Senior Philanthropy Officer - Major Gifts

CommonSpirit Health•Austin, TX

1d•$75,000 - $95,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is a leading nonprofit in animal welfare, dedicated to the No Kill movement and saving the lives of homeless dogs and cats in Austin and beyond. The organization innovates best practices and shares its lifesaving model nationally through American Pets Alive! and the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) initiative, which aims to support people and pets in the community to reduce shelter intake and improve outcomes. The Senior Philanthropy Officer - Major Gifts is a key role in securing financial support for APA!'s mission. This position involves managing a portfolio of major gift donors and prospects, building relationships, and inspiring investment in APA!'s vision. The role requires close collaboration with leadership and the Advancement team, utilizing CRM tools and moves management strategies. A strong emphasis is placed on fostering a collaborative, inclusive culture, partnering with volunteers and staff, and maintaining a high level of responsiveness and availability, including potential weekend or shift flexibility. The position also involves actively supporting and engaging volunteers, ensuring they feel impactful and empowered. Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow.

Requirements

Minimum of 8 years of fundraising experience, including responsibility for substantial individual gifts and meeting revenue goals.
Authentic passion for animals and animal welfare.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and donor database/CRM platforms, with specific familiarity with systems such as Virtuous.
Warm, approachable, and energized by interpersonal interactions, with a high emotional intelligence that puts donors at ease.
Outgoing and community-minded, possessing a natural ability to foster genuine connections and inspire enthusiasm for our cause.
Organized and adept at managing projects and processes.
Proactive and independent in managing projects.
Collaborative and able to work well with diverse groups.
Flexibility to attend evening and weekend donor events and community gatherings.
Committed to embodying APA!’s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart.
Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations.
Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers—helping all individuals feel successful, appreciated, and connected to APA!’s mission.
Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles.
Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers, customers, and team members.
Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials.
Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively.
Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations.
Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality.
Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed.
Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience.

Responsibilities

Drive major gift revenue growth to support current programs and expand future capacity.
Partner with the CEO, Sr. Director of Advancement, and the Advancement team to design and execute comprehensive donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans.
Manage and steward a portfolio of 75+ major donors while proactively cultivating prospective supporters.
Develop compelling proposal materials, case statements, and personalized impact reports for major donors.
Maintain up-to-date donor records, moves management tracking, and revenue forecasting within the CRM.
Identify and engage prospective major donors to continuously expand the pipeline.
Help plan and represent APA! at donor stewardship events, gatherings, and community networking opportunities.
Produce tailored communications and digital content to deeply engage portfolio donors.
Provide analysis and maintain an accurate donor portfolio in the database.
Attend community networking events to identify prospective donors.
Participate in the strategic fundraising, collaborative stewardship, and cultivation work of the Advancement team.
Foster positive volunteer relationships by engaging volunteers in departmental goals and offering guidance and mentorship.
Identify strong volunteers for deeper roles and seek out volunteer conversion opportunities.
Recognize volunteer contributions through consistent appreciation and shoutouts.
Foster and model a volunteer-powered culture across the team by ensuring that every staff member is partnered with volunteers on every shift, with the goal of empowering volunteers to lead and grow within the program.
Serve as a facilitator and coach to staff and volunteers, ensuring the work is shared, not siloed, and that volunteers are supported in completing daily tasks.
Ensure active recruitment, onboarding, and engagement of volunteers using volunteer engagement tools and resources.
Support retention by matching volunteers to appropriate tasks, offering guidance, and providing regular check-ins and staff mentorship.
Identify strong volunteers for deeper roles and seek out customer-to-volunteer conversion opportunities.
Recognize volunteer contributions through consistent appreciation and shoutouts.
Provide clear expectations, hands-on training, and in-the-moment coaching to set volunteers up for success.
Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager.