Major Gift Officer

About the role

The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 1891. We protect and preserve over 50,000 acres of land and 120 properties across Massachusetts, ensuring they remain accessible to the public. Our mission is to save, steward, and share these special places for future generations.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 150 major gift donors and prospects, focusing on gifts of $25,000 or more.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors, developing tailored strategies for each relationship.
• Advance The Trustees' $325M+ comprehensive campaign by identifying, qualifying, and soliciting donors whose interests align with campaign priorities.
• Prepare donors for campaign solicitations by connecting their interests in specific properties, programs, communities, or regions to broader Trustees priorities and statewide impact.
• Secure campaign commitments, unrestricted support, legacy gifts, and other flexible philanthropic investments that advance For Everyone, Forever.
• Partner with the Senior Director of Philanthropy to set campaign-related portfolio priorities, review solicitation timing, assess donor readiness, and ensure consistent progress toward campaign and annual fundraising goals.
• Create compelling campaign proposals, donor briefings, stewardship updates, and impact narratives in partnership with Development colleagues, Marketing and Communications, and program/property staff.
• Participate actively in campaign pipeline review, portfolio review, and moves management conversations, bringing forward donor insights, strategy questions, next-step recommendations, and solicitation opportunities.
• Use Salesforce actively and consistently to track donor activity, next steps, proposals, campaign opportunities, gift conversations, solicitation timelines, and pipeline progress.
• Maintain and deepen relationships with existing donors through personalized outreach, including meetings, property visits, project updates, campaign briefings, event invitations, written communications, and stewardship touchpoints.
• Conduct prospect research and collaborate with Development Operations and research colleagues, when available, to identify new campaign prospects and prepare for donor meetings.
• Serve as a Development partner to regional property committees and volunteer groups, identifying campaign prospects and deepening donor engagement through meaningful involvement.
• Partner with Events, Membership, Annual Giving, Planned Giving, and Development Operations to ensure a coordinated and donor-centered experience that supports both campaign and annual fundraising goals.
• Support fundraising galas, campaign events, property gatherings, and donor engagement opportunities by helping identify prospects, build and steward host committees, and conduct timely follow-up.
• Work collaboratively across the Development team and the broader organization to advance campaign priorities and fundraising goals with creativity, preparation, and a strong commitment to The Trustees' mission.
• Travel to donor meetings, property events, campaign events, and cultivation opportunities across the Commonwealth; some evening and weekend availability required.

Requirements

• 8-10+ years of fundraising experience with demonstrated success in major gifts, annual fund, and/or planned giving solicitations.
• Proven front-line fundraiser with experience building and managing a donor portfolio and a track record of securing five- and six-figure gifts.
• Articulate, strategic, solution-oriented, and entrepreneurial with a strong ability to listen, write, and speak effectively.
• Highly motivated self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment and takes pride in exceptional preparation for every donor interaction.
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work seamlessly across teams and communicate effectively at multiple levels of an organization.
• Excellent strategic thinking and analytical skills.
• Proficiency with Salesforce or a comparable CRM system.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience preferred.
• Experience in conservation, land stewardship, environmental, or cultural preservation organizations.
• Familiarity with planned giving and legacy gift solicitation.
• An understanding of philanthropic communities in specific regions of Massachusetts.
• Strong creative event planning skills and experience building host committees or donor engagement programming.