Reach Out and Read National Major Gifts Officer ​/ Associate Director of Development

The Opportunity

Reach Out and Read is seeking an experienced Associate Director of Development (Major Gifts Officer) to lead the qualification and cultivation of individual donors who give between $1,000 and $25,000. This dynamic frontline role offers the chance to work directly with high‑capacity donors, developing personalized engagement strategies to inspire significant support for our mission.

The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for establishing and managing a portfolio of qualified donors and building strong relationships. They understand and apply fundraising best practices to develop donor strategies and provide opportunities for donors to receive recognition and increase future giving. The Major Gifts Officer will travel frequently and work flexible hours as needed.

Reporting to the National Senior Director of Development, Individual and Major Gifts, the successful candidate will bring a proven track record in securing major gifts. As a key contributor to our growth‑focused team, you will play a pivotal role in expanding our donor base and building a major gift program from the ground up.

• Qualify and cultivate a pool of ~300 donor prospects, developing a caseload of 100‑125 major donors through strategic moves management.
• Build meaningful relationships with donors and prospects, focusing on those capable of giving $1,000‑$25,000, understanding that current gift levels reflect the early stage of the program, not donor capacity.
• Lead the creation of engagement plans for donors and prospects—including revenue projections—to retain, upgrade, and steward their giving.
• Work with National and Affiliate staff to identify funding opportunities and create offers, proposals, and asks that align with donors’ capacity and organizational priorities.

• Strategize opportunities for the Chief Advancement and Strategy Officer, Senior Director of Development, Individual and Major Gifts, and key staff members to participate in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
• Promote a culture of philanthropy across the Reach Out and Read enterprise and among colleagues across the affiliate network.

• Record donor information (interactions, tasks, notes, and opportunities) in the database promptly.
• Assist in developing and supporting fundraising strategies, campaigns, and best practices.

We are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate most of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• Commitment to increasing equity in opportunity and outcomes for children and a recognition of factors known to significantly impact differential outcomes for children, including race, ethnicity, language, and socio‑economic status.
• Bring at least seven years of successful experience in donor‑facing fundraising, ideally within large nonprofit organizations or across diverse communities with varying perspectives and values.
• Demonstrable experience soliciting and closing gifts of five figures or more.
• Ability to engage, influence, and inspire donors and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints, including across the social and political spectrum, while building meaningful, lasting relationships with both new and existing supporters.
• A strong track record of soliciting and securing major gifts, managing a donor portfolio, and cultivating long‑term relationships with high‑net‑worth individuals.
• Highly self‑motivated, proactive, and capable of independently driving activities that meet or exceed individual and team fundraising goals.
• Strong ability to collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization, including senior leadership, development officers, local teams, board members, and donors.
• Experience using data and analytics to inform donor cultivation strategies, segment donor pools, and optimize solicitation efforts.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, evolving environment, with a growth mindset focused on continuous improvement and learning.
• Experience using donor management…