Major Gifts Officer

Position Title: Major Gifts Officer

Department: Development

Grade Range/Job Status: Full Time/Exempt/Salaried

Reporting Relationship: Chief Development Officer

Supervisory Responsibilities: NA

Typical Schedule: Primarily M-F Days. Hybrid work available. Must occasionally be willing and able to work flexible hours/days, including evenings and weekends, reflective of the dynamic schedule of the organization.

Position Summary

The Major Gift Officer will plan and implement a Major Gift Program building relationships and securing gifts of $5,000 or greater to advance fundraising priorities and mission of the organization. Responsible for meeting our major gift fundraising and planned giving objectives and financial goals. The Major Gift Officer will be responsible for identifying and cultivating relationships with prospective major gift donors and planned giving donors. This involves initial prospect research and developing effective solicitation strategies as well as stewarding prospective, new, and existing donors throughout the major giving process. All employees are expected to center, model and champion Hammer & NER’s core values: Person-Centered, Relational, Opportunistic and Stewardship to provide people with intellectual and other disabilities, the opportunity to live life to its fullest.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

1. Portfolio Management

• The Major Gift Officer will develop and manage a portfolio of 100+ major gift prospects ($5,000 or greater), which are primarily individuals with occasional solicitation from corporations and foundations.
• Maintain appropriate contact and call reports. Analyze and predict donor propensity, capacity, and enthusiasm to give.

• Develop donor solicitation strategies for major gift prospects with an emphasis on sourcing new donor opportunities.
• Engage in proactive personalized fundraising, including completing regular donor contact meetings,
• Manage and write proposals for the prospects in portfolio. Compose correspondence and follow-up letters for portfolio and on behalf of others as needed.

1. Relationship Building

• Serve as a “relationship manager” to sustain and cultivate current funder relationships as well as establish new donor relationships.

• Establish positive effective relationships internally and externally with a broad assortment of individuals, boards, volunteers, donors, external partners, and the communities at large.

• Participate in outreach events to meet, identify, and qualify prospective donors.

• Identify opportunities for interaction for donors with individuals who can deepen the prospective donors' engagement.
• Meet with individual donors and other corporate/foundation contacts, arranging site visits and meetings involving appropriate employees, e.g. CEO, Program Directors.
• Build a culture of philanthropy internally and externally that attracts large, regional, and local donors.

1. Development Information Management

• Maintain in a timely fashion through The Raiser’s Edge and with the assistance of department staff accurate records of anticipated actions, completed actions, results of donor contacts, and recommendations or plans for follow-up work.
• Use wealth screening and other research information to develop strategies and build current portfolio.
• Monitor and manage opportunities and new trends with technology and data analysis to determine which efforts have the greatest business impact.
• Lead development colleagues in tracking and assessing major gift metrics including higher retention rates, increased giving, and donor satisfaction.

Essential Knowledge and Qualifications

• Intermediate, successful experience in nonprofit fundraising including cultivation, soliciting, and stewarding of major donors. Formal, informal, and cross-disciplinary experiences will be considered.
• Strong commitment and demonstrated passion for the organization’s mission to support individuals with disabilities.

• Demonstrated success soliciting Major Gifts from individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations.
• Prior leadership experience, planning, coordinating, and evaluating activities required to achieve the fundraising goals.
• Demonstrated experience communicating/networking effectively and persuasively in oral and written communication on an interpersonal or group level.

• Experience with Microsoft Office Products (Word, Excel, Teams, PowerPoint).

• Experiencemanaging important and highly confidential donor data with a firm understanding of donor database software such as Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge.
• Experience with or willingness to learn prospect research tools such as iWave.

• Requires a valid driver’s license, access to a personal auto and driving record that meets Hammer & NERs insurance requirements. Ability to travel in own vehicle to locations in the greater metro area on a frequent basis to meet with donors.
• Must receive a MN DHS Background study clearance and show freedom from Tuberculosis.
• Demonstrated work experience prioritizing and managing competing priorities and multiple deadlines.
• Physical demands include frequent use of a telephone, frequent use of repetitive motion activities including typing on a computer keyboard and the ability to work for several hours at a time at a desk and computer.
• Willing and able to work flexible hours/days, including occasional evenings and weekends, to meet the needs of the organization.
• Experience, ability, and commitment to working with individuals and teams that are mixed across lines of difference such as race, gender-identity, sexual orientation, religion, ability, age, class, and immigrant status.

This job description assigns essential functions. It does not restrict the tasks an individual in this position might be asked to perform or all qualifications that may be required currently or in the future.