Major Gifts Officer

GODDARD RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER•New York, NY

15h•$103,000 - $115,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Goddard Riverside is seeking an experienced and entrepreneurial Major Gifts Officer to help build and expand our major gifts program at a pivotal moment in the organization's growth. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Major Gifts Officer will manage a portfolio of 75-100 donors and prospects, deepen engagement with Board members and key volunteers, and play a leadership role in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of transformational philanthropic investments. The Major Gifts Officer will develop and execute strategies to increase major gift revenue, strengthen donor relationships, and support a comprehensive fundraising campaign that advances Goddard Riverside's mission and strategic priorities. This position is ideal for a relationship-driven fundraiser who thrives on connecting donors with meaningful opportunities to create impact and who enjoys building systems and strategies in a growing development program. The successful candidate will be a self-motivated fundraiser who enjoys both independent responsibility and collaborative partnership. As the organization's dedicated major gifts professional, they will be comfortable taking ownership of donor strategy and portfolio management while working closely with colleagues across the Development Office and throughout Goddard Riverside. This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled fundraiser to help shape the future of philanthropy at Goddard Riverside. As the organization invests in expanding its major gifts efforts and prepares for significant fundraising initiatives, the Major Gifts Officer will play a critical role in building donor relationships and securing the resources necessary to advance our mission.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
Ability to clearly articulate organization mission and strategies to a broad range of people, both individuals and large groups.
Five or more years of progressive fundraising experience with demonstrated success securing major gifts.
Proven ability to manage a portfolio of donors or clients and move prospects through the cultivation and solicitation cycle.
Experience working effectively with volunteer leaders, Board members, and senior executives.
Expert interpersonal, communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously while centering relationship building and donor priorities.
Experience using donor databases and fundraising CRM systems.
Excellent user of office technology and information systems (including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and donor databases

Nice To Haves

Dedication to fundraising for social justice, human services and under resourced communities in New York City.
Experience supporting or managing a capital, comprehensive, or special campaign.
Experience in human services, education, community development, arts, or related nonprofit sectors.
Demonstrated success securing five- and six-figure gifts.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of approximately 100 high net worth prospects/donors.
Develop and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for each assigned donor with a focus on building long-term relationships.
Conduct a high volume of meaningful donor contacts, including in-person meetings, virtual meetings, phone calls, and written communications.
Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift prospects capable of making gifts of $10,000 and above.
Ensure timely and thoughtful stewardship of major donors, including impact reporting and recognition.
Serve as a primary development liaison to members of the Board of Directors and key fundraising volunteers.
Partner with Board members to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects within their networks.
Support Board engagement in fundraising activities through coaching, strategy development, and meeting preparation.
Partner with organizational leadership to plan and execute a comprehensive fundraising campaign for our 175th Anniversary to support a new Center for Postsecondary Success.
Develop campaign strategies, timelines, prospect pipelines, and fundraising goals.
Coordinate campaign activities across staff, volunteers, consultants, and Board leadership.
Monitor campaign progress and prepare reports and analysis for leadership and volunteer committees.
Help identify and secure leadership and principal gifts in support of campaign priorities.
Collaborate with the development team to identify new major gift prospects and expand the donor pipeline.
Utilize donor data, research, and analytics to inform fundraising strategies.
Maintain accurate, concise and timely donor records, activity reports, and revenue projections in the organization's CRM, DonorPerfect.
Collaborate closely with colleagues across the Development and Communications team to create coordinated donor engagement, stewardship and fundraising strategies.
Serve as the primary major gifts specialist within the Development Office while contributing to a highly collaborative team environment.
Help foster a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization by engaging colleagues as partners in donor relationship building.
Serve as an ambassador for the organization's mission, vision, and values: represent Goddard Riverside at events, donor meetings, and community gatherings.
Maintain a solid understanding of Goddard’s diverse programs.
Collaborate with program and executive leadership to develop compelling opportunities for donor engagement and stewardship that align philanthropic interests with organizational priorities.