Major Gifts Officer

Overview

1 in 6 people in Kentucky do not know when they will receive their next meal – in Central and Eastern Kentucky, it is 1 in 5. We empower more than 500 food pantries and meal programs across 50 counties in Central and Eastern Kentucky. Our Vision: A nourished life for every Kentuckian. Our Mission: Reducing hunger by working together to feed Kentucky Communities.

Position Summary:

The Major Gifts Officer will identify, qualify, solicit, close, and steward major gifts ($5,000 ) with a focus on high net-worth individuals. This position will create strategic requests and reports for donors by collaborating with the Marketing and Communications team to align with the department's overall goals and plans.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Identify, qualify, solicit, close, and steward major and planned gifts from high net-worth individuals as well as gifts from corporations and foundations through visits and other forms of direct personal contact.

• Execute moves management approach to the portfolio and a custom strategy for each donor to develop approaches to generate new and higher levels of giving.

• Enlist senior management, volunteers, and board members in the cultivation and solicitation of major donors and prospects that integrate into the overall department goals and plans.

• Promote and close complex sales such as campaign, planned giving, and annual fund gifts

• Collaborate with the Development Team to analyze portfolios, strategize upgrades, and establish goals for outreach and planned giving.

• Coordinate cultivation, recognition, and stewardship activities, as needed, with other staff members.

• Develop customized communications for donors and supporters to deepen their understanding and support of God’s Pantry Food Bank’s mission.

• Meet annual goals for personal visits, solicitation proposals developed and secured, and planned gift asks.

• Monitor and report relationship management activity using Raiser’s Edge, including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospective and current individual, corporate, and foundation major donors.

• Assist in short- and long-range planning activities to support and implement fundraising goals and objectives.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Independently maintain a schedule to support 150 relationships 

• Represent the organization externally, providing consistent and positive customer service 

Maintains required job knowledge, skills, and core professional competencies.  

• Willingly acts in the capacity of a warehouse worker to assist with order pulling, if the demand is present or as needed/requested by supervisor. 

• Attends and participates in required educational programs and staff meetings.

• Communicate effectively.

• Excellent employee relation skills and coaching abilities.

• Team builder and morale booster.

• Thinks outside the box.

• Willingly performs other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field; Master’s degree preferred.

• Minimum of 5 years of successful portfolio management experience in a similar field with a proven success record in major and/or corporate relations and/or planned gift fundraising.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to work effectively across all departments and teams. 

• Strong critical thinking to align organizational needs and donor opportunities.

• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to multitask, handling many relationships at once. Strong planning skills, including the ability to anticipate tasks, set priorities, meet deadlines, and function smoothly under deadlines and shifting priorities. 

• Strong listening and interpreting skills to respond to donor needs.  

• Strong writing, oral, and presentation communication skills with demonstrated ability to persuade others.  

• Proficiency in writing solicitation letters, proposals, and stewardship materials.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite with the ability to learn Raiser’s Edge.

• Must remain knowledgeable of all God’s Pantry Food Bank’s programs, services, and events

• Must be comfortable with speaking to the public and making presentations

• Expectation of ability to work some nights/weekends.

• Given that God’s Pantry Food Bank is both a crisis response and an ongoing service agency, it is necessary that staff be adaptable and creative, able to deal with rapid change and unusual demands of time and effort. It is also imperative that excellent working relationships and a positive atmosphere be maintained with not only the staff, but with donors, volunteers, neighbors, and all others with whom the employee comes in contact while representing God’s Pantry Food Bank.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Compensation $70,000 per year

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance 

• 401K Plan

• Company Paid Holidays