What are the responsibilities and job description for the Major Gifts Officer position at Downtown Women's Center?
Summary
The Major Gifts Officer plays a key frontline fundraising role within the Development team, helping to grow and sustain a pipeline of individual donors in support of the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC). This position focuses on relationship-building, prospect research, and donor engagement strategies, and solicitation, while also supporting the planning and execution of a comprehensive campaign. The ideal candidate is a strong communicator, detail-oriented, and eager to learn and grow in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. The candidate is a motivated self-starter who thrives when working independently, yet also values collaboration and contributes positively to a team-oriented culture. The candidate must have prior experience soliciting and procuring major gifts of five figures or more.
Essential Functions
Competencies
This position does not have any supervisory responsibilities.
Work Environment
This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand on a stool, as necessary. The employee must be able to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds.
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time, exempt position. Days and hours of work are M-F from 9am- 5:30pm, with some weekend and evening hours required.
Travel
This position requires local travel, as well as occasional travel within the United States for conferences and trainings.
Work Location
Expectation to work either in the field or the office at least two days per week. While this position allows for remote work, the supervisor may require in-person attendance and may assign specific work hours or schedules as needed to support the operational needs of the department and organization.
Required Education, Experience, And Qualifications
$85,000 - $92,000/year
Work Authorization
Being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment. DWC does not sponsor employment visas, such as H-1B.
Fair Chance Act Statement
Downtown Women’s Center will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Downtown Women’s Center is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the Civil Right’s Department Fair Chance Act webpage.
Downtown Women’s Center provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants and actively seeks candidates who reflect the rich diversity of the communities that we serve. We are committed to a work environment that embraces and promotes individuality and inclusion. We believe that diversity and inclusion of varied perspectives, backgrounds, and life experiences are essential to our organization’s effectiveness, and allow us to serve our clients in the respectful, responsive, and understanding way that they deserve. We define diversity in broad terms to include race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, mental or physical disability, marital status, pregnancy, military and veteran status, medical condition, geography, socio-economic status, and other unique attributes that make us who we are.
Downtown Women’s Center complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
The Major Gifts Officer plays a key frontline fundraising role within the Development team, helping to grow and sustain a pipeline of individual donors in support of the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC). This position focuses on relationship-building, prospect research, and donor engagement strategies, and solicitation, while also supporting the planning and execution of a comprehensive campaign. The ideal candidate is a strong communicator, detail-oriented, and eager to learn and grow in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. The candidate is a motivated self-starter who thrives when working independently, yet also values collaboration and contributes positively to a team-oriented culture. The candidate must have prior experience soliciting and procuring major gifts of five figures or more.
Essential Functions
- Fundraising & Donor Engagement
- Maintain a portfolio of 100 major, mid-level, and planned giving prospects.
- Develop and implement strategic approaches to engage both new and existing donors, with a focus on deepening relationships and increasing philanthropic support.
- Document at least 15 in-person or virtual visits per month
- Support the Director of Individual Giving in identifying, cultivating, and stewarding major and planned giving prospects.
- Assist in preparing donor briefings, proposals, and stewardship materials for the CEO, Chief Development Officer, and other senior staff.
- Track donor interactions and moves management activity in the donor database (Bloomerang).
- Donor Stewardship & Communications
- Draft and coordinate personalized donor communications including thank-you notes, emails, proposals, and reports.
- Ensure moves management efforts are being tracked in the agency’s donor database.
- Cultivate relationships with donor advisors and wealth managers to facilitate giving through donor advised funds.
- Steward relationships with existing donors, developing strategies to retain and deepen engagement.
- Campaign Support & Project Management
- Support the CEO, CDO, and Director in advancing strategic major gift opportunities in support of the comprehensive campaign.
- Help track campaign milestones, donor and prospect lists, outreach efforts, and fundraising progress.
- Assist in producing materials and preparing meeting agendas and follow-ups for campaign leadership and volunteer committees.
- Events & Prospecting
- Develop prospect lists and solicit sponsorships for DWC’s annual fundraising gala.
- Support the CEO and CDO by developing pre- and post-event stewardship and cultivation strategies for donors.
- Work with the Director – Events to plan and execute donor stewardship and prospecting events.
Competencies
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal)
- Highly organized, with strong attention to detail
- Self-starter with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines
- Comfort with data entry and CRM tools
- Ability to build rapport with a variety of stakeholders and donors
- Adaptability and a growth mindset
This position does not have any supervisory responsibilities.
Work Environment
This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand on a stool, as necessary. The employee must be able to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds.
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time, exempt position. Days and hours of work are M-F from 9am- 5:30pm, with some weekend and evening hours required.
Travel
This position requires local travel, as well as occasional travel within the United States for conferences and trainings.
Work Location
Expectation to work either in the field or the office at least two days per week. While this position allows for remote work, the supervisor may require in-person attendance and may assign specific work hours or schedules as needed to support the operational needs of the department and organization.
Required Education, Experience, And Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience soliciting and securing individual gifts of $10,000 or more, with a strong track record in relationship management, donor cultivation, moves management, and external relations; experience working with board committees preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
- 5-7 years of progressive fundraising experience required
- Experience with CRM software and donor databases
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented environment
- Commitment to the mission and values of the Downtown Women’s Center
- Compassion and understanding of DWC’s unique approach to homeless services and permanent supportive housing.
- Cultural humility.
- Must be a CA resident and live no more than 80 miles from DWC; must be available for in-person meetings at DWC.
- Must provide documentation of a negative TB test result within the last twelve months, on first day of hire.
$85,000 - $92,000/year
Work Authorization
Being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment. DWC does not sponsor employment visas, such as H-1B.
Fair Chance Act Statement
Downtown Women’s Center will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Downtown Women’s Center is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the Civil Right’s Department Fair Chance Act webpage.
Downtown Women’s Center provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants and actively seeks candidates who reflect the rich diversity of the communities that we serve. We are committed to a work environment that embraces and promotes individuality and inclusion. We believe that diversity and inclusion of varied perspectives, backgrounds, and life experiences are essential to our organization’s effectiveness, and allow us to serve our clients in the respectful, responsive, and understanding way that they deserve. We define diversity in broad terms to include race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, mental or physical disability, marital status, pregnancy, military and veteran status, medical condition, geography, socio-economic status, and other unique attributes that make us who we are.
Downtown Women’s Center complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Salary : $85,000 - $92,000