Minimum Education/ Experience:

Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of experience preferred or Coursework towards Bachelor’s degree and 5-8 years of philanthropy experience with demonstrated progressive responsibility in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors at the $5,000+ level and successfully achieving development goals. This is a full-time professional position.

Valid North Carolina driver’s license required.

Brief Description of Work Performed:

The Major Gift and Stewardship Officer will assist in planning and implementing a program to fund strategic priorities including future capital needs, planned gifts, endowment support, and other priorities as assigned. Additionally, the Major Gift and Stewardship Officer ensures the successful operation of an annual major gift strategy and comprehensive stewardship program that involves staff, board members, and other key volunteers and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

1. Build and manage a portfolio of major donors (individuals and corporate and foundation partners); cultivate and solicit, through personal face-to-face calls and cultivation activities, gifts of $5,000 or more.
2. Identify and qualify major gift prospects and coordinate cultivation activities with other staff members.
3. Responsible for developing goals, major gift fundraising strategies, and action plans within an assigned portfolio.
4. Develop and implement stewardship strategies and processes that strengthen relationships and elevate engagement with major donors.
5. Assist in the creation and support of an effective moves management process and coordination of activities in the database.
6. Write proposals and impact reports for major individual, corporate, and foundation donors.
7. Create and implement a plan for giving societies and donor recognition.
8. Support a process that prompts and assists volunteers and staff in maintaining personal contact with major donors. Provide samples of personal acknowledgment and stewardship letters, profiles/summaries, and tools needed for board members and key volunteers.
9. Help maintain and keep the donor database up-to-date and accurate with proper tracking of notes, actions, proposals, impact reports, etc.

Recruitment Standards

1. Demonstrated experience in cold calling and negotiating and closing major gifts.
2. Ability to communicate effectively and enthusiastically with a diverse constituency, including corporate executives, foundation executives, individuals, volunteers, and fellow staff.
3. Ability to engage and inspire donor prospects to make major gifts in support of the mission.
4. Effective public speaking and interpersonal communication skills. Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to write proposals and reports to donors.
5. High level of organization skills and attention to detail.
6. Familiarity with capital campaigns and planned giving programs as well as an understanding of tax issues as they pertain to charitable giving.
7. Ability to work well independently with minimal supervision and cooperatively in a team setting.
8. Willingness to travel locally and on short notice in relevance to the prospect management process.
9. Experience with Raiser's Edge/NXT preferred.

Hours/Days of Work:

40+ hours per week, Monday through Friday (Exempt).  Position requires evening and weekend assignments.

Pay Rate:

$63,000-$73,000/year: salary, exempt position; Excellent benefits package includes: medical, dental, vision, life ins, STD/LTD, paid holidays, PTO, and 403b retirement plan