What are the responsibilities and job description for the Major Gifts Officer position at College of the Holy Cross?
The Major Gifts Officer will be responsible for fundraising efforts which support and advance the mission of Holy Cross. Working with alumni, parents, and friends in specific geographic regions, the Major Gifts Officer will work in partnership with the Major Gifts team, Gift Planning team, Holy Cross Fund team, and other internal partners to encourage annual and multi-year leadership-level support at the $100,000 to $1,000,000 range. The Major Gifts Officer will work closely with Advancement colleagues to develop and execute prospect strategies that strategically integrate gift planning, reunions, annual giving, and other college financial priorities into the development and execution of high-level fundraising strategies that enable the realization of established goals and objectives. The Major Gifts Officer will report to the Director of Major Gifts.
Major Areas of Responsibility
- Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of approximately 125 prospects, aiming closer to 100, on an annual basis, holding at least 110 annual visits with prospects;
- through the development of thoughtful strategies and intentional prioritization of prospects, ensure a revenue goal of at least $1 million in new annual commitments is met by focusing on upgrading donors by maintaining an active regional and territory presence;
- inspire donors to articulate their charitable goals to maximize their support of Holy Cross in alignment with the institution’s ambitions by engaging in thoughtful and strategic conversations that uncover philanthropic aspirations;
- adhere to all prospect management processes and policies around contact reports, proposals, briefing materials, documenting intentions, and writing statements of understanding to ensure cross-departmental transparency and effectiveness;
- serve as a partner to the Holy Cross Fund team, Gift Planning team, and Major Gifts colleagues by identifying new prospects and volunteers, and supporting the goals of elevating unrestricted and flexibly restricted support at Holy Cross;
- continually improve professional skills, knowledge, and understanding of Holy Cross by developing relationships with colleagues across campus, attending campus events and activities, and participating in training activities;
- develop and execute robust, multi-step donor-centric prospect strategies;
- strategically leverage academic leadership, faculty, and other members of the Holy Cross community leading to successful solicitation and closure of six- and seven-figure gifts;
- foster relationships between prospective donors and academic leadership, faculty, and other members of the Holy Cross community to deepen prospect engagement;
- secure anchor visits for leadership and construct meetings that effectively leverage each leader’s time to advance prospect strategies; and
- communicate meeting strategies through written briefings and pre-visit briefing meetings or calls
Minimum Qualifications
- A bachelor's degree is preferred for this position as is at least five years of experience in frontline leadership or major gifts fundraising, preferably at an educational institution.
- a commitment to the mission of College of the Holy Cross—to pursue excellence in teaching, learning, and research and to foster an intellectual and social community that is marked by freedom, mutual respect, and civility;
- a successful and strong track record as a fundraiser closing comprehensive gifts.
- an appreciation of Jesuit Catholic educational traditions and methodology;
- an understanding of and an ability to succeed at a complex academic institution;
- experience staffing academic leaders in their development work;
- an ability to uncover interests, motivations, and objectives from prospective donors, clients, and others;
- experience working with fundraising volunteers;
- excellent communication skills, including an ability to write persuasively and with efficiency;
- experience qualifying prospects during initial visits to determine inclination and capacity to make significant gifts to aid in the identification of new donors at the major gift level;
- an ability to make solicitations with comfort;
- an ability to persuasively communicate the case for unrestricted and current use support;
- excellent active listening and interpersonal skills and an ability to relate to donors, volunteers, and colleagues;
- tact, diplomacy, discretion, patience, sound judgment, and a commitment to maintaining confidentiality inside and outside of the college;
- highly developed organizational skills, detail-orientation, and an ability to prioritize and balance multiple tasks in a fast-paced complex environment;
- a natural affinity for collaboration and serving as a team player, leading through influence, and a high level of emotional intelligence;
- a personal commitment to excellence as well as an ability to admit mistakes and forgive faults in others; and
- experience with Microsoft Office, Advance, or similar fundraising software.
Disclaimer
The description above represents the most significant duties of this position but does not exclude other occasional work assignments not mentioned, the inclusion of which would be in conformity with the factor degrees assigned.
This is a full time, exempt level position. The College is committed to providing competitive market pay for its employees. The salary range for this position, commensurate with experience and qualifications, is $90,000 - $110,000. The College also offers a competitive benefits package for full-time staff, including:
- 10% College contribution to the 403(b) Retirement Plan (1 year wait waiver available)
- This position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement - upon hire, candidates will need to live within commuting distance
- Condensed summer 4-day work week
- Tuition & Education benefits
- Wellness programs & ongoing Training and Development opportunities
- Generous paid time off
- Free on-campus parking
The College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and complies with all Federal and Massachusetts laws concerning Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action in the workplace.
The College also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities during the hiring process in compliance with law. Please contact Merrilee Grenier, Senior Associate Director of Employee Relations and Legal Compliance, for questions or to request an accommodation via email at mgrenier@holycross.edu, or by calling 508-793-3957.
The College also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities during the hiring process in compliance with law. Please contact Merrilee Grenier, Senior Associate Director of Employee Relations and Legal Compliance, for questions or to request an accommodation via email at mgrenier@holycross.edu, or by calling 508-793-3957.
To review our Employee Benefit Options, please go to: https://www.holycross.edu/human-resources/benefits
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Please attach a cover letter addressing the position requirements along with your resume.
In your cover letter please address how your work might support the College's commitment to inclusive excellence (https://aspire.holycross.edu/inclusive-excellence). Please provide examples of how you have integrated diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging into your past work. For more information, please visit http://holycross.edu/diversity.
Review of applications will begin as received and continue until the position has been filled.
Salary : $90,000 - $110,000
