Principal Gift Officer

Covenant House New Jersey; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

403B Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Covenant House New Jersey is seeking an experienced Principal Gifts Officer to lead major gift solicitation and donor development. You will build relationships with prospects, manage a pipeline, and stimulate five- and six-figure gifts while coordinating with program and leadership teams.

The role requires at least 5 years in fundraising, a track record of five-figure gifts, and willingness to travel across New Jersey.

Qualifications

• Experience soliciting five-figure gifts from donors.
• Minimum of 5 years in fundraising, sales, or related frontline work.
• Ability to travel regularly within New Jersey and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Actively acquire new donors and build a robust pipeline.
• Manage donor lifecycle from cultivation to solicitation and stewardship.
• Oversee a small portfolio of donors for engagement and growth.
• Collaborate with Leadership Team to align strategy and donor conversations.
• Check company e-mail daily and support events and board activities.

Skills

Donor relations

Major gifts fundraising

Salesforce experience

Communication skills

Travel willingness

Initiative and accountability

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience

Tools

Salesforce CRM

Job description

Principal Gift Officer

Job Description:

Covenant House New Jersey seeks an experienced disciplined, relationship-driven, entrepreneurial fundraiser to serve as a Principal Gifts Officer. This frontline fundraising role is responsible for soliciting five- and six-figure gifts from a qualified pipeline of donors. The Principal Gift Officer will also contribute to this pipeline, by building relationships with current donors, seeking donor referrals, and interacting with attendees at events, volunteer activities and board meetings. The role will also use the Asbury Park program, Program Board, and Sleep Out as strategic assets for donor recruitment, relationship-building, and visibility.

Duties and responsibilities

New Donor Acquisition and Pipeline Development:

• Actively and consistently reach out to prospective donors, seeking visits and calls to build relationships with new donors.
• Identify and pursue prospective donors with the capacity and inclination to make gifts of $25,000+, and specifically solicit gifts at this level.
• Use available tools, databases, events and community to add to our prospective donor pipeline.

Cultivation, and Solicitation:

• Manage the full donor lifecycle for assigned prospects, through cultivation, solicitation, and early stewardship. The Principal Gift Officer will be responsible for making personal solicitations from this prospect group.
• Conduct introductory meetings, donor visits, tours, event follow-up, and other substantive engagement designed to assess fit, deepen interest, and advance prospects toward giving
• Qualify prospects based on research including CHNJ information, Covenant House International wealth screening, current donor feedback, etc.
• Maintain a disciplined approach to record keeping in Salesforce.

Portfolio Management:

• Manage a small portfolio of existing individual donors using those relationships as a base for community visibility, introductions, and broader donor acquisition.
• Steward donors thoughtfully and consistently, ensuring a strong donor experience and a clear pathway to deeper engagement.

Collaboration and Internal Partnership:

• Work closely with the Development Leadership Team to align donor acquisition efforts with CHNJ’s overall fundraising strategy.
• Partner with program staff, particularly at the Asbury Park ROP program when needed to deepen understanding of CHNJ’s work and help translate program impact into compelling donor conversations.
• Contribute to pipeline review, portfolio planning, and donor strategy conversations across the development team.
• Required to check company e-mail daily.
• All other duties assigned by management staff.

What Success Looks Like:

• Creation of a $1M+ portfolio over an 18-month period.
• Number of discovery visits, cultivation meetings, and substantive donor moves completed, as the Principal Gift Officer is building toward the $1M portfolio.
• Number of new individual donors secured at the five-figure level.
• Longer term, retention of current donors and rate of growth of giving among current donors.
• Upgrade and retention of assigned donors.

Salary: $110,000

Experience and Skills:

• Demonstrated passion for the mission of Covenant House New Jersey and experience in being able to enroll new donors and community leaders in a non-profit organization’s mission.
• Successful and repeated solicitation of five-figure gifts.
• High level of initiative, persistence, and accountability; this role requires someone who can create momentum, not just manage assigned relationships.
• At least 5 years of fundraising, sales, business development, or related frontline relationship-building experience, with a strong preference for experience in major gifts.
• Strong interpersonal skills, sound judgment, and comfort engaging new people in person, by phone, and through written outreach.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present CHNJ’s work persuasively to individual donors and prospects.
• Experience using Salesforce or another CRM for moves management, donor tracking, and pipeline discipline.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel regularly within New Jersey

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 403B Retirement Plan, Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick, Personal, Ten Holidays).