Major Gifts Officer

Job Title:  Major Gift Officer

Job Title:  Major Gift Officer

Classification: Exempt

Reports To:  Chief Development Officer. The Senior Director of Major Gifts will provide indirect supervision and management to the analytical activities of major gift officers.

Job Summary/Objective: The Major Gift Officer will be responsible for cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major gifts in support of the college’s mission and strategic priorities. This role focuses on building meaningful, long-term relationships with alumnae, parents, and friends to secure significant philanthropic investments that advance academic programs, student scholarships, faculty support, and campus initiatives.

Position Type/Expected Work Hours: Full time, Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm with flexibility for events and weekends as needed.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Responsible for a personal solicitation portfolio of up to 100 Sweet Briar donors with a focus on donors capable of making gifts of $25,000 or more to be determined in consultation with Senior Director of Major Gifts and other leadership;
• Develop individual donor strategies to include written cultivation and solicitation plans for all assigned prospects;
• Conduct regular outreach, including in-person visits, virtual meetings, and personalized communications.  
• Collaborate with colleagues on annual giving, planned giving, and campaign initiatives
• Report and record in Banner all contacts, solicitations, next steps and outcomes;
• Stewardship of donors and prospects;
• Participate in regular Major Gift Officer meetings;
• Assist with updating prospect bios;
• Assist with developing overall fundraising strategies;
• Willingness to travel for alumnae/donor meetings;
• Represent the College as requested at alumnae/donor events;
• Help identify and cultivate potential alumnae leaders and prospects.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required;
• Minimum of three to five years of experience in donor relations, fundraising and stewardship;
• Proficient in all aspects of Advancement to include annual, major, and planned giving;
• Highly effective communications skills, written and oral;
• Knowledge and utilization of on-line fundraising strategies;
• Excellent judgment and high integrity;
• Positive and approachable interpersonal style, able to win trust among co-workers;
• Commitment to mission and strategic priorities of the College
• Expert level skills with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google platform
• Ability to learn complex computer system quickly and individually

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced Degree in a related field;
• Applicable experience within an institution of higher education;
• Experience working with alumni and volunteer leaders. 
• Familiarity of gift tax implications and rules, nonprofit accounting, GAAP, and CASE rules and regulations;
• CFRE designation

Work Environment:

• Traditional office environment, primarily indoors.
• This position requires frequent travel, including regional and occasional national trips, to meet with donors and attend college events.
• Currently this is an on-campus position.

Travel: 75% for travel. Expectation of minimum 15 donor calls per month.

Physical Demands: Extensive computer use and typing; extended periods of sitting/standing may be required.