Major Gifts Officer

The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) is responsible for the identification, cultivation, and stewardship of major and planned gift prospects and donors and will create and implement a comprehensive plan to attract new individual donors and retain existing donors, while increasing their levels of support for and engagement with Christian City.  The MGO is also responsible for developing and implementing strategies to raise funds from private foundations and corporations, including researching, planning, organizing, writing, and submitting applications; ensuring timely and quality reporting; and maintaining relationships with funding institutions and key staff of current and potential funders.  The MGO will work independently and function as a valuable member of the development team, interacting with major donors and the CEO, board, and program staff as needed. This is a hybrid position - dedicated on-campus time and remote.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• 3+ years of demonstrated success raising major gifts ($1,000+)
• Demonstrated success identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding corporate and private foundation grants for programs and event sponsorships

• Understanding of non-profit accounting standards for preparation of financial reports and programmatic budgets for funders
• Knowledge of foundation funding structures and processes
• Exceptional oral, written communication, and presentation skills that are persuasive, clear, and concise; detail-oriented with a commitment to accuracy and clarity
• Strong computer aptitude; skill in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; knowledge of and skill using on-line and other resources to identify and research foundation grantors; experience using donor database for moves management; proficiency working with a CRM, RaisersEdge is preferred.
• Able to work calmly under deadline
• Strong time management and multi-tasking skills
• Friendly and a good relationship builder
• Ability to work well with and inspire external audiences and staff across a complex organization
• Strong initiative, self-confidence, creativity, and entrepreneurial skills; enjoys working as a team player but also has the capability to work independently and as a self-starter
• Personal integrity and the ability to inspire confidence and trust
• Commitment to Christian City, child protection, and senior adult services, with the natural ability to articulate mission to others
• Comfortable working in a faith-based organization where you may use faith language in some applications
• Manages relationship with supervisor with open dialogue and willingness to ask clarifying questions.
• Highly professional demeanor, able to work successfully with and respect the confidentiality of information pertaining to a wide variety of constituents including donors, board members, volunteers, and professional consultants.  
• Exhibits qualities valued in a collaborative work environment characterized by a growth mindset: integrity, trustworthiness, flexibility, compassion, humor, creativity, and persistence.  
• Knowledge and engagement in the Atlanta business and philanthropic community preferred
• Ability to represent the organization throughout the Atlanta community in civic and professional organizations

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Individual Gifts – 60%

• Responsible for cultivating and stewarding an active portfolio of 200 major donors and prospects through best practice development techniques to secure philanthropic support to meet annual goals, engaging with them at least 5-10 times annually.
• Ensures all donors are stewarded through a “Moves Management” development process.
• Embraces a relationship-focused approach to Major Gifts fundraising as part of the organization’s overall fundraising plan. 
• Coordinates the Christian City Society recognition for donors of $1,000+, and the Legacy Providers recognizing those who include Christian City in their estate plans. 
• Manages the individual donor fundraising process by engaging those prospects and donors capable of making gifts of $1,000+ in the organization’s work and mission. 
  • Works with the Database Administrator on prospect research process to assure high quality prospects for qualification. 
  • Identifies and qualifies prospective supporters capable of making gifts of $1,000+.  
  • Cultivates current and prospective Major Gifts donors to both understand their motivation for supporting Christian City and provide them opportunities to direct funding to the programs that best meet their priorities. 
  • Provides high-level, personalized stewardship to all Major and Planned Gift donors, including gift acknowledgments, recognition, and support. 
• Provides leadership for major gifts solicitation visits, either through direct participation or by preparing and briefing the staff and volunteer assigned to the prospect.  
• Writes and/or edits proposals and presentations for major donors. 
• Updates donor records in a timely manner to document activity, information, and proposed next steps that can be leveraged to engage prospects in a manner that reflects their priorities and interests. 
• Tracks relationship-focused activity with prospects and donors and provides timely updates in Raisers Edge to show progress towards goals. 
• Uses data to determine which strategies and activities are most successful in engaging Major Gifts donors and growing their support. 

Foundation and Corporate Fundraising – 35%

• Prepares foundation and corporate grant requests and stewards foundation and corporate funder
  relationships.
• Develop, manage, and execute the plan for the support of private and corporate foundations including:
• Partnering with the Chief Advancement Officer to develop strategies to engage, solicit, and steward these prospects
• Determining and prioritizing opportunities for support, leading to quantifiable funding outcomes
• Researching prospects, developing cultivation and solicitation strategies for each prospect, and implementing these strategies
• Preparing and submitting grant proposals
• Ensuring that all funders’ requirements are met, including reporting
• Coordinating gift-related site visits, including support to the Chief Advancement Officer, CEO, and Board of Directors for in-person meetings with current and potential funders
• Maintaining a busy private grant calendar across multiple program areas that effectively tracks and monitors grant proposal and report status including submissions, responses, renewals, and reporting requirements
• Preparing monthly reports on grant solicitation and funder reporting progress
• Maintaining notes and interactions in Raisers Edge database

• Write and submit sponsorship requests to underwrite events and/or program sponsors
• Work with development staff to manage sponsor stewardship and engagement activities
• Work as key member of team for major special events, alongside other staff, and volunteers
• Collaborating effectively with program, finance, and other development staff to communicate the qualitative and quantitative stories of Christian City’s success, impact and needs to funders including:
• Keeping abreast of programmatic changes
• Understanding program data used to evaluate programming and its impact
• Using and understanding budgets and other financial documents
• Gathering stories that are useful in explaining programming impact
• Attend events, meetings, forums, trainings as appropriate for strengthened relationships with existing or new funders

Professional Development – 3%

• Stay current with trends in philanthropy and human services through reading, webinars, conferences, and trainings 

Team Meetings and Other Duties – 2%

• Participate in Development team meetings, campaign meetings, and other organizational meetings as requested
• Other duties as assigned

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

1. Achieve annual increase in major individual, foundation, and organizational support as set forth in annual goal setting exercise.
2. Increased relationships with major donors and foundation leaders and increased opportunities for face-to-face involvement.
3. Foundation leaders and influential Atlantans consider Christian City to be a key player in solving important societal issues in the Greater Atlanta area.
4. Funding priorities are defined and tied to Christian City’s strategic plan.

5.     Foundation application deadlines are met in advance and grant reports are submitted on a timely basis.

6.     Special events achieve and exceed sponsorship goals.

About the Organization: Christian City is celebrating its 55^th year of providing Life-changing Hope, through Faith, Community and Care to children and senior adults.  It is an organization that enjoys a rich tradition while continuing to evolve and effectively meet the needs of children and senior adults on an idyllic 500 acre campus just south of downtown Atlanta.  Children who are victims of abuse, crime and poverty are provided the foundation they need in a safe and loving home environment on campus or by placement in a foster or adoptive home. Runaway and homeless youth are rescued through the “Safe Place” program and are also nurtured and supported in a residential environment.  We serve our senior adults with a full continuum of residential and support services, including nursing home and hospice care.