Major Gift Officer, University Major Gifts

Major Gifts Officer

Cornell University welcomes candidates for the position of Major Gifts Officer in our Alumni Affairs and Development division, based in Ithaca, NY. This role presents an exceptional opportunity to contribute to the university's development efforts.

Position Summary

The Cornell University Major Gifts Officer builds and manages relationships with alumni, parents, and friends to secure philanthropic support aligned with institutional priorities. This role involves identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors to advance the university's mission through leadership and major gifts.

Key Responsibilities

• Portfolio Management and Fundraising:
  Manage a portfolio of 100-120 prospects primarily in the Midwest region of the U.S. with gift capacities ranging from $250K to $10M. Develop and execute an annual solicitation plan for each prospect, ensuring cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Donor Engagement:
  Conduct 120-150 significant contacts annually, with at least 50% being in-person, to build relationships and advance fundraising strategies. Aim to generate $1M to $3M in new gifts and commitments.
• Discovery and Prospect Identification:
  Conduct 20-40 discovery qualifications annually to identify new potential donors and expand the portfolio.
• Collaboration and Coordination:
  Work closely with Cornell's colleges, units, and leadership to ensure alignment of donor plans with institutional priorities. Prepare faculty and senior leadership for donor meetings, including briefing materials.
• Proposal Development and Negotiation:
  Independently match donor interests with Cornell's priorities, developing funding proposals and structuring complex gifts to secure donations.
• Knowledge and Relationship Building:
  Maintain a deep understanding of Cornell's priorities and engage in regular collaboration with college and unit colleagues to strengthen donor relationships and support fundraising efforts.

About Alumni Affairs and Development

At Cornell Alumni Affairs and Development, we connect alumni, parents, and friends with opportunities to make a meaningful difference at Cornell and beyond. Our success is built on the strength of relationships, a commitment to excellence, and a culture of collaboration, innovation, inclusion, and continuous learning. As one of higher education's leading fundraising and engagement organizations, we recently completed a record-setting campaign that engaged more than 221K alumni and raised $6.7 billion.

Joining our team means growing your career alongside supportive, mission-driven, and high-performing colleagues while helping shape Cornell's future.

Required Qualifications

• Education and Experience:
  
  Bachelor's degree and 5-7 years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Relationship-Building:
  Ability to cultivate and maintain strong, long-term relationships with high-net-worth donors and prospects.
• Communication and Presentation:
  Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to craft compelling proposals and engage in meaningful donor meetings.
• Strategic and Creative Thinking:
  Ability to develop and implement fundraising strategies that align donor interests with organizational goals while addressing challenges and finding innovative solutions.
• Collaboration and Teamwork:
  Strong experience working with senior leadership and colleagues across departments to coordinate and align fundraising efforts.
• Ethical and Data-Driven Decision-Making:
  Commitment to ethical fundraising practices and the ability to use data to track progress, assess success, and refine strategies.

Work Location

• This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. Employees typically perform this role remotely 3 days per week and in-office 2 days per week in Ithaca. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, revoke, or terminate the hybrid work arrangement at any time.

Rewards and Benefits

• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.
• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands.
• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays:
  Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays.
• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program.
• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell:
  Total Rewards | Working at Cornell.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

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