Major Gifts Officer

Diocese of Boise; Coeur d'Alene (ID); On-site; USD 55,000 - 90,000; Part time

Job summary

Diocese of Boise seeks a Major Gifts Officer to lead a robust philanthropic program supporting a Catholic high school capital campaign. You will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors capable of multi-year commitments, align fundraising with the school’s mission, and build a strategic plan with leaders and volunteers.

You will manage a 120–150 donor portfolio, implement moves management, and conduct 10–12 donor meetings monthly while coordinating with school leadership and

Qualifications

• Experience: 3 to 5+ years in frontline fundraising or nonprofit development.
• Track record of cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts.
• Outstanding interpersonal, written, and public-speaking skills with high EI.
• Proficiency with donor databases/CRM software, Google Suite, and MS Office.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends; valid driver’s license.
• Willingness to travel locally/regionally for donor meetings.

Responsibilities

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts for a capital campaign.
• Manage a portfolio of 120–150 qualified prospects and move them through moves management.
• Prepare briefing materials, talking points, and cultivation strategies for leadership and volunteers.
• Conduct 10–12 donor visits per month, in person or virtually, to present tailored proposals.
• Coordinate donor communications and align with school leadership and campaign staff.
• Track performance metrics and maintain accurate donor activity in CRM.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Public speaking

Communication

Emotional intelligence

Tools

CRM software

Google Suite

Microsoft Office

Job description

Position Summary

The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) plays a frontline role in building and executing a robust philanthropic program to support the school’s strategic vision and emerging capital campaign. The MGO is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding business and community leaders, foundations and grant making organizations and individual major donors capable of making multi-year commitments of $50,000+ to support a comprehensive capital campaign.

Because this position operates within a Catholic educational environment, the MGO serves as a partner in the school's ministry, aligning fundraising goals with the school's Catholic identity, values, mission, and long-term strategic plan. The successful candidate will be a strategic and entrepreneurial leader with a credible presence who can translate and present a compelling vision for Catholic secondary education that will inspire philanthropic support.

Capital Campaign & Strategic Growth

Help lay the groundwork for the emerging capital campaign through prospect research, pipeline building, and strategic readiness activities.

Partner with advancement leadership and campaign consultants to define tier-one donor strategies, timelines, and priority funding needs.

Prepare briefing materials, talking points, and cultivation strategies for leadership, board members, and key volunteers involved in high-level solicitations.

Manage an active portfolio of 120-150 qualified major gift prospects (alumni, parents, grandparents, and community friends).

Design and implement individualized "moves management" plans to systematically move prospects through stages of awareness, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

Conduct a minimum of 10-12 meaningful face-to-face or virtual donor visits per month to deepen engagement and present tailored gift proposals.

Create and execute personalized stewardship and recognition plans to ensure major donors feel valued and informed about the impact of their gifts.

Coordinate regular communication between donors and school leadership (e.g., student thank-you notes, campus impact updates, invitation-only events).

Work closely with annual giving and alumni relations colleagues to ensure a seamless donor continuum from annual gifts to major campaign commitments.

Administrative & Metrics

Maintain accurate, up-to-date records of all donor interactions, strategies, and contact reports using the school's CRM/database system.

Track performance metrics against agreed-upon goals, including face-to-face visits, proposals submitted, and dollars raised.

Qualifications & Requirements

Faith and Mission

A practicing Catholic in good standing, or an active Christian who deeply respects and supports Catholic education, tradition, and moral teachings.

Ability to articulate the faith and educational mission of the school with authenticity and passion.

Ability to share meaningful impact stories.

Experience & Qualifications

Experience: 3 to 5+ years of professional frontline fundraising, sales, or non-profit development experience, preferably within education or a capital campaign environment.

Track Record: Demonstrated success in personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts.

Communication: Outstanding interpersonal, written, and public-speaking skills with high emotional intelligence and empathy.

Technical Skills: Proficiency with donor databases/CRM software, Google Suite, and Microsoft Office suite.

Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends for school/donor events.

Valid driver's license and the ability to travel locally/regionally for face-to-face donor meetings.

Reporting and Accountability

The Major Gifts Officer reports to the Diocese of Boise Superintendent of Catholic Schools during the development and launch phase of the new Catholic high school. As the school's leadership structure develops, the reporting relationship may transition to the future school president.

The MGO works collaboratively with school principals, diocesan leadership, the Project Lead/Co-Chair, the New Catholic High School Steering Committee, and other advancement partners.

Position effectiveness will be measured by progress toward clearly established annual goals and campaign milestones. Priorities and deliverables will be established annually in consultation with the Superintendent and appropriate project and school leadership.

Initial performance priorities will include:

Participating in comprehensive capital campaign viability assessment interviews to test campaign vision and goals and make final campaign plan recommendations

Developing a comprehensive capital campaign plan and supporting fundraising strategies.

Securing significant philanthropic commitments toward the high school expansion project.

Partnering with and supporting staff working on current PreK-8 development activities.

Position Scope

Status: Part-Time, .5 FTE

Supervisor:Diocese of Boise Catholic Schools Superintendent,

Location: Northern Idaho, with regular travel throughout the region and periodic travel to diocesan offices as needed.

The position requires flexibility for donor meetings, community presentations, steering committee meetings, and other activities that may occur outside traditional business hours.