Major Gifts Officer

TrulyHired; Providence (RI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Moses Brown School in Providence, RI seeks a Major Gifts Officer to advance the Light the Way strategic plan. Reporting to the Director of Leadership and Planned Giving, you will manage a personal portfolio of major donors and craft compelling cases for support.

The role requires strong writing, donor relations, and strategic solicitation skills, with travel as needed and a commitment to the school’s Quaker values and mission.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 8+ years of major gift fundraising experience with six- and seven-figure closes.
• Superior writing and editing skills for highly personalized donor communications.
• Proven ability to build authentic relationships with alumni and donors.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of ~125 prospects focused on six- to seven-figure gifts.
• Develop multi-year cultivation and solicitation strategies for high-capacity donors.
• Conduct 100+ donor meetings per year to advance relationships.
• Lead proposal development and ensure compelling cases for support.
• Staff Head of School and volunteers for high-level visits.
• Oversee annual giving and planned gift solicitation within the portfolio.
• Collaborate with school colleagues to communicate impact of philanthropy.

Skills

Exceptional Writing

Relationship Building

Communication

Integrity

Travel

Institutional Alignment

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Raiser's Edge NXT

Google Workspace

Canva

Job description

Job Description

Title: Major Gifts Officer

Department: Advancement

Supervisor: Director of Leadership and Planned Giving

Status: Full-time (12 months) exempt

About Moses Brown School

Moses Brown is a nearly 250-year-old co-educational independent day school enrolling 770 nursery through twelfth-grade students. As a Friends school, we exist to inspire children to reach their full intellectual and spiritual potential through a curriculum rooted in Quaker values of community, equality, and service. We affirm the Quaker belief in the "Inner Light" of each person and value simplicity, integrity, and group wisdom.

The Momentum: Light the Way

Moses Brown is currently at a defining moment in its 250-year history. We are in the early phases of implementation of Light the Way, a bold strategic plan designed to ensure that MB students are prepared for a complex and ever-changing world while deepening our commitment to academic excellence, ethical leadership, and our foundational Quaker values.

Purpose/Objective

Reporting to the Director of Leadership and Planned Giving, the MGO serves as an essential partner in supporting the implementation of the Light the Way strategic plan. The MGO is responsible for the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of constituents capable of six- and seven-figure gifts. This role focuses on translating the strategic plan's priorities into compelling cases for support, establishing the MGO as a trusted partner for the Head of School, Board of Trustees, and the broader community.

Major Responsibilities

• Transformative Portfolio Management: Manage a personal portfolio of approximately 125 prospects with a primary focus on those capable of making gifts of $100,000 to $1,000,000+.
• Strategic Solicitation: Develop and execute multi-year cultivation and solicitation strategies for high-capacity donors to support Light the Way initiatives.
• Donor Engagement: Conduct a minimum of 100 individual cultivation and stewardship meetings per year.
• Proposal Pipeline: Through relationship management, meet annual goals for major gift proposals, prioritizing highly personalized asks aligned with the strategic plan.
• Leadership Staffing: Prepare and staff the Head of School and fundraising volunteers for high-level solicitation and stewardship visits.
• Comprehensive Giving: Lead strategies for annual giving and planned gift solicitations within the managed portfolio.
• Collaboration: Work in partnership with Moses Brown colleagues to educate constituents on the impact of their philanthropy and the school's mission.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree required.
• Experience: 8+ years of successful major gift fundraising experience, with a proven track record of personally closing six- and seven-figure philanthropic commitments.
• Exceptional Writing Skills: Must possess superior writing and editing skills with the ability to draft highly personalized, persuasive, and sophisticated proposals, case statements, and donor correspondence.
• Relationship Building: Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain authentic, meaningful relationships with alumni and donors that lead to transformative levels of support.
• Communication: Exceptional interpersonal and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate the vision of the Light the Way plan to diverse audiences.
• Integrity: Absolute commitment to professional integrity and the confidentiality of donor and colleague information.
• Travel: Ability and willingness to travel locally, regionally, and nationally to engage the school's donor base.
• Institutional Alignment: Deep understanding of, or a strong connection to, Moses Brown School and/or education.
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in Raiser's Edge NXT and Google Workspace; experience with Canva is a plus.