Major Gift Manager

The Major Gifts Manager serves as the central coordinator of major donor strategy for Center for Transforming Lives. Working closely with the President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Development Officer, and Development team, this position identifies, qualifies, cultivates, and advances major gift prospects through the donor pipeline. The Major Gifts Manager leads prospect research, moves management, donor stewardship, and meeting preparation while ensuring prospects are connected to the appropriate organizational leader at the right time to maximize philanthropic investment and strengthen Transforming Live's long-term fundraising capacity.

RESPONSIBILITIES

·         Develops and manages a portfolio of qualified major gift prospects and donors using strategic moves management practices to advance individuals through the donor lifecycle.

·         Identifies, researches, and prioritizes prospective major donors, and community leaders through wealth screening, donor analytics, relationship mapping, and engagement history.

·         Creates and maintains individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies that align donor interests with the mission, funding priorities, and campaign objectives.

·         Coordinates major gift including donor meetings, tours, cultivation, proposal development, briefing materials, and follow-up actions.

·         Prepares prospect profiles, research reports, relationship maps, and solicitation strategies for the President and CEO, and CDO. 

·         Provides comprehensive stewardship for major donors through personalized engagement, recognition activities, impact reporting, and ongoing relationship management.

·         Maintains complete and accurate donor records within the CRM, documenting interactions, strategies, next steps, and portfolio progress.

·         Leads regular portfolio review processes and reports on prospect qualification, donor advancement, stewardship completion, and moves management.

·         Collaborates across departments to identify new donor opportunities, strengthen campaign readiness, and ensure a high-touch donor experience consistent with Transforming Lives’ values.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

·         Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience. 

·         Minimum of three years of experience in major gift fundraising (5 figure gifts), business development, sales, relationship management, nonprofit development, or a related field. 

·         Demonstrated success managing relationships and advancing individuals through a sales, fundraising, or engagement pipeline. 

·         Experience managing multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines simultaneously. 

·         Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.

·         Experience in securing philanthropic partnerships. 

·         Experience supporting comprehensive campaigns or fundraising initiatives. 

Preferred:

·         CFRE certification or progress toward certification preferred. 

·         Knowledge of Bloomerang Suite a plus.

·         Experience with Monday.com or equivalent platform a plus.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES

·         High emotional intelligence, knowledge of fundraising etiquette, and relationship skills.

·         Knowledge of major gift fundraising principles and moves management methodology.

·         Knowledge of prospect research techniques, donor analytics, and wealth screening resources.

·         Exceptional relationship-building and interpersonal communication skills.

·         Ability to develop and execute strategic donor engagement plans.

·         Strong project management, organizational, and prioritization skills.

·         Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound professional judgment.

·         Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

·         Ability to prepare compelling donor presentations, proposals, and stewardship communications.

·         Proficiency with CRM systems, Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, Teams, and related technology platforms.

·         Commitment to ethical fundraising practices and exceptional donor stewardship.