Major Gifts Officer

Our Mission and Values:

We are passionate about our Mission of Uniting Communities to Alleviate Hunger. You are most likely to find success at United Food Bank if you are motivated to embrace our values:

• We are Uniters – working together as one united team
• We are Cultivators – with a growth mindset and willing to try new things
• We are Optimists – with a positive attitude and a commitment to move our mission forward

Position Summary:

The Major Gifts Officer manages and grows a portfolio of major gift donors through strategic cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. This role focuses on securing individual gifts of $5,000+ and advancing donor relationships using a structured moves-management approach. Responsibilities include developing individualized donor strategies, conducting donor meetings, preparing proposals and related materials, and documenting all activity in the CRM. The Philanthropy Officer serves as a subject matter expert in common charitable giving methods and proactively shares giving opportunities with donors as part of relationship-based conversations that deepens their engagement with our mission.

Responsibilities:

Portfolio & Relationship Management
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 125–150 major gift donors
• Develop individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies for each donor
• Conduct regular in-person and virtual meetings to deepen relationships and understand donor interests
• Grow giving within an existing donor base and identify opportunities for increases

Major Gift Strategy & Solicitation
• Implement all phases of the major gift cycle, including qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Prepare personalized proposals, impact reports, and related materials to support gift requests
• Coordinate strategies involving organizational leadership when appropriate

Charitable Giving Conversations
• Understand common charitable giving methods, such as: gifts of stock or appreciated assets, donor-advised funds (DAFs), qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), basic bequests or beneficiary designations
• Discuss these giving methods comfortably with donors to support philanthropic decision-making and deepen donor engagement

Stewardship & Donor Engagement
• Ensure timely fulfillment of stewardship activities, donor recognition, and follow-up commitments
• Support donor engagement opportunities, including occasional donor-focused events
• Participate in mission-related experiences and tours to connect donors with the impact of United Food Bank

Data Management & Reporting
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of donor interactions, strategies, and revenue projections in the CRM
• Use data to evaluate portfolio performance and support planning and forecasting
• Participate in regular portfolio and pipeline review processes

Qualifications:

• Passion for alleviating hunger and serving the community
• Commitment to the organization's mission and values
• Bachelor's Degree (BA) or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum of 3+ years of progressive fundraising experience, CFRE preferred
• Demonstrated success securing gifts of $5,000+
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to engage donors with professionalism and discretion
• Understanding of common charitable giving methods and comfort discussing them in donor conversations
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Comfortable working with senior leadership, Board members, and high-capacity donors
• Experience using a CRM system (e.g., Salesforce) to track outreach and engagement
• Self-motivated, dedicated to accomplishing tasks, able to take initiative and solve problems
• Availability and willingness to attend evening or weekend events when needed
• Valid driver's license with reliable transportation and insurability required