Major Gifts Officer

SPCA of Wake County•Raleigh, NC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individuals capable of making gifts of $5,000 or more. This position manages relationships with existing major-gift prospects while identifying and qualifying new prospective donors. The Major Gifts Officer manages a portfolio of approximately 125–175 major-gift prospects and donors, developing personalized strategies that deepen relationships and inspire transformational philanthropy. The role is responsible for building meaningful donor relationships, maintaining comprehensive engagement strategies for assigned donors, increasing donor retention and average gift size, and consistently advancing donors through the donor pipeline. Success in this role is measured by meaningful donor engagement, revenue growth, donor retention, successful solicitation of major gifts, and consistent achievement of established fundraising and activity goals. The Major Gifts Officer serves as an ambassador for the organization and works collaboratively across departments to connect donors with the SPCA of Wake County’s mission and impact. This role requires exceptional relationship-building skills, strategic thinking, donor-centered communication, emotional intelligence, initiative, accountability, discretion, adaptability, attention to detail, and a results-oriented approach. The successful Major Gifts Officer will develop a strong understanding of organizational priorities and become a trusted philanthropic advisor who helps donors connect their interests with meaningful opportunities to support the organization. Our Core Values: 1- Hell, Yeah! 2- Be Kind 3- Do What You Say 4- Forward Focused 5- Loose & Wiggly 6- Drop the Mic

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
Three or more years of successful nonprofit fundraising experience, including direct solicitation of gifts of $5,000 or more.
Demonstrated success securing gifts or closing significant financial commitments.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong organizational and project-management abilities.
Ability to independently manage multiple and competing priorities.
Ability to develop and manage individual donor strategies and follow-through.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to establish trusted relationships with donors, prospects, community members, and organizational stakeholders.
Demonstrated professionalism, discretion, sound judgment, and commitment to confidentiality.
Valid driver’s license and ability to meet SPCA of Wake County driving eligibility requirements.
Ability and willingness to travel throughout the organization’s service area for donor visits, meetings, events, and stewardship activities.

Nice To Haves

Experience with moves management and donor-pipeline strategy.
Experience using Salesforce or a comparable donor database
Experience with planned giving, estate gifts, or charitable gift planning.
Experience supporting a capital campaign or other significant fundraising initiative.
Experience developing donor proposals and personalized donor communications.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of approximately 125–175 major-gift prospects and donors.
Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans.
Enter timely and accurate notes into the organization’s database following each donor interaction.
Meet established annual fundraising, solicitation, donor-engagement, and activity goals.
Ensure gifts receive timely acknowledgment and appropriate recognition.
Identify new major-gift prospects through analytics, research and other development activities.
Qualify prospective donors for caseload management through discovery visits, telephone calls, virtual conversations, and other meaningful engagement.
Collaborate with the Development Officer responsible for data and gift processing to maintain accurate prospect and donor records within the donor database.
Work with the Development Officer responsible for stewardship to review new major-gift prospects identified through routine Development workflows.
Engage donors in charitable gift-planning conversations when appropriate.
Support the administration and fulfillment of estate gifts.
Coordinate with other Development staff on new estate gift designation follow-up.
Collaborate with Development leadership and appropriate team members to ensure planned gifts are acknowledged, administered, documented, and stewarded appropriately.
Work closely with Department leadership to understand priorities and develop gift strategies.
Represent the organization professionally at donor meetings, fundraising events, community functions, tours, and other organizational activities.
Maintain discretion, confidentiality, professionalism, and sound judgment when handling donor information and organizational matters.
Perform additional duties as assigned to support Development and organizational priorities.

Benefits

Medical and Dental: Employer pays 90% of employee coverage (full-time)
Insurance includes wellness, dental, vision, life, mental health care, prescriptions, emergency & urgent care, chiropractic care, and physical therapy
Telemedicine options, 24/7 access to virtual health & wellness care and virtual behavioral health care
PAID TIME OFF – All part-time and full-time staff receive paid time off.
Paid Holidays - 9 paid holidays per year (full-time)
Vacation Time - 10 paid vacation days per year (full-time) with scheduled increases at milestone anniversaries of hire date
Sick Time - 6.5 paid sick days per year (full-time)
FINANCIAL – Healthcare: Flexible Spending Account
401k Plan
Coastal Federal Credit Union Membership
20% discount on pet adoptions and in SPCA Wake retail store
OTHER – Bereavement time off
Federal & State Leave of Absence options