Leadership Gift Officer Job Bennington Vermont USA,Non-Profit & Social Impact

Bennington College is seeking a Leadership Gift Officer to join its Institutional Advancement team. Dedicated to expanding philanthropic support from alumni, parents, and friends across the western United States, the Leadership Gift Officer builds a strong pipeline for future major gifts by qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding constituents to deepen their relationship with the College.

Under the direction of the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the Leadership Gift Officer oversees a portfolio of roughly 125 to 150 prospects and donors, concentrating on annual leadership gifts between $10,000 and $100,000 and securing multi-year pledges as appropriate.

This is a remote position requiring residence in the West Coast, Mountain West, or Pacific Northwest, as it demands frequent in-person travel across the region—specifically targeting the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and the Pacific Northwest. Duties will also require periodic travel—including overnight stays—to Bennington, Vermont, and additional destinations, as well as occasional work during evenings and weekends.

Bennington serves a diverse student population inclusive of members of ethnically/racially minoritized, international, LGBTQIA+, and disability communities, as well as diverse gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, and political beliefs. Our staff and faculty also reflect diverse and intersecting backgrounds and identities. All employees are expected to be respectful and responsive to these differences in the service of building a community that promotes student and employee success and community cohesiveness.

Each individual (faculty, staff and students) will be accountable for upholding these values. The College’s approach to pluralism and inclusivity—both as fields of inquiry and practice—is to prioritize flexible thought, and to invite the examination of access, value, power, and privilege through its institutional policies and areas of study. We encourage applicants from diverse realms of interest, backgrounds, experience, and accomplishment to apply.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.

Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in frontline fundraising, sales, account management, relationship management, business development, or a related field; experience in higher education advancement or nonprofit fundraising is preferred.

Valid/current driver’s license and ability to travel independently.

Demonstrated ability to establish and sustain meaningful relationships with a wide range of individuals.

Comfort and effectiveness in initiating conversations about philanthropy and making direct person-to-person solicitations.

Strong organizational and portfolio-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple relationships, priorities, and deadlines independently.

Demonstrated ability to set priorities, take initiative, follow through consistently, and work toward measurable goals.

Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.

Strong listening skills and the ability to understand constituent interests and translate them into meaningful engagement and philanthropic opportunities.

Experience using CRM or donor-management databases; familiarity with fundraising and moves-management systems is preferred.

Comfort using data, research, and technology to inform portfolio strategy and fundraising activity.

Ability to work effectively both independently in a remote environment and collaboratively as part of a distributed team.

Ability to interact professionally with donors and colleagues and exercise sound judgment and discretion when handling confidential information.

Demonstrated ability to…