Major Gifts Officer

Reports to: Deputy Director of Development

Location: Remote (US West Coast strongly preferred)

Classifications: Full-time, Exempt, Union-eligible

Salary Range: $75,000-80,000

Projected Hire Date: April 21, 2025

Projected Start: May 5, 2025

About Bend the Arc

Bend the Arc is building a multiracial, multiethnic, intergenerational movement of Jews and allies across the country who are rising up to build an American future free from white supremacy, antisemitism, and racism. We’re investing in systems that keep our communities safe and divesting from systems that uphold white supremacy. We organize, advocate, tell stories, and develop the leaders that we need to finally build a true multiracial democracy in America. And we’re fighting for the joyful future we deserve: one where Black liberation is realized and where all of us — within and beyond our Jewish community — are safe and thriving.

The Bend the Arc family of organizations consists of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, our 501(c)(4) organizing and advocacy arm; Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC, the first and only Jewish PAC to advocate exclusively for progressive policies in the U.S.; and Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, our 501(c)(3) education and leadership arm. We are proud to be a Union shop and to be working with the Non-profit Employees Union (NPEU) toward finalizing a Collective Bargaining Agreement and achieving our goals.

Headquartered in New York City, we have remote staff nationwide, along with a network of staffed chapters, volunteer-led local groups, and affiliates organizing across the country.

About the Position:

The Development department is a six-person team responsible for revenue generation for Bend the Arc’s family of organizations, and raises between $4-5MM annually from individuals and institutions. The Major Gifts Officer is a critical member of the team, and is responsible for stewarding major donors and prospects of $2,500 and above, with a regional focus primarily on donors residing in major West Coast cities. The ideal candidate will be a relational, strategic, and data-informed frontline fundraiser, an enthusiastic and persuasive advocate of Bend the Arc’s mission and programs, and a natural connector of people and their interests and passions.

The Major Gifts Officer works closely with the Development team, the CEO and the Executive Team, the Executive Coordinator, and the Assistant Director of Advocacy and Political Affairs to create, implement, and oversee a comprehensive stewardship program for those donors, including prospecting, annual revenue projections and multiple opportunities for engagement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Create and implement a regionally specific stewardship program and solicitation strategies as informed by varied culture and relationship history for a portfolio of individual donors giving $2,500+ annually as well as prospects.
• Gain and maintain fluency on Bend the Arc’s work, the ecosystems in which we move, and the time, place, and conditions under which we operate; stay up to date on organizational activities
• Responsible for maintaining up-to-date and accurate data to track performance and management of their portfolio, including donor correspondence, meeting notes, and donor profile information (NOTE: our database is currently Raiser’s Edge NXT)
• Develop strategy with and prepare solicitors prior to and following meetings and events
• Conduct donor research, prepare donor packets for meetings, and gather and maintain relevant and timely donor collateral materials
• Plan regional travel to meet with donors and run donor events as needed
• Work with the CEO’s Executive Coordinator to schedule meetings, travel, and draft personalized updates and other correspondence to donors and prospects
• Increase retention rates and maximize support from current donors by creating and implementing donor engagement plans for donors and prospects including individual meetings, events, donor briefing calls, and the like
• Plan and own logistics of creating engaging donor and prospect events
• Identify, prioritize, and cultivate potential new individual major donors
• Provide support to the Development team on any programs or special events

Required Skills and Qualifications:

Position Specific:

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with at least 2 of those years working directly with major donors
• Knowledge of and familiarity with some or all of the multiple ecosystems and contexts in which this position will work, e.g. the Jewish social justice ecosystem, the national progressive movement, the culture of the West Coast and surrounding states, and networks of high net-worth donors
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and experienced storyteller
• Strong interpersonal skills and relationship management experience
• Ability to initiate and manage multiple complex projects and work effectively in a results-oriented team environment and meet established deadlines
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Experience cultivating donors and moving them up a ladder of engagement
• Experience fundraising in an organization with a 501(c)3, 501(c)4, and political action committee (PAC), or knowledge of the distinctions between these entities strongly preferred
• Proficiency in Google platforms and ability to learn new systems
• Experience working with development databases, preferably Raiser’s Edge
• Ability to work evenings or on weekends based on need
• Ability to regularly conduct a high volume of time-sensitive phone outreach to donors
• Experience with prospecting and planned giving strategies are a plus
• Experience planning donor and solicitation events preferred

Staff Wide:

• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity, inclusion, and anti-oppression practices, and ability to bring this orientation into all areas of the work, internally and externally
• Developed racial equity praxis (analysis and skill) that can be applied to day to day work
• Resilience and self-awareness to navigate power, responsibility and experience mindfully
• Values and is open to giving and receiving feedback.
• Communicates effectively, honestly, and considerately
• Works collaboratively and considerately with colleagues, within and across teams, to achieve goals and objectives
• Completes administrative responsibilities in a timely manner

Compensation, Benefits, and Work Schedule

This is a full-time, non-exempt position, and is eligible for Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice's newly formed collective bargaining unit. The work schedule will include some evenings and weekends when needed. The annual salary range is $75,000-80,000 commensurate with experience. Statistics show that women and candidates from marginalized identities do not typically advocate for themselves, so to maintain equity, Bend the Arc has moved away from the culture of negotiation. When we make an offer, we offer the highest salary within the salary range that we assess matches the individual’s qualifications and fit for the role.

Our employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package:

• Medical, dental and vision benefits effective your first day (100% of employee coverage paid by employer, 80% of dependent/family);
• Flexible scheduling policy and generous paid time off for full-time employees including 20 Vacation days, 24 Sick and Safe days, 2 Floating Holidays, 32 office closures, 14 paid weeks for Parental Leave, 12 paid weeks for Family, Medical and Emergency Leave, and 12 paid weeks for Sabbatical after 7 years of employment;
• Monthly utilities stipend: $50 per month towards wifi, cell phone, electricity;
• Funding for professional development and home office equipment;
• 401(k) eligibility on first day; 2% employer contribution after one year
• FSA, HSA, DCFSA, and Adoption Assistance;
• Life Insurance, Long Term and Short Term Disability benefits fully paid for by Bend the Arc;
• Voluntary Accident and Injury Insurance;
• Employee Assistance Program provides access to resources, counseling, and discounted programs to support your mental, physical, and financial wellbeing;
• Commuter Benefits: option to allocate pre-tax income for public transit/parking.

Working Conditions:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must be able to sit in a stationary position for prolonged periods of time. Constantly operates a computer; must be able to operate other office machinery such as copy machines, computer printers, and video and voice telecommunications. Must be able to make a high volume of phone calls to donors. The person in this position must identify and discern the monitoring and tracking of revenue for all assigned donors, the maintenance and updating of donor files in Raiser’s Edge, conduct donor research and prepare donor packets, as well as identifying and cultivating new major donors. This person must identify, discern and communicate with the CEO, the staff of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action PAC, and the Leadership Team, and brief solicitors before and after meetings and events. They must communicate with the Executive Coordinator to schedule meetings, travel, and correspondence to/contact with donors. This person must occasionally move about to attend conferences and events in other cities and meet with donors. Must be able to travel by airplane and/or car or public ground transportation and detect and identify airport and public transportation signs. There is staff travel at least once a year to our conference and/or staff retreat; all work-related travel would be paid for by Bend the Arc.