Major Gifts Officer

Le Jardin Academy

Le Jardin Academy, located in Kailua, HI is Hawai‘i’s only International Baccalaureate World School offering students a world-class IB education from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. Founded in 1961, Le Jardin Academy unites 910 students and nearly 200 faculty and staff and their families around its mission to cultivate a community of learners who embrace hana pono to positively impact the world.

Its graduates attend the best universities across the world and are equipped to serve in whatever community they reside. As a community, we value individual pathways, excellence, innovation, peace, and relationships.

Under the direction of the Director of Development and in close collaboration with the Advancement team, the Major Gifts Officer is a front line fundraiser responsible for building and managing relationships with current and prospective donors capable of making significant philanthropic investments in Le Jardin Academy. Through strategic qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, the Major Gifts Officer advances support for the school’s highest funding priorities, including annual, capital, endowment, scholarship, and programmatic initiatives.

The Major Gifts Officer manages a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, develops and implements individualized engagement strategies, and partners closely with the Executive Director of Advancement, Director of Development, Head of School, school leadership, and volunteers to secure philanthropic support. This role plays a vital role in strengthening Le Jardin Academy’s culture of philanthropy and expanding the pipeline of major donors to support the school’s evolving priorities and long-term sustainability.

• Build and manage a portfolio of 75-100 prospective major donors with the goal of closing $200,000 by June 2027 and demonstrating an ROI of 5-10% by 2030.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts prospects/donors to ensure a healthy major gifts donor pipeline.
• Conduct regular face-to-face, virtual, and other meaningful donor interactions to advance relationships and move prospects through the donor continuum.
• Work closely with the Executive Director of Advancement and Director of Development to build the major gifts program through regular prospect identification, engagement, and creative strategies that lift LJA’s strategic and operational goals and potential for future legacy gifts.
• Partner with the Annual Giving Manager to identify highly engaged constituents with major gift potential and to ensure coordinated donor engagement and stewardship
• Help donors align their philanthropic interests with Le Jardin Academy’s mission, strategic priorities, and funding opportunities to create meaningful impact for both the donor and institution.
• Maintain accurate and timely donor records in Raiser’s Edge NXT, documenting all substantive donor interactions via Reports of Contact (ROCs), moves management activity, cultivation strategies, and next-step actions to support effective portfolio management and fundraising outcomes.
• Partner with Advancement leadership to strategically engage the Head of School, Trustees, and other key stakeholders in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship as appropriate.
• Prepare compelling proposals, gift agreements, impact reports, and other donor-facing materials that communicate opportunities for investment and philanthropic impact.
• Ensure timely and meaningful stewardship and recognition of major donors through personalized communication, reporting, and engagement opportunities.
• Conduct prospect research and analysis to identify new major gift opportunities and inform engagement strategies.
• Serves ad-hoc on the Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees.
• Monitor and report weekly on portfolio activity, donor engagement, and fundraising
• Support capital, endowment, and special fundraising initiatives as they arise.
• Participate in school events and activities as a means of connecting with prospects and advancing fundraising objectives.
• Ensure continuous refinement and expansion of LJA’s major gifts program.
• Other duties as assigned.

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