Major Gifts Officer

The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individuals capable of making gifts of $5,000 or more. This position manages relationships with existing major-gift prospects while identifying and qualifying new prospective donors.

The Major Gifts Officer manages a portfolio of approximately 125–175 major-gift prospects and donors, developing personalized strategies that deepen relationships and inspire transformational philanthropy. The role is responsible for building meaningful donor relationships, maintaining comprehensive engagement strategies for assigned donors, increasing donor retention and average gift size, and consistently advancing donors through the donor pipeline.

Success in this role is measured by meaningful donor engagement, revenue growth, donor retention, successful solicitation of major gifts, and consistent achievement of established fundraising and activity goals. The Major Gifts Officer serves as an ambassador for the organization and works collaboratively across departments to connect donors with the SPCA of Wake County’s mission and impact.

This role requires exceptional relationship-building skills, strategic thinking, donor-centered communication, emotional intelligence, initiative, accountability, discretion, adaptability, attention to detail, and a results-oriented approach. The successful Major Gifts Officer will develop a strong understanding of organizational priorities and become a trusted philanthropic advisor who helps donors connect their interests with meaningful opportunities to support the organization.

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  - Hell, Yeah!
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  - Be Kind
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  - Do What You Say
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  - Forward Focused
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  - Loose & Wiggly
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  - Drop the Mic

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 125–175 major-gift prospects and donors.
• Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans.
• Enter timely and accurate notes into the organization’s database following each donor interaction.
• Meet established annual fundraising, solicitation, donor-engagement, and activity goals.

• Ensure gifts receive timely acknowledgment and appropriate recognition.

• Identify new major-gift prospects through analytics, research and other development activities.
• Qualify prospective donors for caseload management through discovery visits, telephone calls, virtual conversations, and other meaningful engagement.
• Collaborate with the Development Officer responsible for data and gift processing to maintain accurate prospect and donor records within the donor database.
• Work with the Development Officer responsible for stewardship to review new major-gift prospects identified through routine Development workflows.

• Engage donors in charitable gift-planning conversations when appropriate.
• Support the administration and fulfillment of estate gifts.
• Coordinate with other Development staff on new estate gift designation follow-up.
• Collaborate with Development leadership and appropriate team members to ensure planned gifts are acknowledged, administered, documented, and stewarded appropriately.

• Work closely with Department leadership to understand priorities and develop gift strategies.
• Represent the organization professionally at donor meetings, fundraising events, community functions, tours, and other organizational activities.
• Maintain discretion, confidentiality, professionalism, and sound judgment when handling donor information and organizational matters.
• Perform additional duties as assigned to support Development and organizational priorities.

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Three or more years of successful nonprofit fundraising experience, including direct solicitation of gifts of $5,000 or more.
• Demonstrated success securing gifts or closing significant financial commitments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project-management abilities.
• Ability to independently manage multiple and competing…