Major Gifts Officer

Apply at Operation BBQ Relief's Career Center: https://operationbbqrelief.org/careers/

Job Title: Major Gifts Officer
Position Status: Full-Time
Classification: Exempt
Department: Growth & Development
Reports To: Senior Head of Growth & Development
Supervises: NA
Prepared Date: March 2026
 
Work Location: Remote – Must live in, or be willing to locate to, one of the following states: MO, KS, IN, NJ, VA, PA, TN, GA, MS, TX or FL.
 
Work Schedule: The typical work week is forty (40) hours. During periods of high activity (e.g., OBR deployments, events, campaign periods), this role may require evenings and weekend work. This position includes heavy travel, estimated at fifty percent (50%) of the time, and travel is an essential function of the role. Travel may increase during donor cultivation and solicitation periods.
 
Compensation
$85,000 to $100,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications. Comprehensive benefits package included.
 
Position Summary: The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) is responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual donors with the capacity to give gifts of $5,000 or more. This role focuses on building long-term relationships and securing significant financial support to advance Operation BBQ Relief’s mission. The MGO manages a portfolio of approximately 100-120 major gift prospects and works collaboratively with leadership to meet annual revenue goals. The ideal candidate combines strategic relationship-building with donor-centered philanthropy and thrives in fast-paced environments where impact is measured directly.
 
Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Portfolio Management: Qualify, cultivate, and manage a portfolio of 100-120 major gift prospects using a donor-centric approach. Utilize Bloomerang CRM to track interactions, maintain accurate donor records, and identify stewardship opportunities.
• Solicitation Strategy: Develop and implement personalized cultivation and solicitation strategies for each donor prospect, leading to successful solicitation and strong retention rates. Target a minimum of four visits per major gift prospect per year and submit 1-2 proposals monthly.
• Strategic Planning and Goal Setting: Collaborate with the leadership to set and execute annual goals, including number of donor visits (target: 200+ annually), proposals submitted, revenue targets, and portfolio pipeline metrics. Participate in quarterly reviews and strategy sessions to adjust tactics and identify new cultivation opportunities.
• Stewardship and Impact Reporting: Ensure donors receive compelling updates on the impact of their gifts through personalized communication, program reports, impact stories, and appreciation events. Develop customized stewardship plans aligned with each donor's giving interests.
• Prospect Research and Qualification: Conduct prospect research using available tools (Wealth Engine, Donor Search, etc.) to identify new major gift prospects. Build and prioritize prospect lists, qualify prospects for capacity and affinity, and present findings to the development team. Take ownership of ongoing research to maintain pipeline quality and identify untapped donor segments.
• Case Development and Collaboration: Work closely with the Programs and Communications teams to develop compelling cases for support and participate in grant proposal development. The MGO leads case strategy and works with Communications to refine messaging; the Director of Development approves final case documents for consistency.
• Data Integrity and CRM Management: Maintain meticulous, real-time records of donor interactions, gift pipelines, and solicitation history in Bloomerang. Ensure data accuracy for reporting, forecasting, and donor communication. Reconcile CRM data with finance records to track actual gifts vs. pipeline projections.
• Public Representation and Board Engagement: Serve as an ambassador for OBR at community events, donor dinners, networking functions, and select board meetings (approximately 4-6 times annually). Present impact stories, engage prospective donors, and represent the organization with professionalism and passion. Attend 1-2 OBR deployments annually to deepen understanding of mission impact.
• Philanthropic Knowledge and Giving Vehicles: Advise donors on giving opportunities, including outright gifts, pledges, appreciated securities, planned gifts, and multi-year commitments. Coordinate with planned giving specialists and finance as needed.

• Relationship Building: Proven ability to build genuine rapport with high-net-worth individuals, business leaders, and influential community members. Comfortable navigating complex donor relationships and managing multiple stakeholder interests.
• Communication: Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills. Ability to craft and deliver persuasive, emotionally resonant cases for support. Skilled at translating program impact into compelling donor messaging.
• Results-Oriented & Self-Directed: A self-starter with a track record of meeting or exceeding multi-million-dollar fundraising goals. Comfortable setting own priorities, managing competing demands, and maintaining productivity in a remote environment.
• Discretion and Integrity: Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential donor information with the utmost integrity. Professional judgment in all donor interactions.
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced knowledge of donor databases (Bloomerang, Raiser's Edge, or similar CRM platforms) and proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Suite. Comfortable learning new tools and troubleshooting technical issues.
• Philanthropic Literacy: Deep understanding of giving vehicles, giving trends, and wealth transfer strategies. Knowledge of planned giving appreciated securities, and non-cash assets. Ability to educate donors on impact and accountability.
• Strategic Mindset: Ability to see the long-term cultivation journey and balance short-term revenue goals with long-term relationship building. Comfort with ambiguity and ability to adapt strategy based on donor feedback and market conditions.
• Empathy and Values Alignment: The capacity to understand and align donor personal values with OBR's mission. Genuine passion for disaster relief and community service. Commitment to equity and inclusion in donor relations.

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, Finance, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, or a related field; or a comparable combination of education and relevant fundraising experience.
• At least 5 years of professional fundraising experience, specifically in major gifts or capital campaigns.
• Proven track record of qualifying, cultivating, and securing multiple six- or seven-figure gifts and/or multi-year awards.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing institutional funding strategies that support organizational growth and revenue diversification.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and advanced Excel for reporting, forecasting, and reconciliation.
• Comfortable with extensive travel and remote work arrangements.

• Master's degree in Nonprofit Management, Business Administration, or related field.
• CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) credential or willingness to pursue certification within two years of hire.
• Background in disaster relief, emergency response, crisis communications, or other fast-paced, field-based nonprofit environments.
• Bloomerang, Raiser's Edge, or Salesforce CRM experience.
• Experience with prospect research platforms (Wealth Engine, Donor Search, Affinity, etc.).
• Supervision or mentoring of other fundraisers, contractors, or development teams.