Major Gifts Officer

Description

The Major Gifts Officer is a vital member of the development team, responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors to support the organization’s mission. This role focuses on building and maintaining relationships with individuals capable of making significant financial contributions. The Major Gifts Officer will work closely with the Vice President of Individual and Institutional Giving to develop and implement strategies to grow the major gifts program and achieve fundraising goals.

Requirements

Major Gifts Fundraising Strategy:

Stewardship and Donor Engagement

• •Identify and research potential major gift prospects, including current donors and new prospects.
• •Develop and implement personalized cultivation strategies for major gift prospects, building strong relationships based on shared values and interests.
• •Conduct face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and other personalized interactions to engage major gift prospects and donors.

Solicitation and Stewardship:

• •Develop and execute strategies for soliciting major gifts, including preparing proposals, presentations, and other materials.
• •Collaborate with the Vice President of Individual and Institutional Giving and other senior leaders to develop compelling asks that align with the organization’s funding priorities.
• •Personally solicit major gifts and manage a portfolio of key donors, ensuring timely follow-up and personalized stewardship.
• •Ensure that all major donors are appropriately acknowledged, recognized, and engaged in the life of the organization through personalized stewardship plans.

Portfolio Management:

• •Manage a portfolio of approximately 200 [JH1] [GU2] major gift prospects and donors, ensuring regular and meaningful engagement.
• •Track donor interactions and progress in Salesforce, ensuring accurate and up-to-date records. Analyze portfolio performance, using data to inform strategy and decision-making.

Collaboration & Communication:

• •Work closely with program, finance, and communications & brand teams to align fundraising efforts with organizational priorities.
• •Work closely with the Vice President of Individual and Institutional Giving and other members of the development team to align major gift efforts with overall fundraising goals.
• •Collaborate with program staff to understand funding needs and priorities, translating them into compelling donor opportunities.
• •Partner with the communications & brand team to develop donor-centric materials, such as case statements, impact reports, and newsletters.
• •Attend and participate in Development department events, including major cultivation and fundraising events such as and not limited to AIDS Walk, annual cabaret, etc.

Data and Reporting:

• •Provide regular updates to the Vice President of Individual and Institutional Giving and SVP, Development on major gift activities, including progress toward goals and key metrics.
• •Analyze giving trends and donor behavior to identify opportunities for growth and improvement in the major gifts program.
• •Prepare reports and presentations for senior leadership and the Board of Directors, highlighting major gift achievements and challenges.

Special Skills and Knowledge

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of leadership, strategic thinking, and hands-on fundraising expertise, and possess many or all of the following:

Required Qualifications

• •Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in fundraising, with a focus on major gifts and individual giving.
• •Proven leadership experience, including managing and mentoring fundraising staff or teams.
• •Proven track record of successfully cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major donors.
• •Exceptional interpersonal relationship building skills, with the ability to engage and inspire high- net-worth individuals
• •Strategic and analytical thinker, capable of aligning funding opportunities with organizational goals and translating vision into action.
• •Advanced project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.
• •Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with an emphasis on clarity, professionalism, and persuasiveness.
• •Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to maintain accuracy while managing complex workflows.

Education and Certification

• •Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in nonprofit management, public administration, business, communications, or a related field.
• •Advanced degree (e.g., MPA, MBA, MS in Nonprofit Leadership or Communications) are strongly preferred, particularly for candidates managing major donor portfolios or large gift amounts.
• •Demonstrated commitment to continued professional development in fundraising, institutional giving, or nonprofit leadership through participation in certificate programs, industry trainings, or association memberships (e.g., Association of Fundraising Professionals, Grant Professionals Association).

Technical Skills

The ideal candidate will possess a strong combination of technical and digital competencies to support effective fundraising operations, proposal development, data-driven strategy, and team coordination. These include:

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including:

• •Word for drafting high-quality proposals, funder reports, and internal communications.
• •Excel for managing budgets, grant tracking, performance dashboards, and complex reporting.
• •PowerPoint for creating compelling pitch decks, funder briefings, and presentation materials.

Extensive experience with donor database and customer relationship management (CRM) systems:

• •Preferred platforms include Bonterra EveryAction, DonorDrive, Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, or similar.
• •Ability to generate custom reports, track donor pipelines, manage grant deadlines, and segment funder communications.
• •Familiarity with database hygiene best practices and use of CRM analytics for strategic forecasting.

Familiarity with cloud-based project management and collaboration tools

• •Platforms such as Asana, Trello, Monday.com, or similar to manage team workflows, proposal calendars, grant deliverables, and cross-departmental initiatives.
• •Ability to coordinate timelines across multiple funding streams and departments.

Comfort with digital portals and submission platforms.

• •Experience navigating gift portals (e.g., Benevity, CyberGrants, YourCause, Fidelity Charitable, Network for Good).
• •Ability to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant with the organization’s profile.

General proficiency in file management and collaboration platforms

• •SharePoint, OneDrive, or Google Workspace for version control, shared proposal writing, and internal coordination.
• •Zoom or Microsoft Teams for funder calls, cross-functional meetings, and virtual presentations.

Work Environment & Schedule

This is a hybrid position that includes a combination of on-site and remote work, determined by program needs and supervisor discretion. Key expectations include:

• •In-office presence for team meetings, cross-departmental collaboration, strategy sessions, funder meetings, and other in-person requirements.
• •Remote work flexibility for grant writing, proposal development, donor research, reporting, and administrative responsibilities.
• •Occasional travel within New York City for site visits, donor meetings, events, or conferences.
• •Flexibility to work some evenings or adjusted hours to meet deadlines or support organization-wide initiatives.
• •Participation in the annual AIDS Walk New York event is mandatory for all GMHC staff.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this role:

• •The position is primarily sedentary, requiring prolonged periods of computer work, digital communication, and remote collaboration.
• •Must be able to navigate a standard office environment and attend in-person meetings or external events as required.
• •Occasional lifting of materials (e