Major Gift Officer

Our Lady of Mercy is an Independent Catholic all-girls middle and high school deeply rooted in the Mercy faith tradition. We welcome all girls in grades six through twelve — inclusive of all incomes, races, and faith affiliations who are seeking an alternative to public school or who wish to continue to pursue a faith-based education. We have a strong history of providing high quality education to young women, empowering them to excel academically, spiritually, socially, and emotionally. Our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive community, along with a dedication to Mercy values sets us apart as a leader in Catholic education. Mercy builds life-changing competence, confidence, and compassion that prepares and inspires young women to achieve the highest level of success in college, in career, and in the community.

About the role

As Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women prepares for its Centennial celebration and enters a comprehensive philanthropic campaign, the Major Gift Officer will play a critical role in expanding the school's culture of philanthropy and advancing major and campaign giving. The Major Gift Officer will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gift prospects and donors, with a particular focus on building a robust pipeline of philanthropic support for all of Mercy's fundraising priority areas. This position will manage a portfolio of leadership annual giving, major giving, planned giving, and campaign prospects, working closely with the Vice President of Development, school leadership, volunteers, and campaign leadership to secure transformational support for Mercy's mission and future.

Responsibilities

• Major Gift Portfolio Management
  • Manage a portfolio of approximately 100 major gift prospects and donors ($1,000+), including alumnae, parents, grandparents, foundations, and friends of Mercy
  • Develop and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies designed to increase donor engagement and philanthropic investment
  • Conduct 75 meaningful donor visits annually, including qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship meetings
  • Prepare proposals, gift agreements, impact reports, and other donor communications in partnership with the Institutional Advancement team
  • Secure leadership annual, major, planned, and campaign gifts in support of institutional priorities
• Prospect Identification and Pipeline Development
  • Identify and qualify 25–40 new major gift prospects annually through research, discovery visits, volunteer referrals, and constituent engagement
  • Build and maintain a strong pipeline of campaign prospects capable of supporting Mercy's Centennial Campaign goals
  • Develop strategies to increase giving levels among current donors and move constituents through the donor pipeline
  • Partner with the Director of Alumnae Engagement & Giving and other advancement staff to identify emerging philanthropic leaders and campaign volunteers
• Campaign Preparation and Volunteer Engagement
  • Support planning and execution of Mercy's Centennial Campaign by managing assigned campaign prospects and volunteers
  • Collaborate with campaign leadership and volunteer committees to facilitate prospect strategy and donor engagement opportunities
  • Assist with preparation of campaign materials, prospect strategies, briefing documents, and solicitation plans
  • Support campaign events and cultivation opportunities designed to deepen donor relationships and inspire transformational giving
• Stewardship and Donor Experience
  • Develop and execute thoughtful stewardship plans to ensure donors understand the impact of their philanthropy
  • Coordinate personalized recognition and engagement opportunities for major donors and campaign supporters
  • Partner with school leadership, faculty, students, and alumnae to create meaningful donor experiences
  • Maintain accurate records of donor interactions, strategies, and outcomes within the constituent database (Raiser’s Edge NXT)
• Other Expectations
  • Ability to work collaboratively with a variety of constituents to achieve school advancement goals
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • Effective interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with an interest in occasional grant writing preferred
  • Effective organizational skills and proven ability to successfully manage and prioritize multiple projects and/or tasks to achieve goals and meet timelines
  • Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills
  • Commitment to the Our Lady of Mercy mission and its core values
  • Willingness to travel and work some weekends and evenings

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Complete 75 meaningful donor visits annually
• Identify and qualify 25–40 new major gift prospects annually
• Maintain active management of a portfolio of 100–150 prospects
• Achieve annual major gift fundraising goals as established by the Vice President of Development
• Increase the number of leadership-level and major gift donors annually
• Develop a robust pipeline of prospects capable of supporting Mercy's Centennial Campaign priorities

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required
• 5+ years of experience in major gifts, advancement, fundraising, or campaign preparation preferred
• Demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts
• Experience managing donor portfolios and achieving fundraising goals
• Excellent relationship-building, communication, and project management skills
• Experience with donor databases and prospect research tools preferred
• Mission alignment with Mercy education and the advancement of women's leadership

Pay

$85,000 - $95,000 a year