Major Gifts Officer

Position Summary:

The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and securing new major gift commitments while strengthening and expanding relationships with existing donors.

The officer will develop strategies to acquire new philanthropic partners, increase giving among current donors, renew and upgrade existing commitments, and identify opportunities for sustained, multi-year support.

The officer will manage a portfolio of approximately 120 qualified major gift prospects and donors, balancing new prospect development with the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of established relationships. Portfolio management will be guided by donor capacity, philanthropic interests, relationship readiness, organizational priorities, and the potential for meaningful philanthropic investment.

The Major Gifts Officer will be accountable for achieving assigned fundraising goals through new gifts, renewed commitments, donor upgrades, and expanded philanthropic support. The officer will maintain a qualified solicitation pipeline, develop individualized relationship and solicitation plans, and provide regular revenue forecasts and portfolio performance reports to the Director of Strategic Partnerships.

Success in this role requires a proactive approach to prospect identification, disciplined followthrough, strategic solicitation, and authentic relationship building that advances Native Forward's mission and long-term financial sustainability.

This list of duties and responsibilities is illustrative only of the tasks performed by this position and is not all-inclusive.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Major gift strategy and revenue generation

Develop and execute individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies for an assigned portfolio of major gift donors and prospects.

Achieve established annual fundraising goals, including gift revenue, solicitations, and other agreed upon performance measures.

Lead solicitations for significant outright gifts, multi-year commitments, endowment contributions, and other philanthropic investments.

Develop compelling proposals, giving opportunities, and cases for support that connect donor interests with Native Forward's mission and strategic priorities.

Maintain a qualified pipeline sufficient to support current year fundraising goals and future revenue growth.

Portfolio and relationship management

Manage a portfolio of approximately 60 qualified major gift prospects and donors, with portfolio size adjusted based on giving potential, relationship complexity, and organizational priorities.

Develop written relationship plans and individualized solicitation strategies for priority prospects.

Conduct regular prospect reviews to assess readiness, identify barriers, establish next steps, and advance relationships toward meaningful philanthropic commitments.

Build relationships through personalized engagement, including donor visits, executive meetings, events, and other appropriate interactions.

Provide consistent stewardship and demonstrate the impact of donor investments through timely reporting and meaningful engagement.

Strategic philanthropy and gift planning

Identify opportunities for unrestricted, restricted, multi-year, endowment, donor-advised fund, and planned or legacy gifts.

Partner with the Director of Strategic Partnerships and executive leadership to align donor interests with organizational funding priorities.

Identify opportunities to engage high-capacity individuals, families, philanthropic advisors, and other relevant referral sources.

Coordinate with appropriate internal and external experts on complex gifts and gift planning opportunities.

Contribute to long-term donor retention and sustainable philanthropic revenue growth.

Executive partnership and collaboration

Prepare executive leaders and board members for donor engagement through briefing materials, prospect strategies, and solicitation recommendations.

Partner with colleagues across development, marketing, scholarship programs, and finance to ensure donor opportunities are accurate, compelling, and aligned with organizational priorities.

Support strategic donor engagement opportunities, including targeted cultivation events and donor briefings.

Represent Native Forward professionally with donors, philanthropic partners, and other external stakeholders.

Fundraising operations and accountability

Maintain accurate and timely constituent records, contact reports, solicitation plans, and next steps in the donor CRM.

Prepare revenue projections, pipeline reports, and portfolio updates for the Director of Strategic Partnerships and other designated leadership.

Monitor progress against established goals and recommend adjustments to cultivation and solicitation strategies.

Maintain high ethical standards and protect confidential donor and student information.

Apply fundraising best practices while embodying Native Forward's core values and commitment to Native student success.

Perform other duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree required; master's degree preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

At least five years of progressive experience in major gifts, individual giving, relationship-based fundraising, or a closely related field.

Demonstrated experience cultivating, soliciting, and closing significant philanthropic gifts.

Experience managing a donor or prospect portfolio and developing individualized solicitation strategies.

Demonstrated ability to build relationships with high-capacity individuals and engage senior executives, board members, and philanthropic advisors.

Experience preparing solicitation proposals, donor briefings, stewardship communications, and revenue forecasts.

Proficiency with donor CRM systems (Blackbaud preferred), prospect research tools, and reporting applications.

Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate complex educational and community impact clearly.

Valid Driver’s License is required. Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment drug/alcohol screen and background investigation.

Knowledge, Abilities, Skills, and Certifications:

Knowledge of American Indian History, culture, and Tribes.

Knowledge of modern office practices, procedures, and equipment

A commitment to the mission and goals of the Native Forward Scholars Fund in providing scholarship funding and support services to Native students.

Knowledge of business English, proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and basic arithmetic.

Ability to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.

Ability to follow oral and written instructions.

Ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines.

Ability to establish and maintain professional relationships with individuals of varying social and cultural backgrounds and with coworkers at all levels.

Ability to analyze progress and make necessary adjustments throughout the cultivation process.

Ability to make solid decisions and exercise independent judgment.

Ability to analyze situations and adopt appropriate courses of action.

Ability to demonstrate excellence in everything and continually seek improvement in results.

Comfortable and confident, engaging at the highest levels, and adept at influencing opinion and securing commitments.

Superior skills in building relationships and comfort in asking donors to commit their money, time, and/or energy to a shared vision.

Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills. Demonstrated ability to simplify complex themes and activities into a short, compelling presentation or written piece

Experience in grant writing and business proposals.

Ability to discuss the role of education in promoting social justice and economic opportun