Major Gifts Officer

Major Gifts Officer (MGO)

The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual, family, and institutional donors capable of making significant philanthropic investments in the Indianapolis Foundation's mission and strategic priorities.

The Indianapolis Foundation is one of the nation's first community foundations, established in 1916. It received its first gift in 1920 and made its first grant in 1924. For more than a century, The Indianapolis Foundation has served as a catalyst for lasting community impact—mobilizing people, ideas, and investments to create a city where all residents have equitable opportunity to reach their full potential – no matter place, race or identity.

The MGO manages a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, serving as a trusted philanthropic advisor, connecting donor interests with opportunities to create meaningful community impact. This position requires a relationship-centered fundraiser who can effectively engage donors, volunteers, professional advisors, and community leaders while communicating the Foundation's vision for a more equitable Indianapolis.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, with a focus on securing commitments to IF's unrestricted endowment and programs and project in the Equity Imperative.
• Develop and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies – with a team-based staff/volunteer strategic approach (e.g. "Moves Management") – designed to deepen donor engagement and increase philanthropic investment – working closely with leadership to establish meaningful engagement for new and long-term donors.
• Develop and maintain strategic and sequential comprehensive cultivation and solicitation plans for assigned prospects.
• Conduct regular donor visits and meaningful interactions, maintaining a high level of activity and accountability.
• Prepare gift proposals, donor presentations, and stewardship reports.
• Collaborate with the CDPO and IF leadership to identify transformational gift opportunities and planned giving prospects.
• Cultivate philanthropic investments that advance the IF's strategic priorities, including housing, economic mobility, health equity, environmental equity, youth opportunity, and community leadership.
• Translate complex community challenges and Foundation strategies into compelling donor engagement opportunities.
• Help donors understand how their philanthropic investments can address systemic inequities and create lasting community impact, with a focus on IF's unrestricted endowment.
• Identify, research, qualify, and prioritize prospective donors through data analysis, relationship mapping, community engagement, and collaborative prospecting.
• Assess donor capacity, inclination, and readiness for solicitation.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive cultivation and solicitation plans for assigned prospects.
• Track prospect networks, interests, community affiliations, and connections to Foundation initiatives.
• Ensure donors receive meaningful stewardship and engagement opportunities that reflect the impact of their giving and within the Foundation's larger organizational structure
• Coordinate donor recognition, reporting, and stewardship activities.
• Build long-term relationships that encourage increased giving, legacy commitments, and deeper engagement with the Foundation.
• Serve as a knowledgeable ambassador for the Indianapolis Foundation within the community.
• Partner closely with the CDPO, IF leaders, and colleagues across the Foundation to advance fundraising priorities.
• Support and participate in donor cultivation, educational, and community engagement events ranging from intimate gatherings to…