Major Gifts Officer

About the role

As a 100% community-supported organization, CapRadio’s Development and Engagement team plays a critical role in sustaining our public service mission by interacting with our members, maintaining donation records, creating personalized touchpoints and communications, and strengthening the connection we have with our community. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic, collaborative team that is building a strong and sustainable future for public media in the region.

The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) reports directly to the Associate Director of Donor Development and is responsible for executing donor engagement, cultivation, and stewardship strategies to achieve donor retention and donor revenue goals. This role regularly interacts with assigned donors by telephone calls, email, personal mail, and in-person meetings to effectively grow individual giving support and our major donor program. The MGO stewards assigned donors, and within that group cultivates a portfolio of qualified donors, developing authentic, lasting relationships to deepen engagement and grow financial support of CapRadio.

Responsibilities

• Steward an assigned group of about 450 major donors, providing focused cultivation for a subset of about 150 donors (portfolio) through strategic stewardship, timely solicitations, and personalized engagement across multiple channels—including phone, email, mail, Zoom, face-to-face meetings, and events—to strengthen donor relationships, increase retention, grow year-over-year giving, and meet revenue goals.
• Align donor interests and philanthropic goals with organizational priorities, programs, initiatives, and legacy giving opportunities to deepen donor investment and long-term support.
• Encourage support from assigned donors during key fundraising campaigns, including seasonal drives, calendar and fiscal year-end appeals, and Big Day of Giving.
• Maintain accurate and timely donor records, including engagement activity and donor insights, within the donor database to support relationship management and organizational continuity.
• Identify and help develop new donor recognition opportunities, benefits, proposals, and engagement strategies that encourage deeper giving and strengthen donor loyalty.
• Support donor cultivation and stewardship through strategic participation in CapRadio events, in-person programs, and other face-to-face engagement opportunities.
• Partner with Leadership and departments—including Member Services, Marketing, and News and Music Departments—to advance fundraising initiatives, support campaign efforts, coordinate donor engagement opportunities, and achieve broader revenue goals.
• Provide regular activity reports, pipeline updates, and strategic insights to the supervisor regarding donor engagement, upcoming solicitations, and portfolio progress.

Requirements

• Five years of previous work with individual donors, including 2 or more years of fundraising or development experience.
• Excellent written communication skills for email and handwritten correspondence.
• Think strategically and creatively with a strong can-do attitude, with an emphatic nature that is flexible in response to changing circumstances and needs at the station, in donors’ lives, and in the world.
• Be sensitive to donors’ questions, communication styles, and philanthropic interests.
• Provide prompt follow-through on donor inquiries.
• Demonstrate persistence in achieving goals.
• Strong interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and proficiency in CRMs (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, etc.).
• Occasionally travel to individual donors’ homes or a public space (e.g., restaurant for breakfast or lunch) for meetings.

CapRadio will require employment and education verification for the new hire.

Location

This position is primarily on-site in Sacramento, California, with one remote day per week available after successful completion of the onboarding period.

Pay

The compensation for this role is $83,000–90,000 annually.

Benefits

• Competitive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid holidays
• Flexible vacation
• Paid sick leave
• Group life insurance
• Flexible spending plan for health and dependent care