Major Gift Officer

Description

Founded in 1905 and serving nearly 1,000 day and boarding students from 28 states and 19 countries, McCallie is one of the country’s premier independent schools and a national leader in educating boys in grades 6-12. As stated in our newly adopted strategic plan, McCallie takes an expansive view of education, seeking to form the whole boy. In his journey to manhood, McCallie comes alongside the student and supports his mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional development.

McCallie is seeking to hire a major gift officer; a professional who is proactive and demonstrates responsiveness, with a strong service mindset, independent thinking, and solid judgment in the complex and often fluid environment of independent school fundraising. This individual works closely with internal and external community partners to build engagement within a community network that fosters a strong culture of philanthropy throughout the school and global community. The major gift officer will engage, cultivate, solicit, and steward within the community to create connections and support McCallie’s mission. This role provides leadership for execution of strategic programming through fundraising primarily, as well as relationship building, volunteer engagement, and actively involving target constituents in the school community.

The major gift officer works closely with other members of the development team who may have a different portfolio of constituents to ensure alignment and collaboration. The major gift officer partners with the Advancement Services/Operations (ASO) team for data integrity and event management. The ASO team will identify the audience for various campaigns that align with the solicitation and stewardship strategies. And the major gift officer provides critical information to ASO within the defined parameters of timeline and form so that the team can use information for data-driven decision making.

This is a year-round 12 month, full-time position. It is considered exempt and eligible for full benefits.

 Key Function #1 - Constituent Management:

• Identify, engage, cultivate, solicit, & steward with a focus within the assigned portfolio of constituents.
• Enhance existing relationships while building new relationships, systems, and programs that further tap into the support, generosity, and resources of the community.
• Manage a significant portfolio of major donor prospects and completed gift proposals each year to maintain engagement through outreach.
• Solicit planned gifts from managed prospects.
• Provide timely updates, analysis, and management of constituent data to ensure data integrity.
• Track activities & metrics and meet productivity expectations for touchpoints (calls/visits/events) and access reporting to measure success against activity metrics.
• Actively participate in the moves management process and offer insights into potential prospects for philanthropy and solicitations.

Key Function #2 - Development Program Growth and Execution:

• Partner in executing and establishing (as needed) forward-thinking development/advancement and strategic programs that optimally grow engagement and giving across constituencies.
• Collaborate with the development team and enlist the support of the communications team on materials needed to expand and enhance the school’s visibility and reputation.
• Collaborate internally with the admissions office and other internal partners and events to ensure consistency in approach and shared information.
• Partner with ASO to develop data-driven cultivation of programs/events/projects based on return on investment.

Key Function #3 - Volunteer Engagement:

• Develop a network of volunteers to help cultivate engagement and develop leadership within the community.
• Partner with the development team to ensure collateral/written materials are ready for solicitation mailing, following a checklist to ensure mailing logistics are completed.
• Support the maintenance of stewardship as well as notifying the team of needed marketing materials/collateral.

Requirements

 Core Competencies:

• Exhibit personal and professional integrity as well as respect for the confidentiality of colleagues and constituents
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with all the school’s varied constituents from diverse backgrounds and generations
• Demonstrate self-motivation, flexibility, problem-solving, and commitment to innovation
• Model cooperation, collegiality, and teamwork
• Deep understanding of, support for, and desire to live out McCallie’s mission for the good of McCallie boys - including both the school’s commitment to character development and the ideals of honor, truth, and duty and the school’s Christian foundation and Judeo-Christian heritage

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 7+ years of experience in the nonprofit sector and in fundraising, or applicable sales/business development
• Proven success in directly soliciting and closing charitable gifts or proven success record in sales environment
• Extensive travel required with some nights and weekend work
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience working with and motivating volunteers and staff members
• Experience working in a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) is preferred
• Independent school knowledge preferred

**May consider candidates with 5-7 years experience as a Gift Officer**