What are the responsibilities and job description for the Major Gifts Officer position at The Network?
The Network’s Mission
The Network’s mission is to defeat human trafficking networks and ultimately prevent vulnerable individuals from being exploited. We use skills honed in counterterrorism, law enforcement, the intelligence community, public policy and communications to disrupt traffickers’ business models.
The Network is hiring a full-time, W2 Major Gifts Officer to grow and sustain our funding base through meaningful relationships with individual donors. Working closely with the Director of Development and CEO, the MGO will focus on identifying and soliciting major gift prospects (at the $10k level) to support the organization’s mission and goals. The MGO will build and manage a portfolio of prospects and donors, cultivating an excellent donor experience through personalized, high-touch engagement. This is a high-opportunity role best suited for a relational individual and self-starter with previous development or sales experience. S/he is confident in making “an ask” and determined to get to a “yes,” consistently achieving results, with the ability to bounce back after tough circumstances.
Our ideal Major Gifts Officer candidate has 3-5 years of experience in non-profit fundraising or sales. S/he is outgoing, optimistic, internally driven, and eager to attack unique problem sets. S/he will need to be able to operate independently with minimal direction and supervision.
The Role
Prospect Identification & Research
● Build a pipeline of major gift prospects, identifying and researching potential donors through various resources, including wealth screenings, networking, and donor data analysis.
● Qualify and cultivate a portfolio of 30-50 current and new donors capable of making gifts at the $10,000 level.
Donor Cultivation & Relationship Management
● Build long-term relationships with major donors, understanding their interests and motivations to give, and ensuring regular, meaningful communication.
● Steward major donors to ensure they feel valued, implementing personalized engagement strategies and keeping donors informed of the impact of their gifts.
● Travel regularly for opportunities to network with current and prospective donors, with a focus on building authentic relationships and pursuing the connection between the organization’s mission and prospects’ philanthropic passions.
● Maintain accurate records of donor interactions, including contact reports, proposals, and gift history in the donor database (CRM).
Proposals & Solicitation
● Lead the solicitation process for major gifts by crafting compelling proposals, presenting funding opportunities, and negotiating gift terms with donors.
● Secure major gifts at the $10,000 to $50,000 level with the goal of generating $500,000 in new revenue within the first year.
The Ideal Candidate
Character
● Strong alignment with The Network’s core values (Courage, Excellence, Diversity, and Humility).
● Strong alignment with The Network’s operating principles (It’s not about us; Partnership is scale; Fortune favors the bold).
● Unquestionable integrity.
● Able to exercise the highest level of discretion on both internal and external confidential matters.
Personality
● Optimistic and energetic – embodies The Network’s audacious vision and mission.
● Personable, humble, and candid in communicating with colleagues and donors.
● Resourceful and resilient – hungry to build new relationships and open-minded to a challenge.
● Collaborative and service-oriented – always looking to enhance the team in whatever way necessary.
Experience
Required:
● 3-5 years of relevant experience (fundraising, sales, etc.) and a Bachelor's Degree.
● Proven experience broadening a donor base and diversifying funding streams with a focus on individual giving, major gifts and family foundations.
● Proven interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and engage with a diverse group of individuals, gaining confidence and trust through integrity and authenticity.
● Strong proficiency in all forms of communication and Microsoft Office, particularly using PowerPoint/Keynote to create visually appealing presentations/reports to donors.
● Demonstrated skill at learning and leveraging new software applications (project management, CRMs) quickly and effectively.
Preferred:
● Demonstrated experience on a relationship-centered development team for a non-profit.
● Knowledge of planned giving and gift agreements.
● Familiarity with local philanthropic community and prospects.
● Experience with CRM software (Capsule) and the process of regularly capturing, sorting, filtering, and recording important data.
Other Details
● You must be willing to undergo The Network’s standard professional background check.
● Both local and non-local candidates are eligible for this role. For locals, we encourage (but do not require) on-site work at our Arlington, VA office 3 days a week.
● The position may require up to 50% travel. Our current network is concentrated primarily in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Birmingham, New York, San Francisco, and Nashville.
REPORTS TO: Director of Development
We are looking to fill this position by 3 March 2025.
The Network offers competitive, comprehensive compensation and benefits that support your total well-being. Benefits include: 3 weeks VAC, 1 week SICK, 11 paid holidays, 12 “mental health/down days”, paid exercise time, SIMPLE IRA, health/dental/vision insurance, and commuter benefits.
The Network provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
