Major Gift Officer, Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science
About The Position
The Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science Major Gifts Officer builds and manages strategic relationships with alumni, parents, and friends to secure philanthropic support aligned with college and university priorities. This role involves identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors to advance Cornell Bowers’ mission through leadership and major gifts. About Alumni Affairs and Development At Cornell Alumni Affairs and Development, we connect alumni, parents, and friends with opportunities to make a meaningful difference at Cornell and beyond. Our success is built on the strength of relationships, a commitment to excellence, and a culture of collaboration, innovation, inclusion, and continuous learning. As one of higher education's leading fundraising and engagement organizations, we recently completed a record-setting campaign that engaged more than 221K alumni and raised $6.8 billion. Joining our team means growing your career alongside supportive, mission-driven, and high-performing colleagues while helping shape Cornell's future. About Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science Born from a bold experiment that united technical innovation with a deeper understanding of the interplay of technology with humanity, the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science continues to define the new frontier of tech. Across the growing areas of computer science, information science, and statistics and data science—including artificial intelligence—the community pioneers emerging fields, develops the algorithms that power the information age, and is committed to creatively and thoughtfully exploring technology’s potential to advance our world. If you’re excited by the intersection of technology and humanity, you’ll find a meaningful home here.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree and 5–7 years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Proven ability to cultivate and maintain strong, long-term relationships with high-net-worth donors and prospects and to influence outcomes.
- Proactive and resilient in achieving ambitious goals.
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to craft compelling proposals and engage in meaningful donor meetings.
- Strong analytical and planning skills to develop data-driven fundraising strategies that align donor interests with organizational goals.
- Demonstrated experience working with faculty, senior leadership, and colleagues across departments to coordinate and align fundraising efforts.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally (up to 40% of time), including frequent travel to the west coast, and to work evenings and weekends as needed.
Responsibilities
- Manage a portfolio of approximately 100 prospects with gift capacities ranging from $250K to $1M+.
- Develop and execute an annual solicitation plan for each prospect, ensuring appropriate cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Regularly solicit and close gifts, including annual fund gifts and multi-year commitments, aiming to generate $1M+ annually through gifts of diverse sizes.
- Conduct a minimum of 120 personal visits or significant contacts annually, with at least 50% in person, to build relationships and advance fundraising strategies.
- Complete 50+ discovery qualifications annually to identify new major gift prospects and expand the portfolio.
- Partner with faculty, staff, and volunteers to align donor interests with college and university priorities.
- Prepare faculty and senior leadership for donor meetings, including briefing materials.
- Independently match donor interests with Cornell Bowers’ priorities, developing funding proposals and structuring complex gifts to secure major donations.
- Develop and maintain substantial knowledge of the college’s priorities in computing, information science, statistics, data science, and artificial intelligence, and proactively serve as a resource for colleagues regarding these priorities.
Benefits
- Comprehensive health care options
- Generous retirement contributions
- Access to wellness programs
- Employee discounts with local and national retail brands
- Health and personal leave
- Three weeks of vacation
- 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1.
- Two additional floating holidays
- Tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program
- Tuition aid for external education
- Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
