Principal Gifts Officer

UNITED WAY OF GREATER ATLANTA•Atlanta, GA

11d

About The Position

The Principal Gifts Officer is a senior frontline fundraiser responsible for engaging United Way of Greater Atlanta’s highest-level individual, family foundation, and donor-advised fund prospects through holistic, donor-centered giving strategies. The officer manages a focused portfolio of approximately 50–80 high-capacity donors and prospects, developing blended plans that connect annual, multi-year, campaign, restricted, and planned giving opportunities. The role translates donor values into transformational commitments that advance UWGA’s mission priorities, strengthen unrestricted and flexible revenue, and build long-term campaign momentum. The officer identifies, qualifies, cultivates, solicits, closes, documents, and stewards top-tier prospects; develops individualized strategies and compelling proposals; and coordinates with colleagues, executives, board members, campaign cabinet members, and volunteers to advance donor relationships. The role also maintains accurate CRM records and reports on donor engagement, portfolio movement, stewardship, revenue, planned gifts, campaign commitments, pipeline value, donor retention, and campaign readiness.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree.
Ten or more years of progressive fundraising experience.
Demonstrated ability to identify, cultivate, solicit, close, document, and steward major, principal, campaign, unrestricted, and blended gifts.
Experience and knowledge of planned gift fundraising best practices and giving fundamentals.
Extensive experience with high-net-worth individuals, principal gift prospects, family foundations, donor-advised fund holders, campaign donors, and complex donor strategy.
Advanced interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
Organizational skills suited to a fast-paced work environment.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
Experience with CRM/database management, moves management, portfolio review, donor strategy documentation, and pipeline reporting.
Ability to manage multiple projects, meet external needs, preserve internal relationships, and meet strict deadlines and requirements.
Ability to work independently, take initiative, and operate effectively without direct supervision.
Advanced fundraising skills, proposal development and writing ability, and fundraising knowledge.
Ability to manage top-tier donor portfolios, move prospects from qualification through commitment, and build strategies that support immediate revenue and long-term philanthropic capacity.
Ability to translate campaign priorities, Mission Fund needs, and donor interests into persuasive proposals, briefings, and stewardship narratives.
Comfort working with senior executives, board members, campaign cabinet members, wealth advisors, and other trusted connectors.
Disciplined use of CRM, donor strategy tools, and portfolio review practices to support transparency, continuity, and accountability.
Strategic thinking and ability to implement strategic policies and practices.
Ability to work collaboratively, communicate transparently, and foster cooperation toward shared goals.
Ability to adapt appropriately to changing situations and openness to new ideas and their implementation.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and strong organization.
High attention to detail and exceptional grammar.
Commitment to shared, measurable goals and metrics.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
AFP CFRE certification.
Experience implementing and managing capital, comprehensive, endowment, planned giving, or major campaign initiatives and membership programs.
Demonstrated experience developing blended giving strategies combining annual, campaign, multi-year, restricted, planned, or donor-advised fund giving.
Demonstrated fundraising innovation, especially in portfolio management.
Successful solicitation of six- and seven-figure gifts from individuals, families, foundations, or donor-advised funds.

Responsibilities

Design and execute individualized donor strategies focused on planned and restricted commitments, multi-year pledges, blended asks, and long-term engagement.
Manage a portfolio of approximately 50–80 active high-capacity donors and prospects, balanced by readiness, stage, relationship strength, and donor interest.
Document a strategy for each assigned donor, including the opportunity, next step, relationship owner, likely ask, gift structure, required volunteer or executive involvement, and timing.
Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, close, document, and steward individuals, family foundations, donor-advised fund holders, and other philanthropic prospects.
Develop blended giving strategies that may combine multi-year commitments, restricted or initiative-based gifts, planned gifts, and other philanthropic vehicles.
Partner with board members, multi-year campaign cabinet members, executives, and other volunteers to secure introductions and coordinate peer-assisted cultivation and solicitation.
Translate UWGA’s mission priorities, campaign investment strategy, and economic mobility case for support into proposals, briefings, stewardship materials, and donor communications.
Qualify at least 20 new high-capacity multi-year campaign or blended-gift prospects annually, or meet another target established by Development leadership.
Submit approximately 25–30 major, principal, planned, or blended gift solicitations annually, or meet another target established by Development leadership.
Coordinate with Research/Data partners to refresh capacity information, relationship mapping, campaign fit, and portfolio health.
Coordinate with Finance, Gift Operations, CRM/data partners, and stewardship colleagues to document and manage complex pledges, blended gifts, donor intent, reporting obligations, and payment structures.
Record substantive visits, proposals, volunteer-assisted asks, stewardship actions, donor preferences, next steps, and outcomes in UWGA’s CRM in accordance with internal policies.
Track progress against annual revenue, planned gift value, multi-year campaign commitments, blended-gift opportunities, pipeline value, donor retention, and campaign readiness.