Philanthropy Officer

United Food Bank; Mesa (AZ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

United Food Bank in Mesa, AZ seeks a Philanthropy Officer to advance major giving, cultivate donors, and steward engagement. You will manage a portfolio of 125–150 major gift donors, develop tailored cultivation plans, and meet donors both in person and virtually to deepen relationships and secure gifts of $5,000+.

Knowledge of giving methods and CRM tracking is essential. Ideal candidates bring 3+ years fundraising experience, a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, and CFRE preferred.

Qualifications

• Passion for alleviating hunger and serving the community.
• Commitment to the organization’s mission and values.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 3+ years of progressive fundraising experience, CFRE preferred.
• Demonstrated success securing gifts of $5,000+.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to engage donors with professionalism and discretion.
• Understanding of common charitable giving methods and comfort discussing them in donor conversations.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Comfortable working with senior leadership, Board members, and high-capacity donors.
• Experience using a CRM system (e.g., Salesforce) to track outreach and engagement
• Self-motivated, dedicated to accomplishing tasks, able to take initiative and solve problems.
• Availability and willingness to attend evening or weekend events when needed.
• Valid driver’s license with reliable transportation and insurability required.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 125–150 major gift donors.
• Develop individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies for each donor.
• Conduct regular in-person and virtual meetings to deepen relationships and understand donor interests.
• Grow giving within an existing donor base and identify opportunities for increases.
• Prepare personalized proposals, impact reports, and related materials to support gift requests.
• Coordinate strategies involving organizational leadership when appropriate.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of donor interactions and strategy in the CRM.
• Participate in portfolio and pipeline review processes.

Skills

Donor relationship-building

Strategic fundraising

CFRE

Public speaking

Education

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Description

This is a pivotal moment for United Food Bank. As we prepare for our next phase of growth—including an upcoming capital campaign,we’re seeking a Philanthropy Officer to join our fundraising team.

At United Food Bank, philanthropy is rooted in partnership and long-term impact. The ideal candidate for this role is a thoughtful, strategic fundraiser who excels at building trust and engaging donors who want to make a lasting difference. This is your opportunity to advance our major giving efforts and make a meaningful contribution to the momentum behind our mission.

Position Summary:

The Philanthropy Officer manages and grows a portfolio of major gift donors through strategic cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. This role focuses on securing individual gifts of $5,000+ and advancing donor relationships using a structured moves-management approach. Responsibilities include developing individualized donor strategies, conducting donor meetings, preparing proposals and related materials, and documenting all activity in the CRM. The Philanthropy Officer serves as a subject matter expert in common charitable giving methods and proactively shares giving opportunities with donors as part of relationship-based conversations that deepen their engagement with our mission.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Portfolio & Relationship Management

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 125–150 major gift donors.
• Develop individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies for each donor.
• Conduct regular in-person and virtual meetings to deepen relationships and understand donor interests.
• Grow giving within an existing donor base and identify opportunities for increases.

Major Gift Strategy & Solicitation

• Implement all phases of the major gift cycle, including qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Prepare personalized proposals, impact reports, and related materials to support gift requests.
• Coordinate strategies involving organizational leadership when appropriate.

Charitable Giving Conversations

Understand common charitable giving methods, such as:

• Gifts of stock or appreciated assets
• Donor-advised funds (DAFs)
• Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)
• Basic bequests or beneficiary designations

Discuss these giving methods comfortably with donors to support philanthropic decision-making and deepen donor engagement.

Stewardship & Donor Engagement

• Ensure timely fulfillment of stewardship activities, donor recognition, and follow-up commitments.
• Support donor engagement opportunities, including occasional donor-focused events.
• Participate in mission-related experiences and tours to connect donors with the impact of United Food Bank.

Data Management & Reporting

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of donor interactions, strategies, and revenue projections in the CRM.
• Use data to evaluate portfolio performance and support planning and forecasting.
• Participate in regular portfolio and pipeline review processes.

Requirements

Qualifications: (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Passion for alleviating hunger and serving the community
• Commitment to the organization’s mission and values.
• Bachelor’s Degree (BA) or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum of 3+ years of progressive fundraising experience, CFRE preferred.
• Demonstrated success securing gifts of $5,000+.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to engage donors with professionalism and discretion.
• Understanding of common charitable giving methods and comfort discussing them in donor conversations.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Comfortable working with senior leadership, Board members, and high-capacity donors.
• Experience using a CRM system (e.g., Salesforce) to track outreach and engagement
• Self-motivated, dedicated to accomplishing tasks, able to take initiative and solve problems.
• Availability and willingness to attend evening or weekend events when needed
• Valid driver’s license with reliable transportation and insurability required.

Physical demands and work environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee is required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms on a daily basis.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus

• The employee must lift and/or move up to 30 pounds
• Ability to sit at a computer for extended periods and perform repetitive motions with a mouse and keyboard
• Ability to travel (locally) up to 5% a year for off-site meetings and events

In instances of a federal, state, or locally declared emergency, United Food Bank is typically considered an essential service and emergency responder; all of its employees may be called in to perform regular or emergent duties.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions and perform any other related duties as assigned by their supervisor.