Major Gifts Officer

Council of Foundations; New York; Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative organization dedicated to social justice is seeking a Major Gift Officer to enhance its fundraising efforts. This role involves cultivating relationships with high-net-worth individuals, managing a portfolio of major gift prospects, and developing a planned giving program. The ideal candidate will leverage their fundraising expertise and commitment to social justice to drive meaningful change. With a strong focus on collaboration and relationship-building, this position offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on the organization's mission. Join a dedicated team and help shape the future of philanthropic practices that prioritize trust and care.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, major gifts experience preferred.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling case statements.

Responsibilities

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major gift prospects over $5,000.
• Develop and manage the organization’s planned giving program, including legacy gifts and bequests.

Skills

Fundraising

Major Gifts Experience

Social Justice Advocacy

Project Management

Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

Asana

Job description

Location: Atlanta, Austin, Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, the Research Triangle, Seattle, or Washington D.C. Hybrid schedule in New York, remote for other locations

Reports to: Director of Development, Relationships

People Manager: No

POSITION OVERVIEW

Ms. Foundation for Women funds intersectional, feminist, movement building and organizing work led by and for women, girls, and nonbinary people of color. We continually strive to improve our work through collaborative learning and reflection. Ms. Foundation is strongly grantee-centered and relationship-driven and is interested in finding ways to further adopt trust-based and care-based philanthropic practices. To this end, our Development Department seeks to not only secure funding for Ms. Foundation, we also hope to increase total funding to the field and better organize our donors to adopt and support trust and care-based philanthropy practices.

Ms. Foundation is seeking a Major Gift Officer to solicit gifts over $5,000, incorporate planned giving into our existing major gifts programs, and support other relationship managers, particularly foundation executives and development leadership in holding major gifts relationships. The ideal candidate will leverage experience organizing for social justice alongside professional expertise on development systems including major gifts. We’re a 53-year old organization that successfully completed a $106 million 50th Anniversary campaign and raises between $6M – $24M annually. We have an exciting combination of existing donor relationships and an opportunity to build new structures.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Major Gift Fundraising and Stewardship (50%):

Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major gift prospects over $5,000. Regularly meet with major donors virtually and in-person including occasional travel to engage Ms. Foundation’s national donor base.
Prospect and strategically engage $1,000 – $4,999 and other long-term monthly donors below that threshold for possible solicitation and stewardship into major gifts.
Maintain and create personalized engagement strategies for major gift portfolios solicited by President and CEO, Deputy-CEO, and Director of Development .
Work closely with the Director of Development, Relationships and the Director of Development, Operations to set and achieve fundraising goals and maintain effective donor data systems.
Identify opportunities to engage donors around Ms. Foundation’s research and advocacy to adopt trust and care-based philanthropic practices.
Forecast individual giving for annual budgeting process track and report on progress towards major gift fundraising goals.
Planned Giving (20%):

Develop and manage the organization’s planned giving program, including legacy gifts, bequests, charitable gift annuities, and other estate planning vehicles. This will be a multiple-year expansion. In the first year, a successful Major Gifts Officer will incorporate Planned giving asks into existing portfolio stewardship.
Educate donors on the benefits of planned giving and how it aligns with their long-term financial and philanthropic goals.
Ensure that planned gifts are properly documented, recognized, and stewarded in accordance with the organization’s policies.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of tax laws and charitable giving regulations to advise donors on the most beneficial giving strategies.
Develop marketing materials and communication strategies to raise awareness about planned giving opportunities.
Engage and work with consultants as needed for technical support and learning.
Events (15%):

Oversee Major Gifts components, including sponsorship and table sales, of our Annual Women of Vision Awards.
Handle logistics for major donor-focused events like Ms. on Martha’s.
Support the development of regional major gifts strategies through small events and dinners.
Collaboration and Reporting (15%):

Work closely with the development team and senior leadership to align major and planned giving efforts with the overall fundraising strategy.
Provide regular reports and updates to leadership on the status of major gifts and planned giving programs.
Maintain timely and accurate donor information and track moves in Raiser’s Edge.
Use Asana to participate in and manage team projects.
Update Policy and Procedure related to Major Gifts and Planned Giving.
Participate in strategic planning and budget meetings to ensure the effectiveness of fundraising initiatives.

Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, major gifts experience preferred.
Experience working for social justice through professional or volunteer work. Work with strategic campaigns or organizing preferred but not required.
Knowledge and experience in planned giving strategies and vehicles, including bequests, charitable remainder trusts, and gift annuities. For the right candidate, we can provide professional development opportunities to learn the technical details of planned giving.
Proven ability to build strong relationships with high-net-worth individuals and their advisors, and advise them on complex giving opportunities.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling case statements and donor communications.
Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team across multiple priorities and deadlines.
Project management experience, Asana experience preferred
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Experience using donor databases to manage portfolios, ideally Raiser’s Edge.
Up to 15% travel required for non-New York based staff and up to 10% for New York based staff.
Commitment to the Foundation’s mission and vision and to working with diverse communities toward women’s safety, health and economic justice.
Demonstrated commitment to, and accountability around actively living the Foundation’s values of integrity, trust and respect, interconnectedness, and social justice – throughout internal and external communications and relationships, work, and decision-making.
Ability to build collegial, productive relationships with team members, grantees, donors, peer funders, volunteers, and institutional partners, through the lens of our organizational values.