Major Gifts and Legacy Giving Officer

Major Gifts & Legacy Giving Officer Position Summary

Food Lifeline is seeking a relationship-driven and collaborative Major Gifts & Legacy Giving Officer to inspire meaningful philanthropic investment in our mission to feed people experiencing hunger today while working to end hunger for tomorrow.

Serving communities across 17 counties in Western Washington, Food Lifeline works alongside donors, community partners, volunteers, and advocates to create a more equitable food system and a future where everyone has access to the food they need.

The Major Gifts & Legacy Giving Officer builds authentic, long-term relationships with individuals and family foundations who want to make a meaningful difference through philanthropy. This position manages a portfolio of approximately 100–150 donors and prospects, with an emphasis on identifying and qualifying new major gift prospects, deepening existing relationships, securing five- and six-figure gifts and multi-year commitments, and growing Food Lifeline's legacy giving program.

The position is responsible for generating approximately $2 million annually through a portfolio of major donors and family foundations and contributes to the Giving Team's overall annual philanthropic revenue goals.

As a member of Food Lifeline's Giving Team, this role works collaboratively across the organization to connect donors with Food Lifeline's mission and impact. The ideal candidate brings curiosity, strong relationship-building skills, sound judgment, and a donor-centered approach to fundraising.

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 100–150 individual donors, family foundations, and prospective donors.
• Develop and execute individualized strategies to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, steward, and renew major gifts.
• Build authentic relationships with donors by understanding their interests, motivations, and philanthropic goals and connecting those interests with Food Lifeline's mission and priorities.
• Secure five- and six-figure gifts, multi-year commitments, and leadership-level investments, working toward an annual portfolio revenue goal of approximately $2 million.
• Identify and qualify new major gift prospects and create strategies for moving prospective donors toward deeper engagement and investment.
• Provide thoughtful and personalized stewardship that demonstrates the impact of donor investments and strengthens long-term relationships.
• Maintain a consistent schedule of meaningful donor engagement, including in-person and virtual meetings, phone conversations, events, and personalized outreach.

• Manage and help grow Food Lifeline's legacy giving program through thoughtful identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Build relationships with individuals considering or documenting legacy gifts and provide ongoing stewardship for legacy donors and, when appropriate, their loved ones.
• Partner with Food Lifeline's planned giving vendor, Free Will, to develop engaging outreach, communications, and donor engagement strategies.
• Maintain working knowledge of planned giving practices and trends and collaborate appropriately with donors and their professional advisors. Food Lifeline does not provide donors with legal, tax, or financial advice.
• Identify opportunities to integrate legacy giving conversations into broader donor engagement strategies.

• Develop, implement, and track moves management strategies for assigned donors and prospects.
• Create compelling and personalized proposals, solicitations, donor correspondence, impact updates, and stewardship materials.
• Partner with Giving, Marketing & Communications, Programs, leadership, and other teams to develop effective donor engagement strategies and communicate Food Lifeline's impact.
• Collaborate with colleagues on donor events, legacy giving activities, special campaigns, and other engagement opportunities.
• Regularly evaluate portfolio activity, pipeline health, donor engagement, and fundraising results against established goals and adjust strategies as needed.
• Maintain timely, accurate, and meaningful donor records and activity in Food Lifeline's CRM, including adherence to team documentation and moves management practices.
• Represent Food Lifeline professionally and warmly at donor meetings, community events, tours, and occasional speaking engagements.
• Contribute to a collaborative team culture and support shared Giving Team goals and priorities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Demonstrated success building relationships with donors and securing significant philanthropic gifts.
• Experience managing a portfolio of donors or prospects and moving relationships from identification and cultivation through solicitation, stewardship, and renewal.
• A donor-centered approach and the ability to listen, understand what motivates people to give, and connect those interests authentically to organizational priorities.
• Strong…