Senior Major Gifts Officer

Job Overview

GBH seeks an experienced major gifts officer to join the development team. Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, Major Gifts, the Senior Major Gifts Officer (SMGO) will work in a fast‑paced, highly complex development environment and will manage a portfolio of approximately 150 local and national donors and prospects who have the potential to make five‑, six‑, and seven‑figure gifts to support GBH’s institutional priorities.

These priorities include thematic funds (climate and environment, arts and culture, kids and education, etc.) and support for the national production program trusts. The SMGO will play a key role in an expansive campaign marking GBH’s 75th anniversary in 2026, helping to identify new prospects and advance current prospects through the moves management process.

• Manage the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individuals and family foundations who can make gifts of $25,000 and higher, with a focus on those with the potential to make gifts of $100,000 or more.
• Develop and implement a cultivation and solicitation strategy for each assigned current and prospective major donor.
• Use high‑touch personal communications and exceptional customer service to cultivate and solicit donors.
• Become a content expert for one or more of GBH’s productions, and act as the lead fundraiser of the associated funds, staying abreast of funding opportunities.
• Collaborate with executive producers, the Chief Development Officer, the CEO, and other development and program staff to design and implement fundraising strategies for associated content areas.
• Establish and meet dollar and visit goals for each major donor and for the major gifts program, while also growing donors’ annual fund giving in collaboration with membership and patron society teams.
• Prepare solicitation strategies, meeting briefings, written proposals, letters of gratitude, and impact reports for use during donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
• Record and track all activity using GBH’s CRM.
• Attend development department, unit, and foundation‑wide meetings to deepen understanding of organizational programs, priorities, and goals for accurate presentation to donors.
• Work with events, production, unit leadership, and volunteer hosts to envision, plan, and execute donor stewardship and cultivation events.
• Collaborate with other team members to foster a positive, productive, and inclusive culture, and contribute toward the overall growth of GBH.

Must possess exceptional written and oral expression and be able to adapt the writing style for all manner of communications including email, formal letters, informal notes, extensive funding proposals, briefings, donor meetings and presentations. Ability to write on behalf of others, multitask with extreme proficiency, respond nimbly to evolving priorities, and work independently and as part of a team are essential, as is a sense of humor and flexibility.

The successful SMGO will be a relational leader with high emotional intelligence and the ability to strategically guide relationships—both internal and external—with nuance and maturity. Commitment to GBH’s values and public media mission, high energy, creativity, and initiative are also paramount.

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience required. 7–10 years of development experience with progressively increasing responsibility, with at least 5 years demonstrating effectiveness in a major gift officer role. Proven track record of soliciting and closing six‑ and seven‑figure gifts.

Staff position, Hybrid position.

Location:

1 Guest Street, Boston, MA 02135. This position is located in Boston, MA, and requires on‑site presence. Salary Range: $89,540 – $118,050. Compensation is determined within this range 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.