students.
• Focuses on securing the philanthropic support that opens doorsfor IU students.
• Leads the full solicitation cycle for major gifts, from thefirst conversation to the close, with an emphasis on scholarships,student success, and student experience priorities. Completes andcloses gifts annually against goals set with this position'smanager.
• Identifies, qualifies, and cultivates high-capacity prospects.Connects donor passions with the needs of Enrollment Management,Student Life, Undergraduate Education, Hutton Honors College, andthe Wells Scholars Program.
• Builds and sustains meaningful relationships with donors,volunteers, and university partners. Aligns fundraising prioritieswith campus leadership and creates innovative partnerships andcollaborative fundraising opportunities.
• Develops and executes a portfolio strategy, maintain accurateCustomer Relationship Management (CRM) records, and track andreport progress toward goals.
• Partners with IU Foundation central services on stewardship,donor relations, and engagement. Supports annual giving initiativesand represent the Foundation and the university withprofessionalism and strategic insight.

General Responsibilities

• Plans and participates in solicitation efforts for major,planned, and/or principal gifts from alumni, parents, friends,faculty, staff, and other constituents and supporters of theuniversity. Solicitation efforts are primarily in person throughrepeated contact, but may vary to include email, direct mail,social media, and phone communications. Fundraising outreach may befocused on programming, capital campaigns, named faculty chairs, orfunds/needs of a particularly large school or spanning multipleschools or departments.
• Cultivates donor relationships through regular communicationsand outreach events; updates, maintains, and forwards prospectiveand current donor files and information to other developmentofficers as necessary.
• Regularly solicits and closes gifts of various sizes with thegoal of increasing gifts of $250,000 - $1,000,000. Ability to helpraise donor sights, encouraging annual giving, multi-yearcommitments, and estate planning.
• Sets annual funds targets, contacts, and timelines by campaignfor self; may participate in goal-setting for lower-leveldevelopment staff, as well. Tracks progress toward goals, reportingor presenting figures on a regular basis to manager, team, and/ordepartment/school representatives. Progress may be monitored via anincentive plan.
• Creates and distributes compelling print and digitalfundraising materials for each campaign; tracks cost, fundsreceived, and metrics such as return on investment for solicitationand pledge to donation yield.
• Researches, compiles, and provides metrics, facts, and generaloperations information about IU and its schools and departments todonors. Regularly collaborates with colleagues in relevantdepartments and schools and conveys donor questions/concernsrelated to their willingness to contribute.
• Provides an excellent donor experience through customerservice, active listening, inclusive language, and thoughtful andpersuasive discussion, consistently upholding the integrity andmission of Indiana University.
• Regularly takes on complex special projects, such asre-engaging lapsed donors, performing outreach to engage donors involunteer leadership opportunities, or developing and executingtargeted events for potential donors.
• May participate in committees or strategy teams withdepartment, school, campus, and/or Indiana University Foundationrepresentatives and assist with setting short-term and long-termannual giving strategy.
• May delegate administrative tasks, such as preparing andsending digital and direct mail solicitations and closingcommunications, to other staff.

Qualifications

Combinations of related education and experience may beconsidered. Education beyond the minimum required may besubstituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimumrequired may be substituted for education.

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor's degree in related field.

Preferred

• Advanced degree in nonprofit management, higher education,business, or a related field.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• 5 years in fundraising, sales, a higher education foundation,or related field.

Preferred

• Demonstrated success in major gift fundraising within a complexorganization, ideally a university or higher educationfoundation.
• Experience with scholarship or student life fundraising.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Preferred

• Possesses a valid driver's license with the ability to beinsured by Indiana University upon date of hire.
• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) upon date of hire.

SKILLS

Required

• Proficient communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills.
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamicenvironment.
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty.
• Highly thorough and dependable.
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even underpressure.
• Possesses a high degree of initiative.
• Ability to influence internal and/or externalconstituents.

Preferred

• Strong analytical skills and CRM proficiency.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to buildtrust quickly.
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and bringing clarity to complexsituations.
• Ability to work effectively with stakeholders acrossdisciplines and levels, including academic leaders and seniorcampus partners.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Understanding of scholarship fundraising and the ability toalign donor passions with institutional priorities.
• Interest in continuous improvement and practical use oftechnology.
• Ability to confidently manages and advances a major giftportfolio.
• Understands scholarship fundraising and aligns donor passionswith institutional priorities.
• Thrives in a matrixed environment and builds strong academicpartnerships.
• Balances competing priorities while maintaining long-termstrategic focus.
• Builds authentic relationships with donors, colleagues, staff,and campus leadership.
• Unlocks donor potential by connecting passion withpurpose.

Working Conditions / Demands

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and tooperate a computer and other standard office productivityequipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periodsof time moving around an office environment and the campus. Theperson in this role must be able to perform the essential functionswith or without an accommodation.

This position requires some evening and weekend work for donorevents and occasional in-state travel for donor visits.

Advertised Salary

$90,000.00 - $100,000.00 on an annualized basis.

Work Hours

Standard business hours

Monday-Friday

Benefits Overview

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, criticalillness, and supplemental accidental death & dismembermentinsurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject tovesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IUcourses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteerevents
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IUBenefit Programs Brochure.

Job Classification

Career Level: Advanced

FLSA: Exempt

Job Function: Development & Advancement

Job Family: Major, Plan, & Principal Gifts

Click here to learn more about Indiana University's Job Framework.

Posting Disclaimer

This posting is scheduled to close at 11:59 pm EST on theadvertised Close Date. This posting may be closed at any time atthe discretion of the University, but will remain open for aminimum of 5 business days. To guarantee full consideration, pleasesubmit your application within 5 business days of the PostedDate.

If you wish to include a cover letter, you may include it with yourresume when uploading attachments.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider ofADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here.

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