Reporting to the Executive Director of Advancement and with a close working relationship with the lead Philanthropy Officer, the Major Gifts Officer seeks to increase participation in annual, major, and planned giving from supporters to the Jesuit East Province and others who have connections to the Jesuits. The Major Gifts Officer seeks to secure leadership commitments at the $100,000+ level. The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for a portfolio of approximately 150 leadership-level donors, prospects, and volunteers who can make significant commitments at the leadership level to the Province.
Specific Responsibilities
Promoting the Mission
- Continually deepen an understanding of the Province, through a knowledge of its history, distinct mission and culture, its base of financial support, and the opportunities that exist therein.
Fundraising
- Manages a portfolio comprising approximately 150 prospects and donors who can make gifts of $100,000+.
- Completes 150+ visits annually with assigned prospects.
- Meets solicitation metrics:
- Year 1: Solicit $1 million, close $500,000
- Year 2: Solicit $1.5 million, close $750,000
- Year 3: Solicit $2 million, close $1 million
- Creates and implements the process by which a steady source of donor prospects is identified, researched, and qualified for the appropriate level of cultivation and solicitation.
- Identifies leadership prospects and solicits annual and special gifts to support the Province’s operating budget.
- Makes persuasive verbal and written cases for supporting the Jesuit East Province’s key priorities, effectively matching prospects’ interests to specific projects and programs needing support and ensuring effective stewardship of donor relationships.
- Records information about prospects and donors utilizing the appropriate Jesuit East Province databases; reports activity and monitors resources and expenditures associated with their program and portfolio.
- Works closely with the Advancement team. Participates in advancement activities and events, including dinners, receptions, and the Jesuit East Province site visits.
Other Duties
- Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director of Advancement.
- Support various Province-wide activities as requested.
Qualifications
- Demonstrates strong knowledge and understanding of the mission of the Roman Catholic Church and the national and international vision of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
- Minimum of seven (7) years of successful fundraising experience and a proven track record of closing five, six, and seven-figure gifts.
- Experience working with trusts, estates, and estate planning products; this experience can be within a university setting, other nonprofit organizations, or in the private sector; private sector experience in wealth management or accounting is relevant.
- Proven success in achieving results; developing solicitation strategies and a track record of success cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts.
- Ability to engage senior leadership, Board members, volunteers, and others in cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
- A team player and team builder that has a passion for and commitment to achieving excellence in all aspects of the mission of the Jesuits while fostering a high level of respect for colleagues.
- Self-motivated with a high degree of professionalism and the ability to be flexible, manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and work under deadlines.
- A general level of comfort when dealing with high-net-worth individuals, an ability to maintain discretion, and a high level of confidentiality when dealing with significant benefactors.
- Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to build, foster, and maintain positive relationships with both internal and external constituencies including affluent and influential benefactors and prospects.
- Superior communication skills to express, orally and in writing, the Jesuit mission, vision, and goals with clarity, passion, and persuasion.
- Prior capital campaign experience preferred.
- Technical proficiency and a working knowledge of donor database programs and IBM, preferably Raiser’s Edge, Research Point and Microsoft Office Suite.
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
- Must be willing and able to travel to meet donors throughout the East Province and work nights and weekends when necessary. Travel required, approximately 75%-90%, and as needed.
- Must reside in the Baltimore, MD/Washington, DC region.
THE INSTITUTION
The USA East Province of the Society of Jesus is one of four Provinces of the Society of Jesus in the United States and one part of the worldwide body of Jesuits. The Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) is a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded in 1540 by the soldier-turned-priest, Saint Ignatius Loyola. In the vision of their founder, they seek to “Find God in All Things” and commit themselves to the “Greater Glory of God.” The Jesuit mission has long been dedicated to:
- Spreading the Gospel
- Reaching out to those on the margins
- Educating men and women for others
With close to 17,000 priests and brothers worldwide, the Jesuits are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church. They are pastors, teachers, and chaplains. They are also doctors, lawyers, and astronomers, among many other roles in the Church and society. In their varied ministries, they care for the whole person—body, mind, and soul. The USA East Province is the largest province in the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, comprising 580 Jesuits, 10 colleges and universities, 30 middle and high schools, 18 parishes, 4 retreat centers, and 2 international schools.
Jesuits draw on the rich tradition of Ignatian Spirituality. They offer resources to all who want to discern God’s presence in their lives. Through this lens, the Jesuits work tirelessly to advance social justice and peace. Among the marginalized and seemingly forgotten in cities and throughout the world, Jesuits can be found advocating on their behalf.
From universities and schools to prisons and outreach centers, to refugee camps in the poorest of nations, the Jesuits and their lay partners can be found “going where the need is greatest.” In the United States, they are most known for teaching, ministering, and living the Jesuit mission in service to others through:
For additional information, please visit their website at www.jesuiteast.org.
