Major Gifts Officer

Reporting directly to the Development Director, the Major Gifts Officer — an energetic accelerator of major gifts — identifies, cultivates, and builds a robust portfolio of high-level gift prospects and donors that generates five- and six-figure gifts. This position is a new role, providing support to the Children & Nature Networks growing development team. The Major Gifts Officer works closely with a range of diverse, sophisticated donors, raising significant gifts that meet or exceed all activity metrics and revenue goals. The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for advancing best practices in moves management, traveling and meeting with donors throughout the country. This position is fully remote.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Donor Cultivation & Relationship Management

• Build, qualify, cultivate, and solicit a portfolio of 100-125 current and new donors and prospects capable of making gifts at the $10,000+ level.
• Successfully engage with high-net-worth donors identified in our recent wealth assessment process, while exhibiting confidence, trust, sensitivity, discretion, and professionalism.
• In close coordination with the Development Director, plan, develop, and implement a targeted, integrated cultivation strategy for the assigned portfolio that builds a pipeline for strategic gifts, primarily from new high-net-worth donors and prospects.
• Conduct cultivation and stewardship activities, with an annual target of (2) “visits” for mid-major donors and (4) visits for major, lead and board donors (visits are defined as a meaningful and custom engagement, such as a 1:1 in-person meeting, virtual presentation, phone conversation, handwritten note, event, or custom dialogue).
• Act as principal donor strategist for each prospect in the portfolio with specific responsibility to develop a written donor strategy and relationship record of all interactions.
• Collaborate with and engage the CEO, Board Development Committee, and Children & Nature Network colleagues in donor cultivation and stewardship to bring the philanthropic potential of the Children & Nature Network’s work to donors.

Reporting & Data Management

• Provide complete and accurate activity reports on moves management on a regular basis that include detailed call reports, revenue forecasts, data analytics, and other accomplishments.
• Oversee review of donor database, creation of standard operating procedures, and data scrubbing in advance of major donor outreach effort.

Fundraising Strategy

• Assist in setting and meeting annual revenue goals for major gifts with the Development Director.
• Uphold a strong moves management system that ensures team accountability and performance and builds an increasing base of major and leadership gift prospects and donors.

Collaboration & Engagement

• Develop and maintain positive, collaborative working relationships with the Children & Nature Network’s senior leadership, team, board, and volunteers.
• Attend program and fundraising activities as needed, including evening.
• Participate in organizational activities, meetings and duties as assigned.

A successful candidate will have the following skills, education and experience:

• A genuine and enthusiastic commitment to the vision and values of the Children & Nature Network.
• A minimum of five years of sophisticated major gifts experience, with a proven track record of closing five- and six-figure gifts in a complex environment. Prior experience in campaigns would be an advantage.
• Proven achievement of building effective, long-term relationships with new and prospective donors, in addition to success in retaining and seamlessly upgrading existing donors.
• Ability to be successful in deadline-oriented settings, both individually and as a collaborative team-player.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, including comfort dealing with high-net-worth individuals.
• Deep interest in understanding a range of diverse cultural differences and the ability to work effectively with people from a range of social, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
• Dynamic, metrics-focused, team-oriented, servant leader, who enjoys managing up and down and brings a good sense of humor.
• Experience with prospect and donor management fundraising software applications, experience with Little Green Light and Asana a plus.
• Ability to work autonomously within a collaborative, virtual/remote team environment.
• Proficiency in cloud based platforms (C&NN uses Google Workspace).
• Must use own computer, phone, reliable internet service.

LOCATION AND TRAVEL

The Children & Nature Network is a virtual organization with no central office. Up to 15-20% travel is required, specifically for donor meetings, annual conference, donor convenings, and staff meetings and retreats.

COMPENSATION & OTHER

Compensation: $95,000 annually, Benefits include health insurance, retirement, Paid Time Off & holidays, remote office allowance

Status: Full Time Regular, Salary

Reports to: Development Director

Target Start Date: 5/28/25

We appreciate that diversity of all kinds contributes to greater impact and innovation. We are striving to build a diverse team that reflects the races, ethnicities, religions, gender identities, cultures and lived experiences of the international children and nature movement. We are committed to values of equity and inclusion in the way we work with each other, with partners and peers and in the communities we serve.