Senior Philanthropy Specialist

Gundersen Lutheran Admin Svcs; La Crosse (WI); On-site; USD 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Gundersen Medical Foundation is seeking a Senior Philanthropy Specialist to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major and high-capacity donors for GMF/CMN. You will lead moves management, develop tailored strategies, and work with executives and physicians to advance philanthropic priorities.

The role requires strong relationship-building skills, 5-7 years in fund development, and a commitment to ethical fundraising.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, journalism, non-profit management or a related field.
• 5-7 years of proven experience in fund development and major gift fundraising.
• Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts, including six- and seven-figure contributions.

Responsibilities

• Manages a portfolio of 100+ high-capacity prospects and legacy donors, guiding moves management and closing major gifts to GMF/CMN.
• Develops tailored strategies to move prospects through the solicitation cycle efficiently.
• Leads donors through complex gift structures and supports departmental initiatives and process improvements.

Skills

Fundraising

Major gifts

Donor relations

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Love + medicine is who we are, it's what we do, it's why people want to work here.

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40

We're not just filling positions, we're building careers. At Emplify Health, we care for our teams, while they care for their communities. Whether you are just starting out or looking for a change, Emplify Health supports you now and into the future. Join us and find out how a little empathy changes everything.

Every gift tells a story of hope, compassion, and a desire to make a difference. At Emplify Health, we're looking to hire two Senior Philanthropy Specialists who can inspire that generosity and help donors turn their passion into lasting impact. Through meaningful relationships and strategic partnerships, you'll play a key role in advancing the mission of the Gundersen Medical Foundation and Children's Miracle Network while helping improve the health and well-being of our patients and communities.

The Senior Philanthropy Specialist's primary responsibilities are in the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major and high-capacity prospects and donors of Gundersen Medical Foundation (GMF) and Children's Miracle Network (CMN).

The Senior Philanthropy Specialist will maintain and promote a personal, professional philosophy of community involvement by participating in professional and community activities.

Major Responsibilities Include:

• Manages a portfolio 100+ high-capacity prospects and legacy donors (individual and corporate), strategically advancing prospects through moves management and successfully closing high-capacity gifts to support GMF/CMN and Emplify by Gundersen.
• Responsible for developing strategies specifically tailored to individual prospects to move through the solicitation cycle in an efficient and effective manner.
• Lead donors through complex gifts.
• Serves as lead for philanthropy specialists and assists with leading and implementing departmental initiatives and process improvements.
• Partner with executives, physicians, board members and other volunteers.
• Assist in leading complex donor strategies and campaign priorities.
• Responsible for meeting established donor/prospect visits, solicitation/proposal and revenue goals.
• Proactively identify, and formally qualify, new major and planned gift prospects by developing, optimizing and executing long-range and short-term strategies, producing a continuous stream of donors capable of making major gift commitments.
• Responsible for keeping accurate and timely records of all constituent interaction in CRM.
• Responsible for preparing personalized correspondence in a timely manner.
• Provides regular reporting of major gift progress including detailed contact reports of prospective donor visits and submits reports to the Manager of Philanthropy at intervals deemed appropriate by all parties.
• Responsible for becoming knowledgeable about GMF/GHS and its strategic priorities to communicate those priorities effectively to donor prospects.
• Responsible for establishing good working relationships with administration, directors and managers of Emplify Health by Gundersen (GHS) departments and affiliated physicians.
• Engage Foundation and health system leaders, appropriate providers and volunteers in cultivation and solicitation meetings.
• Works collaboratively with philanthropy staff to accomplish the goals and objectives of the division.
• Demonstrates performance, which is consistent with the health system's mission and values, quality improvement standards, and promotes a culture of patient/family centered care.
• Elements of performance will include teamwork, innovation, respect, cooperation and honesty to create a positive image across the organization.
• Keeps abreast of developments in healthcare, the community, business and philanthropy, as well as in the field of prospect research.
• Maintains own professional growth and development.
• Complies with all ethical standards as written by The Association of Fundraising Professionals Code of Ethics.
• Adheres to regular and predictable attendance.
• Performs other job-related responsibilities as requested.

What's Available:

Full time, 1.0 FTE - 40 hours/ week

Schedule : Primarily Monday through Friday, daytime business hours ~8:00am-5:00pm. Flexibility is required to support donor meetings, fundraising events, and community engagement activities, which may occasionally include early mornings, evenings, and weekends.

Location : Onsite - based in La Crosse, WI.

Starting salary of $65,000/year plus more based on relevant work experience

What You'll Need:

Education: Bachelor's Degree in business, marketing, journalism, non-profit management or a related field

Experience : 5-7 years of proven experience in fund development and major gift fundraising

Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts, including six- and seven-figure contributions.

Strong relationship-building and networking skills, with