Development Officer (Major Gifts)

About the role

The Development Officer (Major Gifts) serves as a frontline fundraising professional for Southwest Baptist University by identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding SBU Alumni, parents, organizations, and friends capable of making significant philanthropic investments in the University's mission and strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

• Develop annual plan with VP and DOD to advance assigned and potential relationships through stages of the development cycle: discovery, engagement, proposal, closure, and stewardship.
• Create a relationship development plan for each individual in an assigned portfolio that is updated and reported regularly.
• Manage a portfolio of assigned major gift prospects and donors through documented cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Maintain timely records of constituent interactions and progress toward fundraising goals within the CRM system.
• Conduct meaningful donor visits annually, both in-person and virtual, to advance donor relationships and philanthropic commitments.
• Discern current and potential donors’ interest in SBU’s mission for strategic proposals meaningful to each donor.
• Leverage campus events, regional engagement events, and service opportunities for SBU.
• Collaborate with Advancement team to identify, qualify, and strategically engage new prospects capable of making major philanthropic investments in Southwest Baptist University, including potential future major donors in the early stages of their relationship with SBU.
• Collaborate with university leadership, deans, faculty, coaches, and Advancement colleagues to develop a working knowledge of University priorities, academic programs, student experiences, and funding needs to effectively align with donor interests.
• Interact in gracious and meaningful ways as a key SBU representative with members of the campus community, Bolivar community, and the larger external SBU family.
• Achieve annual fundraising goals through the development, presentation, and management of major gift, planned gift, and campaign proposals aligned with donor interests and university priorities; personally solicit and secure philanthropic commitments that advance institutional objectives.
• Ensure assigned donors receive timely, meaningful, and impact-focused stewardship that strengthens relationships and encourages continued investment in SBU's mission.
• Support the collegial team culture of the Advancement division by contributing to the planning and execution of tradition-building initiatives designed to engage current students, alumni, parents, donors, and friends of SBU in a life-long habit of engagement, prayer, and financial support.
• Participate in donor cultivation, stewardship, and engagement events as appropriate to advance relationships with prospects and donors.
• As assigned, develop and maintain relationships with strategic philanthropic foundations and provide funding usage reports as required.
• Serve as a frontline fundraising representative in comprehensive and targeted fundraising campaigns, helping achieve institutional fundraising goals.
• Assure the confidentiality of all donor relationships.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• Two years of experience in fundraising, alumni relations and/or public relations.
• Preferred: Master’s degree
• Preferred: Five years of prior fundraising experience.

Regular attendance and punctuality; sets an example of a Christian lifestyle for students, staff and faculty; commitment and adherence to Southwest Baptist University’s Principles and Expectations; supervisory responsibility: none; other duties as assigned.