Major Gifts Officer job description.
A major gifts officer builds and manages relationships with an organization's largest individual donors, developing personalized cultivation and stewardship plans that lead to significant gifts. They identify and qualify prospects, craft compelling asks, and coordinate closely with leadership and the broader development team on campaign strategy. Success is measured by the size, frequency, and long-term retention of major donor relationships.
The Major Gifts Officer job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Major Gifts Officer Reports to: Director of Development
A major gifts officer builds and manages relationships with an organization's largest individual donors, developing personalized cultivation and stewardship plans that lead to significant gifts. They identify and qualify prospects, craft compelling asks, and coordinate closely with leadership and the broader development team on campaign strategy. Success is measured by the size, frequency, and long-term retention of major donor relationships.
- Identify, research, and qualify prospective major donors
- Develop individualized cultivation and stewardship plans for a portfolio of major donors
- Conduct in-person and virtual visits to build donor relationships
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
5 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
6 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Director of Development
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Identify, research, and qualify prospective major donors
- Develop individualized cultivation and stewardship plans for a portfolio of major donors
- Conduct in-person and virtual visits to build donor relationships
- Prepare and present gift proposals, funding priorities, and impact reports to donors
- Coordinate with the executive director and board on high-level donor engagement
- Track portfolio activity, moves-management stages, and revenue projections in the donor database
- Collaborate with the development team on campaign strategy and events
- Ensure timely acknowledgment and stewardship of major gifts
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
- Several years of experience in major gift fundraising or high-value sales relationship management
- Proven track record of cultivating and closing significant gifts or contracts
- Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
- Experience using a donor or CRM database
- Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential
- Experience in a capital or major campaign environment
- Established network within the philanthropic or nonprofit community
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Major Gifts Officer job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Major Gifts Officer job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The senior band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Director of Development) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- How large a donor portfolio does a major gifts officer typically manage?
- Portfolio size varies by organization and gift threshold, but the role generally focuses on a defined list of high-capacity donors rather than a broad general donor base.
- Does this role require prior nonprofit experience?
- Nonprofit fundraising experience is common, but candidates with strong relationship-based sales or client management backgrounds are also frequently considered.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
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Nonprofit CEO
A Nonprofit CEO leads the strategic direction, operations, and fundraising efforts of a mission-driven organization.
Executive Director
An executive director leads the overall strategy, operations, and performance of an organization, often within the nonprofit or association sector.
This Major Gifts Officer job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.