Buckner International Location: Buckner International Support Center
Location: Houston, TX - Hybrid
Address: 8600 Sweetwater Lane, Houston, TX 77037
Job Schedule: Full-Time
We are seeking a Major Gift Officer to join our development team. As a Major Gift Officer, qualifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards donors and donor prospects capable of making commitments in the assigned region for all ministries and programs of Buckner International. Join our team and shine hope in the lives of others!
What You’ll Do:
As a member of our team, you will have an impact on our clients through the accomplishment of the following responsibilities:
- Manage a donor development portfolio of individuals, churches, foundations, and other organizations, both donor and donor prospects.
- Develop and implement an annual development plan for donors and donor prospects assigned to the Gift Officer portfolio to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward.
- Support the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors for capital fund drives and other organizational campaigns as assigned.
- Fully utilize tools and resources of Buckner to establish cultivation strategies and conduct calls and visits with individuals, foundations, churches and corporations, with Buckner staff or individually, to promote Buckner and its program needs.
- Make qualification calls and visits to individuals, corporations, churches, foundations and other organizations for the purpose of identifying and then cultivating relationships that could lead to donations to Buckner ministries.
- Prepare written proposals to support direct solicitations.
- Support Buckner events and activities in assigned geographical areas and travel to visit donors and prospects as necessary
- Utilize, as appropriate, program staff and Executive Directors in the identification, cultivation and solicitation of prospects/donors.
- Utilize Buckner International Board Members and Buckner Development Council Members and other volunteers in the cultivation and solicitation of donors and donor prospects.
- Championing a greater understanding and awareness of Buckner’s mission and ministry among donors/prospects by intentionally managing relationships internally and externally.
What You’ll Bring to the Team:
To be successful in this role and a great addition to our team we need you to come with the following:
- The ability to successfully identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and donor prospects in the assigned area for all Buckner ministries and programs. A bachelor’s degree in a related field is required.
- Minimum of 5 to 8 years prior related experience in building and sustaining relationships with constituents engaged with an organization.
- Requires prior related experience working with necessary parties to develop and refine content for solicitations.
- Requires proven successful experience in identifying, cultivating, and sustaining relationships that lead to financial or other contributions to an organization.
- Current certification as a Certified Fund Raising Executive is preferred.
- Requires proficient working knowledge and experience in proposal writing, as well as knowledge of foundation grant writing processes.
- Proficient working knowledge of donor development, fundraising, and public relations laws and regulations governing agencies and employees.
The above description reflects the details considered necessary to describe the essential functions of the job and should not be construed as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be performed in the job.
About Buckner International:
Since 1879 Buckner has been transforming lives through hands-on ministry, serving the most vulnerable from the beginning to the ending of life. Buckner is one of the oldest and most unique faith-based social service organizations of its kind, serving hundreds of thousands of people each year in the United States and around the world. Learn more about our programs and ministry at buckner.org. Buckner is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a related field
- 5 to 8 years of related experience building and sustaining constituent relationships
- Experience developing and refining solicitation content with necessary parties
- Successful experience identifying, cultivating, and sustaining relationships leading to financial or other organizational contributions
- Certified Fund Raising Executive certification
- Proficient working knowledge and experience in proposal writing
- Knowledge of foundation grant writing processes
- Proficient knowledge of donor development and fundraising laws and regulations
- Proficient knowledge of public relations laws and regulations governing agencies and employees
What We Do
Buckner International is a faith-based nonprofit ministry serving vulnerable children, families and seniors in the United States and internationally. Its work includes foster care and adoption, family transition and preservation programs, senior living communities, and humanitarian aid and crisis relief. Guided by Christian values, the organization seeks to protect children, strengthen families, transform generations and serve senior adults through programs in communities across Texas and internationally.
