Senior Major Gifts Officer

at  Marthas Table

SENIOR MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER

Martha’s Table requires all team members and classroom volunteers to have completed a COVID-19 primary series and received one booster dose. Team members who are not yet eligible for a booster must submit proof of their booster vaccination within 2 months of receiving their final primary series dose or an original monovalent booster vaccine to hr@marthastable.org.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Major Gifts Officer is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors to retain and increase contributions, overseeing all aspects of the Major Gifts campaign for gifts between $10,000 and $149,999, while also managing and expanding the Maz Legacy Circle planned giving society, supporting leadership giving, and leading the Annual Benefit, our largest fundraising event.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS

• Fundraising Strategy and Execution: Exceptional ability to develop comprehensive major gift strategies, set fundraising goals, identify key initiatives, and evaluate progress against targets. Demonstrated success in areas of major gift, planned giving, and fundraising events, as well as soliciting and stewarding donors giving in the $10,000-$149,999 level is essential. (critical skill)
• Data Analysis and Utilization: Keen ability to analyze fundraising data using CRM databases and other tools for assessing performance, identifying trends, and making informed decisions to adjust strategies as needed. Knowledge of data analytics methods and tools is essential for optimizing fundraising efforts. (critical skill)
• Donor Communication and Engagement: Strong written and verbal communication skills to craft compelling messages and deliver them effectively across multiple channels to diverse audiences. A persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills. Knowledge of donor communication best practices and experience in donor stewardship and outreach activities are important for building and maintaining donor relationships.
• Leadership and Team Management: Demonstrated leadership skills providing management of annual giving programs, supervising staff, managing vendors, and coordinating cross-departmental collaboration efforts. Knowledge of leadership and team management principles, including effective communication, delegation, and motivation techniques, is essential for leading a successful annual giving strategy.
• Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement: The ability to collaborate effectively with other department leaders, stakeholders, and external partners is important for aligning annual fund strategies with overall fundraising and institutional goals. Knowledge of fundraising regulations, donor data compliance standards, and ethical fundraising practices is essential for maintaining positive relationships with donors and stakeholders. Ability to maintain a high level of poise and professionalism in all circumstances
• Budget and Project Management: Knowledge of budgeting principles and experience in managing budgets is important for developing and managing the annual budget for fundraising events, tracking expenses, and ensuring financial objectives are met. Project management skills are needed to plan, organize, and manage concurrent donor communication campaigns in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Proficiency in Every Action or sophisticated CRM system
• Experience managing a portfolio of major donors
• Experience soliciting five and six figure gifts.
• Collegiality – the ability to develop and maintain good relationships with colleagues on other teams across the organization, as well as points of contact at partner organizations.
• A proactive nature, willing to roll up one’s sleeves to help out the organization in ways that fall outside the job description, such as taking part in volunteer shifts.
• Creativity – finding new, innovative ways to communicate with funders/prospects and leverage our communications resources.
• Ability to inspire, generate excitement, shared purpose, and actions
• Strong verbal and interpersonal skills and confidence necessary to engage in face-to-face and/or phone solicitations
• Understanding of multichannel direct marketing and familiarity with segmentation strategies using a large constituent database
• Experience working effectively in a large, complex non-profit and working across departments to gather information, data, and stories of impact; demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Strong community awareness and understanding with a demonstrated commitment to the values of diversity, inclusiveness, and empowerment.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree plus 4 years of experience in development, demonstrating a successful track record creating annual giving campaigns, soliciting gifts, and conversion strategies. (Without a Bachelor’s degree, 6 years of progressively successful fundraising experience, preferable in a nonprofit or higher education setting.)
• Firm knowledge of full fundraising cycle and best practices, from prospect identification to donor stewardship. Commitment to using moves management approach to major gift development. Ability to work both independently without close oversight: also a team player who will productively engage with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside the organization
• Proven track record of successfully meeting or exceeding fundraising goals, preferably in a non-profit setting.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with experience supervising staff and fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to articulate a compelling case for support and engage donors effectively across various channels.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and implement data-driven fundraising strategies.
• Creativity and innovative thinking
• Proficiency in fundraising CRM systems and data analysis tools.
• Commitment to the mission and core values (Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Teamwork) of Martha’s Table.
• Knowledge of the Washington, D.C. philanthropic landscape is a plus.

• Develops and Implements a Comprehensive Major Gift Strategy that Retains and Grows Portfolio of $10,000-$149,999 donors
• Researches, qualifies and cultivates individual and institutional (e.g. family foundations) prospects at the $10,000+ giving level.
• Builds and strengthens authentic relationships with high-capacity donors leading to closing and stewarding high impact gifts
• Creates and implements customized strategies for each prospect. This includes setting and meeting goals, objectives and setting significant actions or moves leading to closing gifts.
• Develops and implements tailored solicitations for active and prospective donors that match their philanthropic interests with organizational funding needs. Drafts compelling written solicitations and cases for support, makes direct in-person asks, and facilitates solicitations by Board Members and senior leadership, as appropriate.
• Coordinates and attends internal strategy meetings to determine and define the areas of greatest fundraising needs.
• Maintains a well-designed and documented prospect portfolio. Balance contacts to qualify prospects and key cultivation moves that result in stronger relationship, solicitation and commitment.
• Maintains strong relationships with portfolio members after gifts are received through proper acknowledgement, tracking, and reporting on contributions. Thanks donors for gifts in a personal, timely manner to express appreciation on behalf of Martha’s Table.
• Coordinates with the Development Assistant to ensure formal acknowledgements are accurately and expediently issued.
• Ensures gift agreements for restricted contributions are executed in a timely
• Plans and manages fundraising events targeting major gifts (E.g. Annual Benefit and spring fundraiser) with support of development team
• Collaborate with Deputy Chief of Development and CDCO to develop and execute event fundraising strategies
• Co-lead planning of event with Special Assistant to CDCO (Special Assistant lead logistics; Senior MGO leads fundraising and relationship building aspects of event)
• Coordinate and track sponsorships for the event
• Track and report on progress to overall fundraising goals
• Maintains and Grows the Maz Legacy Circle/Planned Giving Program:
• Expands and maintains a comprehensive planned giving program which results in funds raised through the cultivation and closing of outright, irrevocable and revocable deferred gifts.
• Data Management and Analysis
• Records accurate and timely data, planned actions, and accomplished moves with constituents in the fundraising database
• Regularly analyzes portfolio revenue and other key performance indicators throughout the year to assess results; interprets data to recommend and implement appropriate changes to targets or adjustments in strategies
• Management
• Supervise the Donor Engagement Associate, fostering professional development and ensuring a collaborative and efficient workplaces
• Other Duties as Assigned:
• Forms strong relationships with team members across Martha’s Table to stay abreast of programmatic progress and to involve program team members meaningfully in fundraising activities.
• Keeps abreast of industry best-practices and services around fundraising and prospect research.
• Collaborate with other department leaders and across the organization to engage donors through storytelling, impact reports, volunteering, events, and other relationship building activities.
• Work closely with colleagues across departments, including Communications, Programs, and Finance, to ensure alignment and integration of fundraising efforts with organizational objectives.
• Commitment to Martha’s Table’s mission and core values of compassion, respect, teamwork, and accountability
• Embodies and serves as a model for “white glove service” and our organization’s core values