Major Gifts Officer

Major Gifts Officer

The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) is responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual donors, with a focus on attracting new prospects, retaining current supporters, and upgrading giving levels. This role drives growth by creating long-term relationships between donors and Frost Valley YMCA and by building a robust major gift pipeline. Working closely with senior leadership and programmatic staff, the MGO translates organizational priorities into compelling funding opportunities. Additionally, this position supports planned giving and assists in building a burgeoning corporate giving program. The MGO will be in the NYC metro area and regularly meet up with NYC metro donors.

Requirements

• Manage a portfolio of 100+ major donors (individuals, family foundations, and DAF holders) in the NYC metro area. Conduct ongoing prospect research to identify and qualify new high-net-worth donors. Develop and implement strategic cultivation and solicitation plans, personally closing gifts and ensuring each prospect is solicited at a level appropriate to their ability and interest.
• Develop and execute creative stewardship strategies to drive donor engagement. Plan and staff donor events, coordinate site visits, and create cultivation opportunities (virtual and in-person). Maintain consistent contact with donors through meetings, phone calls, personalized emails, and tailored print correspondence.
• Manage the philanthropic Leadership Council major donor program. Recruit and renew members, onboard new members, and ensure deliverables are fulfilled. Meet regularly with members and support volunteerism to activate their networks, with a goal of building a vibrant, mission-driven major donor community.
• Draft compelling proposals, impact reports, and personalized solicitation materials. Support updates to print and digital marketing collateral (brochures, one-pagers, donation forms, and webpages). Plan and execute segmented digital and print outreach to lapsed, current, and prospective major donors, aligning messaging with broader campaigns and overall development strategy. Work with the Marketing team to ensure storytelling and messaging are consistent across fundraising appeals and collateral.
• Stay informed about Frost Valley programs and industry trends. Work closely with senior leadership and programmatic staff to deeply understand organizational priorities. Strategically involve colleagues in development activities, preparing and briefing them to engage with donors effectively.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and comprehensive contact reports and activity records in Salesforce. Work with the Assistant Director of Development Operations to ensure gift information is accurate (including gift stages and pledges) and that donors receive timely acknowledgments and recognition. Use data analytics to inform strategy and track performance against revenue benchmarks.
• Support the identification and stewardship of planned giving prospects.
• Support a burgeoning corporate giving program by helping to create sponsorship packages, pitch decks, and other needed marketing materials. Assist with prospect research, attend donor meetings, and develop relationships to help lay the groundwork for this expanding revenue stream.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 7+ years of fundraising experience, including experience in frontline fundraising with success in major gifts.
• Exceptional writing and oral communication skills; ability to draft compelling proposals and communicate confidently with high-net-worth individuals.
• Entrepreneurial and goal-oriented, with strong initiative and attention to detail.
• Diplomacy, tact, and the ability to skillfully and independently handle complex donor situations.
• Proficient with CRM systems (Salesforce strongly preferred). Ability to use data analytics to segment audiences and inform strategy.
• Ability to regularly meet with donors in the NYC metro area and to travel to attend work conferences, retreats, and trainings.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Able to sit for long periods, bend, reach, and lift up to 25lbs.
• Able to stand and walk on a variety of terrain to reach various activity areas.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust.
• This position often requires a commitment of 40+ hours per week.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

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

Frost Valley is an equal opportunity employer.

Rate of pay: $100,000-115,000