Major Gifts Officer/Leadership Giving Officer

Location: Denver, Colorado | Type: Full-time

About the Role

The Major Gifts Officer will report to the Director of Advancement and partner with the Advancement Team to deepen the school's donor relationships. A steward of Colorado Academy’s mission and values, this front-line fundraising professional is responsible for securing funds by strategically managing a portfolio of prospects and donors with a giving potential of five figures or more. The role involves identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major and planned gift prospects and donors, with a focus on retaining and upgrading existing donors through strategic engagement.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of donors and prospects capable of five- and six-figure gifts for general operating, endowment, capital, and legacy support, resulting in increased annual revenue year-over-year.
• Implement programs and activities to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors targeted at the $25,000 level or higher.
• Engage donors and prospects through meetings, events, and written communications, conducting face-to-face meetings weekly to provide impact updates, campus tours, and funding requests.
• Collaborate with colleagues to deepen donor relationships and develop cultivation and stewardship activities.
• Identify potential planned giving prospects within the assigned donor portfolio and partner with the Director of Advancement to solicit those prospects.
• Partner with the Associate Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations to implement a comprehensive major giving stewardship plan, including strategies to retain major donors and cultivate new prospects.
• Create strategies for re-engagement of lapsed donors and for stewardship of current supporters.
• Meet monthly and quarterly benchmarks and goals based on activity with prospects/donors and dollars raised.
• Maintain donor meeting reports and current information regarding donor correspondence, meetings, and other activities in the CRM database (RE NXT).
• Conduct portfolio reviews regularly and collaborate with cross-departmental colleagues to engage supporters and maximize relationships.
• Collaborate with the Director of Advancement on new revenue opportunities and major/planned gift strategy.
• Assist in other fundraising projects as assigned, including event strategies and reporting.
• Represent Colorado Academy in the community and participate in networking and professional development opportunities.
• Work with the Advancement Associate on reporting and portfolio management in the CRM (RE NXT).
• Collaborate with the Director of The CA Fund to build and cultivate a pipeline of major gift supporters.
• Perform other tasks as assigned or required.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in sales and/or fundraising.
• Bachelor’s degree in English, Marketing, Communications, or a related field.
• Prior experience working on Endowment and Capital Campaigns, preferably for an educational institution.
• Strong knowledge of estate and charitable gift planning, with a track record of securing blended gifts.
• Demonstrated experience in identifying and qualifying major and planned gift donors.
• Successful track record of closing five-figure and six-figure-plus gifts.
• Ability to think strategically and creatively about engaging donors, developing action plans, and following through.
• Proven success in inspiring and motivating people, managing relationships with boards, volunteers, and staff to meet organizational goals.
• Exceptional customer service skills for donors and community stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to develop and maintain cooperative, professional relationships at all levels.
• Comprehensive understanding of fundraising principles and practices, with an emphasis on major gift acquisition.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills; attention to detail; and ability to maintain confidential information.
• Experience with donor management software (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge).
• Demonstrated experience with prospect research.
• Highly proficient in Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and other Microsoft apps.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as a productive team member.
• Exceptional time management, decision-making, and organizational skills.
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends to support Advancement and school-wide events.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience crafting gift proposals resulting in five- and six-figure gifts from individuals.
• Advocacy for education, K-12 independent school education, and community-centric fundraising.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance benefit programs.
• 403(b) retirement plan.

Pay

$115,000 - $120,000 per year.

About Colorado Academy

Colorado Academy is a coed, independent, Pre-K–12, country day school located on 95 acres in southwest Denver. Founded in 1906, the school offers a college-preparatory, liberal arts and sciences curriculum for its 965 students, emphasizing 21st-century skills.