Leadership Gift Officer

Position: Leadership Gift Officer (Multiple Openings)

For over 160 years, the University of Washington has been a hub for learning, innovation, problem solving and community building. Supporting this legacy and important public mission—with the goal of making the UW the world’s greatest public university, as measured by positive impact—guides everything we do in University Advancement. Bringing together development; alumni and stakeholder engagement; marketing and communications; and advancement operations, we advance the UW’s impact by developing meaningful connections that foster pride, advocacy and philanthropic support.

The mission of the Development team is to facilitate private resources to enhance and protect the University’s reputation and support equitable community building and service. This starts with creating a culture of belonging within our organization that values the diverse experiences and expertise of our team members, allowing everyone to thrive and to contribute their unique talents as we strive to achieve our shared goals.

The Annual Philanthropy team has two openings for a Leadership Gift Officer. These are full-time, permanent positions.

The Leadership Gift Officer leverages relationship-building, communication and fundraising skills to inspire philanthropic support for the University of Washington. As a member of the Leadership Annual Philanthropy team, this role supports a growing mid‑level giving program (annual gifts up to $99,999). The Leadership Gift Officer builds a portfolio of donor prospects, overseeing discovery, qualification, solicitation and the strategic transition of major gift prospects.

This role will leverage scalable strategies and an integrated, multichannel approach, combining data‑driven insights with personalized donor engagement.

What You Will Do Frontline Fundraising (75%)

• Manage and grow a portfolio of mid‑level donors and prospects, securing gifts in the range of $2,000–$99,999, including multiyear commitments.
• Conduct donor discovery, qualification and solicitation using an integrated, multichannel fundraising approach, complemented by occasional in‑person visits.
• Leverage fundraising metrics to assess results, refine strategies and adapt goals as needed.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation in fundraising systems, including contact reports, proposal updates, expense reports and donor record updates.

Relationship Management (15%)

• Build and sustain strong, trust‑based relationships with donors, volunteers and colleagues across University Advancement.
• Partner with frontline fundraisers across the University to coordinate solicitation and stewardship strategies for leadership gifts as well as transitioning donors who are ready to move into major gift portfolios.
• Align donor interests with University of Washington priorities and philanthropic opportunities.
• Remain informed about changes to information related to assigned prospects and ensure donor records are up to date.

Program Support (10%)

• Leverage scalable strategies and personalized engagement to expand donor participation.
• Support the growth of a dynamic mid‑level giving program, focusing on pipeline development.
• Participate in the development of policies and procedures relating to the leadership gifts program, marketing materials for the leadership gift effort and leadership gift cultivation and stewardship activities and events.
• Undertake additional special projects as directed.

Required Qualifications

To be considered for this opportunity, your application must demonstrate that you meet the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification and/or registration.

Minimum…