Director of Major Gifts

Westfield State University • Westfield, MA

14h • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Major Gifts builds and strengthens relationships with Westfield State University constituents to increase financial support. The role manages a portfolio of up to 150 leadership alumni, friends, prospects, and donors, and develops meaningful engagement leading to financial commitments. The Director identifies donors’ philanthropic interests and directs support to University initiatives, including the Annual Fund, Endowment, Capital, and major and planned giving. The position leads donor and prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, with a particular focus on Athletics-connected constituents. It serves as the liaison between Athletics and Institutional Advancement, engaging staff and coaches in relationship-building and fundraising. This is a fully in-person, 52-week professional/executive position on campus, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with some nights and weekends and travel as needed. The role reports to the Executive Director, Campaign and supervises a Campaign Gift Officer and student/graduate interns.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• Five or more years of frontline fundraising experience, preferably in a university advancement office.
• Significant major-gift and planned-giving experience, with a record of successful solicitations at the $5,000–$100,000 level, ideally in higher education.
• Superior organizational and time-management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Experience using the Raiser's Edge fundraising database.
• Demonstrated success personally cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding major gifts from individuals.
• Ability to develop creative and effective strategies for the major-gift pipeline.
• Ability to build bridges and collaborative relationships across a complex organization, with political astuteness and agility.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work autonomously under pressure from multiple sequential deadlines.
• Willingness to work some nights and weekends as needed.
• Willingness to travel within Massachusetts and throughout the United States when necessary.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree.

Responsibilities

• Manage a personal portfolio of 150 leadership alumni, friends, prospects, and donors, ensuring timely cultivation, solicitation, and closure.
• Make assessment calls; cultivate, solicit, recognize, and steward leadership and major gifts, emphasizing gifts of $10,000 and above.
• Work with donors on current and deferred giving, non-cash gifts, and related tax implications.
• Build donor relationships and coordinate solicitations with Institutional Advancement leadership staff as appropriate.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major-gift and planned-giving donors and prospects, particularly individual outright major gifts.
• Recruit and engage campus and alumni community members in major- and planned-giving cultivation and solicitation.
• Collaborate with Institutional Advancement colleagues on prospect identification and strategies for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Maintain working knowledge of University academic and strategic programs to communicate priorities and fundraising objectives to donors.
• Serve as liaison between Athletics and Institutional Advancement; support staff and coaches in maintaining athletics relationships and coordinating general and team fundraising.
• Prepare and submit goals with timelines, projected results, and outcomes.
• Document all activity in the Raiser's Edge database.
• Maintain a schedule of 8–10 prospect meetings each month.
• Attend appropriate Institutional Advancement meetings and other University-related events.
• Coordinate and communicate closely with Institutional Advancement staff.
• Meet regularly with the Executive Director, Campaign, regarding prospects and strategic plans.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Director, Campaign.

Benefits

• Eligible employees may choose from HMO, POS, and PPO-type health insurance plans.
• Eligible employees receive a retirement pension through the Massachusetts State Employee Retirement System after a 10-year vesting period, or may select an Optional Retirement Plan with up to a 5% employer matching contribution.
• Eligible employees, spouses, and dependent children receive reduced tuition at Massachusetts state colleges, community colleges, and universities.
• 12 paid holidays and vacation, personal, and sick leave benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director