Major Gifts Officer

The Major Gifts Officer should possess a record of professional relationship management and the confidence and strategic thinking skills necessary to close significant and complex philanthropic commitments. Major Gifts Officers at Davidson manage a portfolio of approximately 120 prospective and current donors and are deployed throughout the United States. Responsibilities include developing philanthropic relationships with alums, parents, and friends of Davidson in support of the college’s ambitious fundraising goals.

• Develop and manage productive philanthropic relationships with donors capable of making significant and complex commitments. 
• Use the Blackbaud CRM system to develop and maintain individualized prospect engagement and solicitation plans based on individual donor interests and institutional priorities.
• Travel regularly to assigned regions primarily in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States (regional assignments are subject to change at the discretion of the senior director). 
• Conduct a minimum of 144 (12 per month) meetings annually with major gift prospects. 
• Establish and meet measurable annual goals and monthly performance metrics.
• Manage travel logistics and expenses.
• Serve as departmental liaison to a specific area of the college assigned by the senior director and serve as a subject matter expert for that area.
• Maintain a complete record of all donor interactions using the Blackbaud CRM system.
• Actively engage in the life of the college through attendance at campus events.
• Staff College Relations special events on campus and in regional territories on an as needed basis. 

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum three years’ experience in development or closely related field (e.g., sales or marketing)
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
• Willingness to travel extensively
• Ability to manage projects and initiatives 

Preferred:

The successful candidate should have experience working with major donors and a record of closing significant commitments. The successful candidate should have project management experience.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

Major Gifts Officer must possess strong oral and written communication skills, the ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues, and must be self-directed, motivated, and organized. A Major Gifts Officer must be able to engage and develop rapport with donors from diverse backgrounds. High professional standards are required, with an understanding of boundaries associated with donor confidentiality.
Additional skills:
• Significant experience using MS Office software
• High degree of comfort with information technology and learning new software
• Experience with Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) software and/or ability to quickly gain proficiency in CRM. 
• Organizational and planning skills
• Information gathering and information monitoring skills
• Problem and data analysis skills
• Judgment and decision-making ability
• Initiative and self-motivation
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Flexibility and adaptability

Other important information:
• As a community oriented and fully residential liberal arts college, Davidson requires major gifts officers to work primarily from campus. 
• After a period of three months in the position, major gifts officers are permitted to apply for a flexible work schedule with up to two days of remote work each week. 

Interested but Unsure About Applying? 
In the event you meet many, but not all of the qualifications and skills listed, we encourage you to apply and learn more. 

Information about how to submit an application can be found at https://employment.davidson.edu