Principal Gifts Officer

Public Media; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 141,000; Full time

Job summary

GBH in Brighton, MA seeks a Principal Gifts Officer to secure seven- and eight-figure philanthropic investments. You will manage a portfolio of major donors, design cultivation strategies, and work with leadership to align gifts with GBH’s mission in journalism, education, culture, and community impact.

The role demands senior-level relationship-building, independence, and a proven track record in closing transformative gifts, with collaboration across Development, content, and finance teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressively complex professional fundraising experience.
• Significant experience managing major gift portfolios and closing gifts of $500,000+ required.
• Demonstrated record of securing and stewarding seven-figure philanthropic commitments strongly preferred.
• Experience partnering with senior executives, trustees, and influential volunteers on donor strategy and solicitation efforts.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 50-75 principal gift prospects and donors with capacity to make seven and eight-figure+ philanthropic commitments to develop and enhance the relationship to and connection with GBH.
• Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies designed to secure transformational gifts.
• Leverage personal and professional connections to identify and maintain an active pipeline of HNWI/Principal Gift prospects, and continuously advance those prospects through the gift cycle.
• Create a strategy to continuously replenish and grow the pipeline of prospective principal gift donors by regularly qualifying new prospects through research, referrals, and engagement activities.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with major philanthropists, family foundations, wealth advisors, and community leaders.
• In partnership with Development leadership, develop innovative and compelling cultivation strategies to deepen donor engagement with institutional priorities, using visits, events, stewardship activities, and volunteer involvement.
• Personally solicit and close significant philanthropic investments, with annual revenue goals aligned to a principal gifts portfolio.
• Collaborate with colleagues across teams to achieve team and overall Development Office fundraising goals.
• Work with multiple high-level stakeholders to develop cross-departmental, transformational funding opportunities that align with organizational priorities with the goal of increasing principal and transformational gift activity.
• Collaborate closely with content leaders, program executives, finance partners, and Development colleagues to align fundraising opportunities with organizational priorities.
• Lead complex gift discussions, proposal development, and gift negotiations involving multiple stakeholders and funding priorities.
• Maintain accurate documentation, forecasting, activity tracking, and prospect strategies within CRM systems and donor databases.

Skills

Donor relationships

Major gifts closing

Portfolio management

Strategic planning

Communication

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

GBH enriches people’s lives through programs and services that educate, inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.

At GBH, we believe in the advantages of coming together to build community, mentor and learn from colleagues, and connect more deeply with our mission. As a result, the majority of our staff are hybrid and work both from home and onsite. Our current hybrid approach requires staff to work onsite a minimum of two days each week, every Tuesday and Wednesday, Hybrid staff are also welcome to come in additional days each week or may be asked to come in on other days by their manager.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
GBH’s Development Department is responsible for securing the philanthropic investment that sustains and expands New England’s largest public media organization. Through individual giving, major gifts, planned giving, institutional fundraising, corporate support, membership, and campaign fundraising, the department builds meaningful relationships with donors who share GBH’s commitment to journalism, education, culture, and community engagement.

Working closely with content leaders, senior executives, trustees, and volunteers, the Development team connects philanthropic partners to GBH’s mission and strategic priorities. Together, they generate the resources needed to advance public service journalism, educational impact, innovative storytelling, and community-focused programming across the region and beyond.

JOB OVERVIEW
Reporting to the Sr. Director of Development, Major Gifts, The Principal Gifts Officer is a senior frontline fundraiser responsible for securing philanthropic support from individuals capable of making seven-figure+ investments in GBH. This role manages a portfolio of some of the organization’s most significant donors and prospects, developing and executing strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts that advance GBH’s mission and strategic priorities.

A Principal Gifts Officer brings deep fundraising expertise, operates with a high degree of independence, and serves as a trusted advisor to Development leadership, executives, and colleagues. The successful candidate will be a senior-level relationship builder with credibility in building a high-net worth pipeline for philanthropy They will have a proven record of identifying, qualifying and cultivating high-net-worth prospects, closing complex major and principal gifts, building lasting donor relationships, and partnering effectively with senior leaders, volunteers, and stakeholders to achieve ambitious fundraising goals.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 50-75 principal gift prospects and donors with capacity to make seven and eight-figure+ philanthropic commitments to develop and enhance the relationship to and connection with GBH.
• Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies designed to secure transformational gifts.
• Leverage personal and professional connections to identify and maintain an active pipeline of HNWI/Principal Gift prospects, and continuously advance those prospects through the gift cycle.
• Create a strategy to continuously replenish and grow the pipeline of prospective principal gift donors by regularly qualifying new prospects through research, referrals, and engagement activities.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with major philanthropists, family foundations, wealth advisors, and community leaders.
• In partnership with Development leadership, develop innovative and compelling cultivation strategies to deepen donor engagement with institutional priorities, using visits, events, stewardship activities, and volunteer involvement.
• Personally solicit and close significant philanthropic investments, with annual revenue goals aligned to a principal gifts portfolio.
• Collaborate with colleagues across teams to achieve team and overall Development Office fundraising goals.
• Work with multiple high-level stakeholders to develop cross-departmental, transformational funding opportunities that align with organizational priorities with the goal of increasing principal and transformational gift activity.
• Collaborate closely with content leaders, program executives, finance partners, and Development colleagues to align fundraising opportunities with organizational priorities.
• Lead complex gift discussions, proposal development, and gift negotiations involving multiple stakeholders and funding priorities.
• Maintain accurate documentation, forecasting, activity tracking, and prospect strategies within CRM systems and donor databases.

SKILL SET

• Proven success securing and closing six- and seven-figure philanthropic gifts.
• Exceptional relationship-building and donor stewardship skills.
• Strong strategic thinking and donor portfolio management capabilities.
• Leadership presence with the ability to engage high-net-worth individuals, trustees, and senior leaders.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to develop and execute complex cultivation and solicitation strategies.
• Strong influencing, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and commitment to confidentiality.
• Experience using donor databases and CRM systems.
• Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and serve as a resource to colleagues.
• Commitment to GBH’s public service mission and values.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressively complex professional fundraising experience
• Significant experience managing major gift portfolios and closing gifts of $500,000+ required.
• Demonstrated record of securing and stewarding seven-figure philanthropic commitments strongly preferred.
• Experience partnering with senior executives, trustees, and influential volunteers on donor strategy and solicitation efforts.
• Experience within higher education, healthcare, arts and culture, media, public broadcasting, or other mission-driven nonprofit organizations preferred.

JOB SPECIFICS

Staff position

Hybrid position

LOCATION

One Guest Street, Brighton, MA 02135

Salary Range

$110,630 - $140,600

Compensation offered within this range is determined by skills, experience and internal pay equity.

GBH is an equal opportunity employer. The community and audience we serve are diverse, and we wish to foster that diversity in our workplace. Toward that end, GBH does not discriminate against individuals in hiring, employment, or promotion based on race, religion, color, sex/gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, disability, veteran or military status, political belief, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Application Process Assistance

GBH will reasonably accommodate applicants with disabilities who need adjustments to participate in the application or interview process. To initiate an accommodation request, contact the Human Resource department by sending an email [e-mail] by calling 617-300-2000.