Major Gifts Officer

• Status: Exempt

The Major Gifts Officer is a senior member of the Development Department responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors capable of making significant philanthropic investments. The position manages a strategic portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, develops individualized engagement plans, and works closely with executive leadership to secure transformational and multi-year support that advances the organization’s mission and long-term sustainability.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive major gifts strategy aligned with annual and multi-year fundraising goals.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 75-150 qualified major gift prospects and donors, with a focus on gifts of $25,000 or more or the threshold established by the organization.
• Identify, research, qualify, and prioritize new major gift prospects through prospect research, referrals, community engagement, and relationship mapping.
• Create individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans that reflect each donor’s interests, capacity, relationship, and stage in the giving cycle.
• Conduct donor meetings, site visits, presentations, briefings, and other meaningful engagement activities with prospective and current supporters.
• Prepare compelling proposals, case statements, donor briefings, sponsorship requests, impact reports, and other customized fundraising communications.
• Partner with the CEO, executive leadership, Development Director and other key ambassadors to develop donor strategies, prepare for solicitations, and conduct joint donor visits.
• Build philanthropic partnerships that support strategic priorities through major, transformational, and multi-year investments.
• Coordinate high-touch donor stewardship, including timely acknowledgments, impact updates, recognition, and ongoing engagement designed

• Collaborate with the Development Department, Communications Department, programs and events staff to align donor messaging, funding opportunities, and engagement strategies.
• Build a major gifts program, soliciting six and seven figure gifts
• Maintain accurate and timely donor records, contact reports, proposal activity, gift information, and next steps in the organization’s donor database.
• Assist in the development of the organization’s donor database
• Develop major gift revenue projections, monitor pipeline activity, and report progress against goals and key performance indicators.
• Support and/or develop donor cultivation events, site tours, briefings, receptions, and other opportunities that deepen relationships with prospects and supporters.
• Prepare briefing materials for executive leadership and Board members before donor meetings and ensure appropriate follow-up on commitments and action items. Identify planned giving and legacy giving opportunities and coordinate with donors and professional advisors as appropriate.
• Maintain current knowledge of philanthropic trends, charitable giving strategies, and major gifts best practices, while protecting donor confidentiality and upholding ethical fundraising standards.
• Represent A New Way of Life at community, philanthropic, and networking events as appropriate and perform other development duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business administration, communications, public administration, marketing, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible senior-level development leadership experience within a nonprofit organization, including significant experience leading major gifts fundraising, managing principal donor relationships, securing six- and seven-figure gifts, and serving as a strategic partner to the CEO, executive leadership team, and the Board of Directors.
• Minimum of at least three (3) years in the role of Major Gifts Officer
• Demonstrated success managing a major gifts portfolio and moving donors through qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships with philanthropists, corporate leaders,…