Senior Major Gifts Officer

SUMMARY

The Senior Major Gifts Officer is a frontline fundraising professional responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of major gift donors and prospects capable of making gifts of $25,000 and above. Working in close partnership with the Chief Business and Resource Development Officer, this role helps drive annual major gifts revenue goals while advancing a donor‑centered culture of philanthropy across the organization.

This position offers the opportunity to contribute strategically to organizational growth and serve as a key leader within the Community Engagement Department.

Manage an active portfolio of 100–150 major gift donors and prospects, developing and executing individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies for each relationship.

• Conduct 10–15 meaningful donor meetings each month, including in‑person, virtual, and event‑based interactions, with the goal of securing gifts in the $25,000–$500,000 range.
• Identify new prospects through research, referrals, board engagement, and community relationships.
• Conduct and synthesize donor research to inform cultivation strategies, including wealth screening, philanthropic history, and connections to the mission; maintain thorough, up‑to‑date prospect profiles in the CRM.

• Partner with the Chief Business and Resource Development Officer to set and meet annual major gifts revenue goals.
• Participate in moves management processes and maintain timely, accurate records in the CRM/donor database.
• Collaborate with development operations staff to ensure accurate donor tracking and reporting.

• Prepare comprehensive pre‑event attendee reports for each organizational event, including donor background, giving history, relationship notes, and cultivation status, to equip staff and leadership for meaningful engagement.
• Develop and distribute board member assignments prior to events, identifying specific donors and prospects for board members to connect with and providing talking points and cultivation goals for each interaction.
• Coordinate structured post‑event follow‑up, including debriefs with staff and board members, timely personalized outreach to attendees, and documentation of new contacts, notes, and next steps in the CRM.

• Create meaningful, personalized stewardship touchpoints for portfolio donors to deepen engagement and retention.
• Work closely with the marketing and communications team on impact reporting and donor‑facing materials.
• Represent the organization at community events, donor gatherings, and Jewish communal settings.

• Serve as a thought partner to the Chief Business and Resource Development Officer on development strategy and organizational growth.
• Provide informal mentorship to junior staff and model best practices in frontline fundraising.
• Participate in strategic philanthropic planning and contribute to a culture of philanthropy across the organization.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor.

• 5–8+ years of progressive fundraising experience with a demonstrated track record of closing major gifts of $25,000 or more.
• Experience managing a personal donor portfolio with measurable results.
• Strong relationship‑building skills and a donor‑centered approach.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with CRM/donor database systems (Donor Perfect, Salesforce, or similar).
• Ability to work some evenings and weekends for donor events.
• Understanding of, commitment to, and ability to articulate the organization's mission and values.
• Experience in Jewish communal organizations or mission‑aligned nonprofits preferred.
• Familiarity with Philadelphia's philanthropic and Jewish community landscape preferred.
• Experience with planned giving or campaign fundraising preferred.

• Demonstrates a results‑oriented, relationship‑first approach to major gifts fundraising.
• Strong organizational and portfolio management skills; able to balance multiple donor relationships simultaneously.
• Embraces a culture of philanthropy and…