Strategic Major Gifts Officer

Center on Halsted; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Center on Halsted is seeking a Philanthropy Officer, Major Gifts & Individual Giving to manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, with goals for upgrading gifts and developing planned giving conversations. The role reports to the Chief Development Officer and works across our three Chicago locations.

The position emphasizes face-to-face solicitation, cultivation events, and collaboration with Center on Halsted leadership to grow the major gifts pipeline and annual giving programs.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of demonstrated success in a major gift or planned gift fundraising function; experience personally soliciting and closing four- and five-figure gifts required, six-figure gifts a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 100-125 qualified major gift donors and prospects with capacity to give $5,000+ annually, with a focus on upgrading donors to $10,000-$25,000+; introduce and advance planned giving conversations with individual donors.
• Develop and implement a customized cultivation and solicitation strategy for each assigned donor, including personalized outreach and in-person and virtual meetings; conduct a minimum number of substantive donor meetings and solicitations monthly as set annually with the Chief Development Officer.
• Meet or exceed annual revenue goals for major gifts fundraising and key activity metrics for donor engagement, qualification, and prospect development in service of those goals.
• Manage donor life cycles through moves management in Raiser's Edge NXT: record contact reports, next steps, proposals, and solicitation stages; maintain accurate pipeline projections aligned with other frontline fundraisers to ensure reliable revenue forecasting.
• Identify new major donor prospects through wealth screening and capacity analysis, local networks, peer referrals, and Center on Halsted's database; qualify prospects and move them into active portfolio management in collaboration with Development Services Associate.
• Create proposals, gift opportunities, and donor-facing reports that connect donor interests to Center on Halsted programs, in partnership with program directors and within the organization's strategic framework.

Skills

Major gift fundraising

Donor relationship management

Moves management

Prospect cultivation

Communication

Education

5+ years fundraising experience

Tools

Raiser's Edge NXT

Job description

Center on Halsted is seeking a Philanthropy Officer, Major Gifts & Individual Giving to manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, with goals for upgrading gifts and developing planned giving conversations. The role reports to the Chief Development Officer and works across our three Chicago locations.

The position emphasizes face-to-face solicitation, cultivation events, and collaboration with Center on Halsted leadership to grow the major gifts pipeline and annual giving programs.