Senior Specialist, Major Gifts

About the Organization

Founded in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is a leading non-profit organization (501(c)(3)) in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their loved ones. NILC’s mission is grounded in the belief that everyone living in the U.S. regardless of race, gender/gender identity, immigration status, or economic status — should have equal access to justice, resources, and educational and economic opportunities that enable them to achieve their full human potential.

Together, NILC and the affiliated NILC Immigrant Justice Fund (IJF), a 501(c)(4) organization, work to advocate more directly for immigrant justice including direct federal immigration policy reform. NILC is committed to advancing its mission — which intersects race, immigration status, and class — through racial, economic, and gender justice and equity orientation.

This position is a 2-year term limited role, renewable based on funding.

The National Immigration Law Center is seeking a Sr. Specialist, Major Gifts who will manage a portfolio of NILC (501c3) and IJF (501c4) donors and prospects giving $5,000+. The Sr. Specialist, Major Gifts will report directly to the Director, Fundraising Campaigns and work closely with other members of the development department, as well as with NILC senior leadership and program staff.

This role is a member of the bargaining unit.

The Sr. Specialist, Major Gifts will be responsible for providing leadership and driving success in the following key areas:

• Collaborate with the Director of Fundraising Campaigns to support a major giving donor program that includes both short- and long-term strategies.
• Collaborate with Strategic Communications team to develop the messaging for major giving communications including creation of coordinated strategies on shared donors, high-profile collaborators such as celebrities and other strategic partners as needed.

• In consultation with the Director, Fundraising Campaigns and other members of the Development Department, manage a select portfolio of 80-120 major donors and prospects with the capacity to make annual gifts of $5,000+, including their cultivation, stewardship and solicitation.
• Perform donor and prospect research leading to support individual goals and comprehensive strategic plans.
• Coordinate with Director, Fundraising Campaigns and Sr. Specialist, Midlevel Giving on donor upgrades and upgrade strategies.
• Collaborate with the Development Operations team to provide an enhanced level of donor services to all major donors.
• Record all interactions and post-meeting reports promptly in database and communicate all aspects of meeting, from set-up to follow-up, to other team members as needed.
• Meet portfolio goals including number of donor meetings and meaningful, monthly personalized donor contacts.
• Carry out successful donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship via virtual meetings, phone calls, personalized direct mail as needed, and in-person meetings on a regular basis to understand donor interests, motivations, and capacity.
• Coordinate with the Development team to plan and execute donor cultivation events – both virtual and in-person.
• Leads the planning and execution of special donor events including salons, Emersonian Dinners, and similar events targeted at major gift donors.
• Coordinate with the Development Department on donor pipeline prospects and management.
• Establish and execute a communications calendar for the major gifts audience that includes cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Work…