Overview:
Beyond Housing is a nationally recognized community development organization that works to strengthen families and transform underserved communities to create a stronger, more equitable, and prosperous St. Louis region for all. We engage where we’re needed, focusing on building consensus among leaders, providing and preserving housing, fostering community structures that shape lives, and guiding systems that make people’s lives better.
We lead with vision for what a community can be every community is different, but thriving communities tend to share the same basic set of positive traits regarding housing, safety, education, health, infrastructure, and access to basic human services.
We bring together leaders and resources, volunteers, and citizens, and pursue a wide assortment of creative approaches to build stronger, healthier communities for life.
Finally, we are community builders, not kingdom builders. “It’s their neighborhood, future, & dreams”. Our objective is to help build and contribute the good things we do for the sake of adding value to the lives of the people we’re honored to serve. Supporting the economic success of 24:1-based entrepreneurs contribute to the 24:1 Community’s Vision for vibrant commercial corridors where residents can work, dine, shop, and play.
Position Summary
The Major Gifts Officer will be an innovative development professional responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and securing major individual gifts as part of the Development team. The Major Gifts Officer reports directly to and works closely with the Senior Director of Philanthropy and works collaboratively and strategically with and in support of Beyond Housing leaders, volunteers, and other development and advancement staff, to develop and implement strategies for individual major gift donor relationship management and cultivation, to meet the short and long-term fundraising goals of the department. The primary objective of the Major Gifts Officer is to develop long-term relationships with donors and prospects built on a firm understanding of the donors’ interests, passions and values, with the purpose of cultivating, soliciting and closing gifts. We are seeking an experienced and highly professional individual responsible for the development and implementation of a strategic gift solicitation plan for generating major gifts from high-level donors and prospects.
Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Act as primary manager for a portfolio of up to 150 prospects, in order to move potential donors in an appropriate and timely fashion toward solicitation and closure, maintaining a balance between discovery, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
- Identify, cultivate and play lead role in soliciting and closing major gifts that generate donations of $5,000 and up, primarily from individual friends as well as corporations.
- Recommend and implement short, intermediate and long-term individual major gifts cultivation and solicitation strategies for individual prospects (e.g. trustees, friends, board members, and staff), working with administration, board members, volunteers (as appropriate) to identify and engage new prospects for purposes of meeting established personal and fundraising goals.
- Plan and implement events and activities (volunteer experiences, tours, receptions, friend-raisers, etc.) for individual major gift donors, using existing activities as appropriate; engage in networking activities or other opportunities to generate potential prospects for cultivation.
- Cultivate and expand planned giving opportunities with new and existing donors, and integrate planned gift objectives into major individual donor requests in collaboration with President and Senior Director of Philanthropy;
- Work closely with Board members, leaders, staff and other volunteers to identify and engage new prospects.
- Work with Senior Director of Philanthropy to develop major gift materials (e.g. research, briefing memos, proposals and stewardship materials), and request information on donors and friends to qualify interest and giving potential.
- Monitor weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual activity to achieve individual performance measures (e.g. meetings, proposals, major gift revenue);
- Assist leadership in the recognition and prioritization of departmental funding needs, in particular for any departments, units or programs; keep abreast of departmental priorities, Beyond programs, personalities and events.
- Track and report relationship management activity using Raisers Edge® constituent relationship management System, including entering all actions taken to identify, cultivate, solicit, or steward a prospect or donor, including creating and updating RE opportunities; assist with review and verification of major gift donor recognition lists.
- Maintain knowledge of current tax laws, investments and planned giving opportunities; use knowledge in prospect cultivation and solicitation as appropriate.
- Develop and maintain strong collaborative working relationships with other team members.
- Participate in regular staff and organization-wide meetings and develop and maintain strong collaborative working relationships with other team members.
- Know and follow the CASE Code of Ethics for Fundraisers.
- Other duties as assigned
Personal Qualities:
- Collaborative – A dynamic personality that is collaboratively minded, can recognize, and identify strengths, seek consensus around mutual goals, and build meaningful relationships.
- Creative and Curious – A systems-thinker and builder, who is not afraid to be innovative in designing solutions and has skills in articulating these ideas and concepts.
- Methodical – Strong analytical, systems, and problem-solving skills to evaluate performance, prepare reports, and recommend/implement solutions using independent judgment. The ability to move from concepts to action through strong program design and evaluation.
- Reliable – Skills that reflect and value a team approach demonstrated integrity, effectiveness, efficiency, and the ability to deliver high quality service. Highly capable of handling multiple tasks, projects and timelines. Excellent oral and written communications skills.
- Trusted – Ability to work with residents, partners, and staff of diversified backgrounds with a positive, optimistic, solutions-oriented attitude. Shares a deep respect for the community, its stakeholders and the residents that we serve.
- Driven – Passion for the work and an interest in continuous learning and improvement.
Preferred Experience and Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university is required.
- Individuals must have five to seven years’ successful, demonstrated experience in major or planned gift fundraising, preferably in nonprofit community development, or significant comparable work in sales, marketing or other client-management professions.
- Must possess strong written, oral and presentation communication skills, and have experience in developing clear and concise funding proposals.
- Must have a demonstrated ability to meet financial goals for major gift giving, with a proven track record of cultivating and securing five-figure gifts and above, and successful experience in making cold calls, as well as developing cultivation and solicitation strategies.
- Individuals must be able to think strategically and creatively and must have excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated record of completing assignments, multi-tasking, meeting deadlines, and working with minimal supervision.
- Attention to detail and strong project management skills, ability to work as part of a team and professional attitude and appearance are required.
- Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Office Suite, Asana, and Teams computer skills are required.
- Experience with constituent relationship management systems, such as Raisers Edge®, is preferred.
- Position requires travel (local and occasionally out of state), and at times work in the evenings and weekends.
Supervisor:
- Senior Director of Philanthropy
Supervises:
- None
Salary and Benefits:
- Full-time salaried position with benefits for full-time position as determined in current Beyond Housing Employee Handbook
- Salary – $80,000.00 – $85,000.00
Application Instructions:
Please send resume and cover letter to hr@beyondhousing.org or complete the form on this page. For more information on Beyond Housing, visit www.beyondhousing.org.
