Senior Philanthropy Officer - Major Gifts

Austin Pets Alive!•Austin, TX

22h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Philanthropy Officer - Major Gifts advances Austin Pets Alive!’s mission by securing major financial support for lifesaving programs. Working closely with the CEO, the Sr. Director of Advancement, and the Advancement team, this role manages a portfolio of major donors and prospects, builds lasting donor relationships, and identifies, qualifies, solicits, and stewards major gift supporters. The position uses donor insights, CRM tools such as Virtuous, moves management strategies, and tailored outreach to encourage investment in APA!’s work. It also represents APA! at donor and community events and contributes to fundraising strategy, donor communications, proposals, impact reporting, and revenue forecasting. The role also promotes a collaborative, inclusive, volunteer-powered culture. Responsibilities include recruiting, onboarding, training, coaching, engaging, and recognizing volunteers, and helping volunteers and staff work effectively together. The position requires strong availability and responsiveness, flexibility for evening, weekend, or holiday work, and the ability to adapt to a fast-paced, high-volume environment. It is a full-time, exempt position with a standard 40-hour workweek and a schedule subject to change. Regularly scheduled on-site workdays are required at APA!’s three campuses; the position is hybrid in the Austin area, with travel to offsite locations as needed. The role reports directly to the Sr. Director of Advancement. The work takes place in standard office and shelter campus environments, with occasional interaction with shelter pets. The employee uses their own transportation for travel and transport. Potential hazards include animal waste, disinfectants, noise, bites and scratches, and diseases transmissible from animals to people.

Requirements

At least 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 or CRM platforms; familiarity with systems such as Virtuous.
Strong interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and the ability to build genuine connections and put donors at ease.
Organized, proactive, and capable of managing projects and processes independently.
Collaborative ability to work effectively with diverse groups, including staff, volunteers, and customers.
Flexibility to attend evening and weekend donor events and community gatherings; able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.
Commitment to volunteer engagement and support and the ability to work cross-functionally as a liaison among volunteers, customers, and team members.
Commitment to APA!’s core values of Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values of Humble, Hungry, and Smart.
Commitment to APA!’s customer experience expectations and to providing an exceptional, inclusive experience.
Ability to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials.
Strong time management, sound judgment, accountability, attention to detail, and ability to maintain a calm, professional presence.
Ability to adapt to change and work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment.
Comfort working around animals in a shelter and office environment.
Ability to use own transportation for work-related travel and transport.
Physical ability to sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, stoop, bend, stretch, squat, kneel, grasp, grip, reach above and below shoulder level, lift or carry up to 30 pounds, and push or pull up to 50 pounds; repetitive computer use is also required.
Ability to visually observe people and animals from up to 150 feet away and hear normal speech nearby, shouting at a distance, and dog vocalizations.

Responsibilities

Drive major gift revenue growth to support current programs and expand future capacity.
Partner with the CEO, Sr. Director of Advancement, and Advancement team to design and execute donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans.
Manage and steward a portfolio of 75 or more major donors while cultivating prospective supporters.
Develop proposal materials, case statements, personalized impact reports, donor communications, and digital content.
Maintain donor records, moves management tracking, portfolio analysis, and revenue forecasts in the CRM and database.
Identify and engage prospective major donors to expand the donor pipeline.
Plan and represent APA! at donor stewardship events, gatherings, community networking opportunities, and other donor engagement activities.
Participate in the Advancement team’s strategic fundraising, collaborative stewardship, and cultivation work.
Foster positive volunteer relationships by engaging volunteers in departmental goals and providing guidance and mentorship.
Recruit, onboard, train, coach, and engage volunteers; match volunteers to appropriate tasks and provide regular check-ins and support.
Identify volunteers for deeper roles and seek volunteer and customer-to-volunteer conversion opportunities.
Recognize volunteer contributions and help foster a volunteer-powered culture in which volunteers are supported and empowered to lead and grow.
Facilitate collaboration between staff and volunteers and help ensure work is shared rather than siloed.
Partner with Volunteer Managers to support volunteers interested in philanthropy and manage volunteers working with the department.
Attend required training sessions and meetings and maintain collaborative communication with executive leadership, supervisors, and colleagues.
Adapt to shifting priorities and perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

Subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage.
Subsidized and voluntary life insurance, with benefits effective the first day of employment.
Voluntary dental, vision, and short-term disability options.
Up to 2% match on the 401(k) retirement plan.
Voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans.
Supplemental benefits and flexible spending accounts.
Additional life coverage.
10 paid holidays for full-time employees.
10 days of paid time off accrued during the first year, with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual after 12 months of employment.
Professional development opportunities.