Career Center
Alexandria, VA
Los Altos, California
Nationwide
Alexandria, VA
Posted: 03-Feb-23
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Employment Type:
Organization Type:
Required Education:
Internal Number: 242806
The Major Gift Officer reports to the Assistant Vice President, Major Gifts, and is responsible for managing relationships with major gift prospects determined to have the ability to make gifts at or above the $25,000 level.
This position is charged with developing and implementing strategies for securing financial support from a portfolio of prospects, approximately 100-120, including identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts for Duquesne University from alumni and friends.
Major gift officers work independently and also as members of the University Advancement team and coordinate their activities with those of other units in University Advancement and other units at the University.
As a condition of employment, Duquesne University requires all new employees —full-time and part-time, including adjunct faculty—to get a COVID-19 vaccine and provide proof of their vaccination upon commencement of employment.
New employees requesting a religious or documented medical exemption from the vaccine must complete and submit a Duquesne University exemption request form for review and approval. To receive the appropriate exemption request form, contact [email protected] Employees with approved exemptions will be required to be tested on a regular basis.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Works independently and is self-motivated in initiating contact with potential donors.
Manages a caseload of active major gift prospects and implements and executes strategies for solicitation of these prospects, ensuring regular interaction through face-to-face meetings, mail/email/telephone, online meetings, campus meetings, and events.
Assumes and achieves annual fundraising activity and performance goals, including 90 to 120 in-person prospect meetings; submission of 10-20 major gift-level proposals; an average accepted gift range of $25,000 to $500,000 in new cash commitments; and total dollars raised of $1,000,000 or more.
Drafts contemporaneous briefings; contact reports, proposals, gift and fund agreements, and other correspondence for prospects; processes gift commitments expeditiously.
Makes numerous decisions on cultivation time committed versus expected gift response, determines who needs to be involved in the relationship with each prospective donor, and decides the most effective and productive use of travel time and travel and entertainment budget.
Work collegiality with the development team, key administrators, and volunteers in creating and implementing strategies for cultivation, solicitation, and closure.
Serves as the advancement liaison to an assigned campus unit/school to conduct regular meetings with the dean/department head and sometimes key faculty. Assists the dean in the identification of viable fundraising priorities. Becomes the subject matter expert for their assigned unit, assisting others on the advancement team in their communication with donors and potential donors to expedite information sharing, donor/prospective donor engagement and gift work for that specific campus unit/school.
Schedules own travel using a P-Card and reconciles all transactions in Chrome River in a timely manner.
Completes other duties as assigned.
Minimum qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
Valid driver's license.
Willingness and ability to travel frequently to conduct face-to-face meetings and attend events.
Preferred qualifications:
Three years of experience in major individual gift fundraising, preferably in higher education and in cultivating and soliciting prospects capable of six-to-seven-figure gifts.
Alternately, the successful candidate may possess any equivalent combination of experience and training, which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the essential job functions. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Emotional intelligence.
Excellent organizational, project management, multi-tasking, and leadership skills.
Exceptional communication (verbal/written), listening, and follow-through skills; collegial and respectful manner.
Ability to work independently within the boundaries of established University policies and procedures and the development practices and codes of conduct from CASE and AFP.
Impeccable integrity and high ethical standards.
Demonstrated experience in consistently meeting deadlines/deliverables and standards for quality work.
Entrepreneurial approach to problem-solving and demonstrated success in exceeding goals and expectations.
Experience and comfort level with databases and systems.
Knowledge of IRS and FASB laws, rules, and regulations, and thorough knowledge of fundraising and solicitation policies, procedures, and methods.
Broad knowledge of principles of fundraising and an ability to participate in all aspects of the gift cycle.
Expertise and facility with Banner and MS Office suite (especially Excel).
Ability to act as a proactive “prospector” who can handle duties beyond direct fundraising that ultimately support alumni/friend discovery, cultivation and engagement, eventually resulting in higher levels of philanthropy.
Ability and willingness to perform and embrace other duties as assigned or directed.
Emotional intelligence.
Excellent organizational, project management, multi-tasking, and leadership skills.
Commitment to the University’s values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and recognition of the importance of treating each individual with dignity and respect consistent with the University’s Mission. Demonstrated experience with, and understanding of, the broad diversity of the University community (students, faculty, staff and others).
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the University Community.
Ability and willingness to contribute actively to the mission of the University and to respect the Spiritan Catholic identity of Duquesne University. The mission is implemented through a commitment to academic excellence, a spirit of service, moral and spiritual values, sensitivity to world concerns, and an ecumenical campus community.
