Major Gifts Officer

Major Gifts Officer

Founded by Detroit philanthropists George and Ellen Booth in 1904, Cranbrook Educational Community is one of the world’s leading centers of education, science, and art. Comprised of a graduate Academy of Art, contemporary Art Museum, Center for Collections and Research, House and Gardens, Institute of Science, and more than 1,600 students attending our Pre-K through 12 independent college preparatory Schools, Cranbrook welcomes thousands of visitors and students to its campus each year. Critics have called Cranbrook “the most enchanted and enchanting setting in America” and in 1989 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The campus is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, about 20 miles north of downtown Detroit. For more, please visit our website: www.cranbrook.edu.

Reporting to the Director of Principal and Major Gifts (DPMG) of the CEC, the Major Gifts Officer (MGO) maintains an active personal portfolio of major gift prospects and existing donors and uses professional prospect management techniques to manage their engagement, solicitation, and stewardship for current and lifetime major ($100,000 commitments and above) gifts for CEC and its Program Areas. To accomplish this, the MGO will work collaboratively and in coordination with the CEC Advancement team—including their colleagues at the Academy, Museum, Institute, Schools, Center, HUB, and House & Gardens Auxiliary – to identify and develop solicitation strategies for major gift prospects. The MGO will track all activity including call reports and interactions with donors and prospects in CEC’s Raiser’s Edge system and provide regular reports of activity progress to DPMG. This position has a critical role in the fundraising success of CEC and its ability to meet its financial and program goals.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Qualify a group of 100 – 150 caseload donors, including individuals and family foundations.
• Create individual goals for each donor on the MGO’s caseload based on the donor’s history of giving and CEC’s knowledge of the donor’s potential.
• Create a donor engagement plan for each donor that will serve as a foundational communication and marketing plan for each donor on the caseload. Work with CEC Program Area development and communications teams to secure appropriate project information, including budgets, and create offers, proposals and asks that are aligned with CEC priorities.
• Solicit donations from individuals and family foundations for capital, endowment, and programmatic needs.
• Work with CEC’s Donor Relations and Stewardship Manager to build relationships through ongoing stewardship of donors.
• Create monthly reports as required by management that will accurately reflect caseload activity and performance.
• Maintain and enhance professional growth and development through seminars, workshops, and professional affiliations.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required, with a minimum of seven years in major gift or planned gift fundraising or related experience, or an equivalent level of education, training, and experience. Prefer experience with a museum, cultural or educational institution. Experience in raising high five and six-figure gifts is an advantage.
• Development certification preferred (CFRE).
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including writing and editing formal and informal documents, and high-level organizational skills.
• Solid interpersonal skills and ability to work successfully with major donors, high level volunteers, senior administrators, and CEC advancement colleagues.
• Computer proficiency necessary, including a demonstrated ability to creatively and effectively work remotely and meet all demands of the position using virtual platforms when necessary.
• Experience using Raiser’s Edge NXT software preferred.
• Knowledge of the prospect management best practices; ethics related to philanthropy, appropriate relationships with donors and the donor bill of rights; and standard office practices and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly in fulfillment of responsibilities of this position.
• Requires a valid Michigan driver’s license with satisfactory driving record.

Starting salary for this position is $90k - $96k/annually based on experience.

Cranbrook offers competitive compensation and benefits that include medical, dental, life insurance, long-term and short-term disability, and retirement programs with employer contribution. We also offer generous paid time off, 11 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays, employee discounts, and a unique environment in an educational setting that values collaboration.

For consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter.