Major Gifts Officer

Special Olympics Minnesota Inc Minneapolis, Other / Non-US, United States

Department: Development

Location: Hybrid;
Minneapolis

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Reports To: Vice President of Development

Direct Reports: Director of Individual Giving

Special Olympics Minnesota is part of a global movement creating a more inclusive world through year-round sports training, competition, health, leadership, and community programs for people with intellectual disabilities. Through these programs, athletes build confidence, strengthen community connections, and help advance a culture of acceptance, respect, and inclusion across Minnesota.

The Major Gifts Officer expands Special Olympics Minnesota’s capacity to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward high-capacity donors while also researching and advancing aligned public funding opportunities. This position builds and manages a portfolio of current donors and prospective supporters capable of five- and six-figure gifts, strengthens donor relationships, supports leadership in strategic solicitations, and develops a disciplined approach to public-sector funding opportunities.

This role is designed to grow and diversify revenue, improve movement through the major gift pipeline, and create new funding pathways that support long-term sustainability, expanded reach, and mission impact. The position will balance major gifts and public funding responsibilities in a way that reflects organizational priorities, funding opportunities, and Development team needs.

• Build, qualify, and manage a prioritized portfolio of high-capacity individual donors and prospects with five- and six-figure giving potential.
• Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies based on donor interests, capacity, engagement, and relationship history.
• Conduct meaningful donor outreach and meetings that move relationships through a structured fundraising pipeline.
• Prepare and make direct major gift solicitations independently and in partnership with organizational leadership, board members, volunteers, and other key stakeholders.
• Create compelling proposals, cases for support, briefing materials, donor communications, and other materials connected to major gift activity.
• Identify opportunities to retain, renew, and upgrade current donors to higher levels of support.
• Maintain accurate and timely donor records, contact reports, next steps, portfolio stages, and revenue projections in the organization’s CRM or donor database.
• Support donor-focused events, including gala-related engagement, small hosted gatherings, and other cultivation or stewardship opportunities.
• Partner with leadership to prepare for key donor meetings and ensure timely, personalized follow-up and stewardship.

• Research, monitor, and assess government and other public funding opportunities that align with the organization’s mission, strategic priorities, capacity, and program needs.
• Build and maintain relationships with public officials, agency contacts, community partners, and other stakeholders connected to potential public funding.
• Coordinate internal assessment of promising opportunities with program, finance, and leadership staff to confirm strategic fit, operational feasibility, compliance expectations, and reporting capacity.
• Coordinate public funding applications and partnership opportunities when appropriate, including required writing and supporting documentation.
• Manage relevant stewardship, reporting, and relationship follow-up connected to public funding secured or advanced through this role.
• Develop a repeatable internal process for tracking, evaluating,…