Major Gifts Officer

Forest Home is a Christ-centered nonprofit camp dedicated to providing life-changing experiences for children, youth, and families. Through outdoor adventures, biblical teaching, and authentic community, we seek to cultivate spiritual growth and lifelong faith in Jesus Christ. We are seeking a passionate and strategic Major Gift Officer to help grow our mission through meaningful donor relationships and impactful giving opportunities. The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for developing and managing relationships with current and prospective major donors to support Forest Home’s vision, programs, and capital needs.

This position will focus on identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individuals capable of making gifts of ($10,000+) or more annually. The ideal candidate will be a committed follower of Jesus Christ with a heart for ministry, a high degree of emotional intelligence, and a proven ability to engage major donors in transformational giving. The Major Gifts Officer works directly under the direction of the Chief Development Officer in the execution and support of the Forest Home strategies.

The Major Gifts Officer is a key member of the development team, responsible for securing and growing significant philanthropic support. In addition to managing their own portfolio of high-capacity donors, the MGO oversees the Charitable Gift Advisor and Annual Fund Coordinator, ensuring a coordinated donor pipeline and an integrated strategy that advances donor relationships at every level. This is a full-time, remote position working out of a home office.

Seasonal travel to Forest Home in Forest Falls is required during the summer months or as needed for donor engagement, as well as regional travel throughout Southern California including but not limited to Orange County, San Diego County, Los Angeles County, Arizona and Nevada.

Forest Home is a Christ-centered nonprofit camp dedicated to providing life-changing experiences for children, youth, and families. Through outdoor adventure, biblical teaching, and authentic community, we cultivate spiritual growth and lifelong faith in Jesus Christ.

We are seeking a passionate, strategic Major Gift Officer (MGO) to grow Forest Home's mission through meaningful donor relationships and transformational giving. The MGO identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards individuals capable of giving $15,000 or more annually in support of Forest Home's programs, scholarships, and capital needs. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the MGO manages a portfolio of high-capacity donors and partners closely with the Annual Fund Coordinator to build a coordinated pipeline that moves donors from mid-level to major and planned giving.

The ideal candidate is a committed follower of Jesus Christ with a heart for ministry, high emotional intelligence, and a proven record of inspiring donors toward generous, joyful giving.

Success in this role is measured against the following annual targets, set in partnership with the Chief Development Officer. Metric:
Annual target:
Major gift revenue $3,750,000. Active portfolio: 250 major donors and prospects. Donor retention: 85–90%. Multi-year pledge conversations (3–5 year commitments): 20–30%. 15:1 Partnership program growth:
New partners at $25,000+. Donor engagement:
Weekly face-to‑face, virtual, and phone meetings.

Donor Relationships and Portfolio Management: manage a portfolio of approximately 250 major donors and prospects, building authentic, long‑term relationships through personalized engagement. Lead every stage of the donor cycle: identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, follow‑up,…