Major Gifts Officer Jobs
Major Gifts Officer jobs are open across higher education, hospitals, arts and cultural institutions, and human services nonprofits, from entry-level development associate roles to director of major gifts, with specializations in planned giving, campaign fundraising, and donor stewardship. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
Find Major Gifts Officer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 39+ Major Gifts Officer jobs
TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop and execute comprehensive strategies to secure major and transformational gifts in support of University priorities.
- Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Develop individualized relationship-management strategies and move prospects through the fundraising pipeline.
- Conduct face-to-face and virtual donor meetings, campus visits, tours, presentations, and solicitation conversations.
- Prepare proposals, briefing materials, gift strategies, and other donor-facing materials.
- Partner with the President, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, trustees, and other senior leaders on major gift solicitations.
- Identify opportunities for unrestricted, restricted, endowed, capital, planned, and multi-year gifts.
- Maintain accurate and timely records of donor interactions, strategies, proposals, and outcomes in the University's advancement database.
- Lead fundraising strategies for priority institutional initiatives, including capital projects, academic programs, scholarships, student success, athletics, facilities, and other University priorities.
- Translate strategic institutional goals into compelling philanthropic opportunities and cases for support.
- Develop project-specific fundraising plans, timelines, benchmarks, and revenue goals.
- Coordinate cross-functional teams to move strategic initiatives from concept to implementation.
- Identify emerging philanthropic opportunities and develop partnerships that expand the University's network of supporters.
- Support special campaigns, leadership initiatives, signature events, and other advancement priorities.
- Plan and coordinate donor engagement opportunities, including site visits, tours, and recognition events with a focus on hospitality and relationship building.
- Prepare and deliver timely acknowledgments, reports, and communications to major gift donors.
- Ensure donor experiences are handled with professionalism and impeccable soft skills.
- Draft and prepare high-quality reports, proposals, and presentation materials for donors, leadership, and board members.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in donor management systems.
- Deliver regular progress updates on goals, outcomes, and donor activity.
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
- 3–5 years of professional experience in fundraising, project management, commercial development, sales, or related fields.
- Experience with donor database systems preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to manage projects, develop facilities-related initiatives, and coordinate multiple priorities effectively.
- Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to prepare compelling reports and presentations.
- Proven interpersonal and hospitality-oriented skills, with a record of building strong relationships across diverse stakeholders.
- This position reports to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement
- $70,000 - $80,000 annually, plus benefits!
- Full-time; in-person.
TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop and execute comprehensive strategies to secure major and transformational gifts in support of University priorities.
- Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Develop individualized relationship-management strategies and move prospects through the fundraising pipeline.
- Conduct face-to-face and virtual donor meetings, campus visits, tours, presentations, and solicitation conversations.
- Prepare proposals, briefing materials, gift strategies, and other donor-facing materials.
- Partner with the President, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, trustees, and other senior leaders on major gift solicitations.
- Identify opportunities for unrestricted, restricted, endowed, capital, planned, and multi-year gifts.
- Maintain accurate and timely records of donor interactions, strategies, proposals, and outcomes in the University's advancement database.
- Lead fundraising strategies for priority institutional initiatives, including capital projects, academic programs, scholarships, student success, athletics, facilities, and other University priorities.
- Translate strategic institutional goals into compelling philanthropic opportunities and cases for support.
- Develop project-specific fundraising plans, timelines, benchmarks, and revenue goals.
- Coordinate cross-functional teams to move strategic initiatives from concept to implementation.
- Identify emerging philanthropic opportunities and develop partnerships that expand the University's network of supporters.
- Support special campaigns, leadership initiatives, signature events, and other advancement priorities.
- Plan and coordinate donor engagement opportunities, including site visits, tours, and recognition events with a focus on hospitality and relationship building.
- Prepare and deliver timely acknowledgments, reports, and communications to major gift donors.
- Ensure donor experiences are handled with professionalism and impeccable soft skills.
- Draft and prepare high-quality reports, proposals, and presentation materials for donors, leadership, and board members.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in donor management systems.
- Deliver regular progress updates on goals, outcomes, and donor activity.
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
- 3–5 years of professional experience in fundraising, project management, commercial development, sales, or related fields.
- Experience with donor database systems preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to manage projects, develop facilities-related initiatives, and coordinate multiple priorities effectively.
- Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to prepare compelling reports and presentations.
- Proven interpersonal and hospitality-oriented skills, with a record of building strong relationships across diverse stakeholders.
- This position reports to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement
- $70,000 - $80,000 annually, plus benefits!
- Full-time; in-person.
See All 39 Major Gifts Officer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Major Gifts Officer JobsMajor Gifts Officer Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
- Science & Research
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in major gifts officer jobs.
- Bachelor's degree required, with preference for advancement or nonprofit management fields
- Three or more years of direct major gifts solicitation and portfolio management experience
- Demonstrated history of closing five- or six-figure gifts from individual donors
- Proficiency in a CRM or donor database such as Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, or similar
- Experience developing and executing individualized donor cultivation and stewardship plans
- Strong written communication skills for case statements, proposals, and donor correspondence
Tips for Your Major Gifts Officer Job Search
Quantify donor portfolio results on your resume
List the number of donors you managed, the gift range you cultivated, and any campaign totals you contributed to. Major gifts hiring committees screen for concrete portfolio metrics, not general descriptions of relationship-building or stewardship duties.
Tailor applications to the gift threshold listed
Some organizations define major gifts at five figures, others at six. Read each job posting carefully and mirror the exact dollar threshold language in your cover letter so reviewers see you understand their donor pyramid and are not submitting a generic application.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists major gifts officer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match your sector and experience level and apply directly to each listing.
Signal your moves management fluency upfront
Hiring managers for major gifts roles want to see that you understand the full cultivation cycle, from identification through solicitation and stewardship. Name the CRM or donor database you have used to document moves in your resume's skills or tools section.
Prepare a cultivation story for every interview
Expect behavioral questions asking you to walk through a gift you closed from first contact to signed pledge. Rehearse two or three specific examples that show your listening, patience, and ask timing, since those stories drive hiring decisions more than credentials.
Negotiate start date around fiscal year timing
Many nonprofits close their fiscal year in June or September and launch campaigns immediately after. If you receive an offer near those windows, negotiate a start date that lets you ramp up before campaign season rather than landing mid-push with no donor context.
Major Gifts Officer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most major gifts officers?
The most active employers for major gifts officers right now are Harvard University, WHYY, and NADAP, and the most openings are in Massachusetts, New York, and California, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Universities and large health systems tend to post the highest volume of openings year-round.
How many major gifts officer jobs are remote?
About 82% of major gifts officer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though the role remains largely in-person given the relationship-intensive nature of donor cultivation. Stewardship coordination, grant writing support, and portfolio research functions are the sub-areas most commonly offered with remote flexibility.
How do you become a major gifts officer?
Start by building direct donor-contact experience in annual giving, development associate, or prospect research roles, since major gifts positions require a demonstrated ability to cultivate and solicit individuals. Learn a donor CRM used by nonprofits in your sector. Pursue a certificate in fundraising management or the CFRE credential to signal professional commitment. Move into a major gifts role once you have closed gifts and can speak to your cultivation process in interviews.
Can you get a major gifts officer job without prior major gifts experience?
Yes, some organizations hire candidates from adjacent development roles if they can show strong donor relationship skills and evidence of moving donors up the giving ladder. Highlight any experience managing a mid-level or leadership annual giving portfolio, since those roles share the same cultivation mechanics. A persuasive cover letter that walks through one successful solicitation story, even at a lower gift level, helps bridge the experience gap in a competitive pool.
What does the major gifts officer interview process look like?
Most organizations run a phone screen with HR, followed by a panel interview with the development director and one or two frontline colleagues, and sometimes a final conversation with a senior leader or board member. Expect behavioral questions about specific donor relationships you have managed, how you handle a stalled cultivation, and your approach to setting ask amounts. Some organizations assign a brief written exercise, such as drafting a donor proposal or outlining a cultivation plan for a hypothetical prospect.
Where can I find and apply to major gifts officer jobs?
You can find and apply to major gifts officer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from nonprofits, universities, hospitals, and other mission-driven organizations across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your sector, gift threshold experience, and location preference, then apply directly to each one that fits.
See All 39 Major Gifts Officer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Major Gifts Officer Jobs