Major Gifts Officer

Major Gifts Officer

Department: Development

Reports to: Development Director

Classification: Exempt

Work Hours: FT, on average 35 hours a week

JOB DESCRIPTION

Summary

In anticipation of a major comprehensive campaign associated with Omega’s 50th anniversary in 2027, Omega is seeking a Major Gift Officer to serve as a key member of the Development department to galvanize substantial philanthropic support over a multi-year effort. Reporting to the Director of Development, the Major Gift Officer advances Omega’s mission through the engagement and solicitation of high-net-worth individual (HNWI) donors and prospects. Specifically, this includes managing and coordinating the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of gifts and grants from Omega’s committed and most financially able constituents, friends, and aligned organizations to significantly increase philanthropic revenue in support of Omega’s ambitious goals for operational, programmatic, and capital purposes.

These solicitations will typically include major and principal gifts ranging from $5,000 (and higher as appropriate). The Major Gift Officer may also be asked to assume responsibilities for managing specific projects and responsibilities as needed.

A successful candidate will be a seasoned fundraising professional with a demonstrated track record of managing a portfolio and closing significant philanthropic gifts from individuals, families, and family foundations, including working in close partnership with the President & CEO, other executive and senior leaders, and volunteers. Additionally, a successful candidate will have a demonstrated understanding of and commitment to holistic education or a relevant adjacent field.

Essential Functions

As a member of the Development Department, the Gift Officer will solicit donors for philanthropic support, grow Omega’s relationships with HNWIs and family offices, and oversee its successful Stewardship Council, a dedicated circle of leaders who make annual financial contributions of $5,000 or more and who offer significant volunteer expertise and guidance to support core initiatives, programs, and the campus. The Gift Officer will work to ensure a positive donor experience, including meaningful cultivation activities that are consistent with the Omega mission and experience and ensuring positive and engaging donor stewardship.

The Gift Officer will:

• Enthusiastically initiate, develop and manage a portfolio of prospects (expected to be 175 – 200 and may include both individual and organizational prospects)
• Participate in all aspects of the gift cycle:
  • Develop, recommend, and implement personalized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for a select group of prospects and donors; consult with Development colleagues, Omega Leadership, and Board and other volunteers on them as appropriate
  • Conduct one-on-one donor meetings to deepen relationships and communicate the mission and impact of Omega
  • Travel as needed to engage prospects and donors
  • Prepare written briefings for senior management and arrange and support their visits with donors and prospective donors, including follow-up documentation and correspondence, accompanying them when appropriate
  • Build and maintain long-term, meaningful relationships with major donors through consistent, personalized engagement
  • Ensure consistent, high-quality communication with major donors through customized proposals, presentations, and engagement activities
  • Develop and execute stewardship plans that communicate the impact of gifts and express ongoing appreciation to donors
  • Accurately track and report on donor interactions and progress using our donor management system
  • Increase donor engagement and commitment, converting prospects into long-term philanthropic partners
  • Move potential donors in an appropriate and timely fashion toward solicitation and closure
  • Make solicitations when appropriate
  • Adhere to the highest ethical standards; demonstrate empathy and perseverance; reflect an optimistic and positive attitude, and convey sensitivity to the needs of the donors
• Collaborate with Development team members and be a resource for other Omega staff
• Work cooperatively with other staff in expanding the pool of volunteers and prospective donors and in coordinating solicitation strategies and campaign activities
• Recommend and assist with donor activity involving the President & CEO, the Omega Board and Board Chair, and Omega leadership
• Be a highly energetic professional with a demonstrated track record of building donor relationships and closing gifts in the five and six-figure range

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no supervisory responsibilities. (or N/A)

Work Details

Assignments involve work of a confidential or complex nature, requiring considerable discretion, judgment, tact and diplomacy.

• This position functions in Omega’s administrative offices on the Omega campus, but requires significant travel, sometimes overnight.
• This is a full-time position. The typical days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This schedule may vary when special needs and projects arise.

Physical Requirements

This is largely a sedentary role; however, some filing is required. This would require the ability to perform routine office tasks, including accessing filing cabinets and organizing documents, and positioning self to perform diverse job tasks, as necessary.

Required Education & Experience

• Five years successful experience in major gift fundraising
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Ability to understand the needs and interests of potential donors in order to develop relationships between them and Omega
• Interest in, familiarity with, and awareness of trends and development in the holistic education field and social change ecosystem
• Successful experience in making cold calls as well as developing cultivation and solicitation strategies
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated record of completing assignments
• Willingness to travel
• Comfortable working with all levels within the organization and its membership
• Track record of meeting and achieving annual fundraising goals
• Highly responsive, timely, accurate and thorough in follow-through
• Ability to work autonomously and meet deadlines
• Demonstrated competence in proposal writing, including strong editing skills and the ability to develop relevant and compelling requests to individuals and organizations, and competence in project management as it relates to the development and execution of complex proposals
• Proficiency in budget development and budget monitoring
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Alignment with Omega's mission, goals, and core values

Physical Requirements

• Ability to frequently move items that weigh 20 pounds for various needs.
• Ability to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• Ability to traverse a hilly campus in diverse weather conditions.
• Ability to position self to perform diverse job tasks as necessary.
• Ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand, and ability to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Ability to observe details at close range.

Preferred Education & Experience

• 6 plus years of progressively responsible, successful experience in major or principal gift fundraising
  • Planned giving experience will be highly valued
  • Demonstrated comfort and success in working with high-net-worth individuals, family foundations, and/or family offices will be highly desirable
  • Demonstrated success in corporate, foundation, and government fundraising will be highly desirable
• Master’s degree
• Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Omega complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, and all applicable New York State or local laws. Consistent with those requirements, Omega will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability if such accommodation would allow the individual to satisfactorily perform the essential functions of the job, unless doing so would create an undue hardship.

Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Inc. (“Omega”) is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, New York State, and local laws. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. As a community of learners, we are committed to putting our organizational aspirations into practice, as outlined in our Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion (JEDI) Statement.

Omega strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of actual or perceived race; color; creed; age; religion; national origin; citizenship status; sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions); gender (including gender identity); sexual orientation; disability; marital status; partnership status; familial status; status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sex offenses; genetic predisposition; veteran’s status; military status; or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws, regulations, or ordinances. All Omega employees, other workers, and representatives are prohibited from engaging in unlawful discrimination. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, training, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits, and termination of employment.

A cover letter is required, applications without a cover letter will not be considered:
After carefully reviewing the requirements below, qualified individuals are invited to apply. A resume and well-crafted cover letter should be attached that serves as an introduction and includes the following: