Major Gifts Program Manager

About the role

The Major Gift Program Manager is responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding transformational gifts ($10,000+) to support the Family Peace Center’s capital campaign transition, long-term operational funding, reserve/capacity-building needs, and future sustainability. This role manages a structured major gift portfolio and leads proposal-based, relationship-driven fundraising in partnership with the Executive Director and board leadership, converting campaign momentum into long-term philanthropic investment and building the Major Gift Program for the FPC.

Reports to

Executive Director; works closely with the Annual Fund Program Manager, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator, contracted Grant Writer, Board of Directors, Development Committee, campaign volunteers, and Finance.

Responsibilities

• Major Gift Strategy & Portfolio Management
  • Build, steward, and manage a portfolio of 75–125 major gift prospects and donors, including current major donors, capital campaign donors, high-capacity annual donors, DAF donors, family foundations, and new high-net-worth prospects.
  • Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans, with written strategies for top prospects and particular attention to the top 50 donors/prospects.
  • Serve as moves manager for assigned major donor prospects, including donors where the ED, board member, or campaign volunteer is the primary relationship-holder.
  • Conduct meaningful donor meetings and move prospects through the giving pipeline.
  • Close leadership-level gifts, multi-year pledges, unrestricted or semi-restricted operating support, reserve/capacity-building gifts, and transformational gifts.
  • Maintain CRM records for all meaningful donor moves, contact notes, assignments, next steps, asks, pledges, payments, acknowledgments, and stewardship actions within 48 hours.
• New High-Net-Worth Prospecting & Relationship Development
  • Proactively identify, research, qualify, and cultivate new high-net-worth individuals and families who are not yet connected to the Family Peace Center.
  • Use board introductions, community networks, campaign donor referrals, professional advisors, corporate/community leaders, private tours, small gatherings, and peer referrals to open new relationships.
  • Build and maintain a prospect discovery system that regularly adds qualified individuals, families, DAF holders, and private philanthropic vehicles to FPC’s pipeline.
  • Prepare introduction strategies, call scripts, briefing notes, donor discussion guides, and follow-up plans for the ED, board members, and volunteers.
  • Maintain a disciplined rhythm of new discovery contacts, donor meetings, tours, and follow-up.
• Campaign & Transformational Giving
  • Lead major gift strategy for the public phase of the campaign and beyond, with emphasis on converting capital campaign donors into long-term operating support.
  • Prepare tailored proposals, naming opportunities, gift impact materials, tour follow-up, event invitations, donor briefings, and customized stewardship.
  • Track pledges, payment schedules, donor intent, next steps, and stewardship plans in coordination with Finance and the Executive Director.
  • Help donors understand FPC’s long-term sustainability needs, including operating support, reserve/capacity building, infrastructure, and future priorities.
  • Coordinate with the Annual Fund Program Manager to ensure capital campaign donors and major gift prospects receive appropriate communication and are not treated only as annual appeal donors.
• DAFs, Family Foundations & Relationship-Based Institutional Giving
  • Develop and implement a strategy for donor-advised funds, family foundations, and private foundations that require relationship-building, cultivation, or personalized approaches.
  • Serve as the internal relationship lead for grantors that function like major donors, including family foundations, DAF-connected funders, private foundations with relationship-based giving processes, and funders requiring customized cultivation before or after proposal submission.
  • Partner with the ED and contracted Grant Writer to identify relationship pathways, prepare funder-specific cultivation strategies, arrange funder meetings/site visits, and coordinate stewardship.
  • Participate in grant triage so staff and consultant time are focused on high-value opportunities aligned with FPC’s revenue strategy, case for support, and return on investment.
  • Support post-award stewardship for assigned institutional funders, including impact updates, relationship maintenance, funder briefings, and coordination of information needed for reporting.
• Proposals, Private Tours, Small Events & Major Donor Experiences
  • Lead donor strategy for major gift cultivation experiences, including private tours, house parties, donor briefings, small gatherings, invitation-only cultivation opportunities, and individualized donor stewardship.
  • Own the cultivation purpose, guest list, donor strategy, briefing materials, talking points, ask strategy, next steps, and follow-up plan for major donor tours and cultivation.
  • Coordinate with the Annual Fund Program Manager for event infrastructure and implementation support when needed, including scheduling, RSVP tracking, materials, room/setup logistics, volunteer support, and follow-up systems.
  • Request Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator support through the Annual Fund Program Manager so major donor cultivation activities receive appropriate ambassadors, hosts, tour support, follow-up, and stewardship.
  • Prepare donors and prospects for meaningful engagement with FPC’s model, including trauma-informed design, co-location, partner integration, survivor-centered access, systems change, and national leadership.
  • Coordinate with program and operations staff to ensure major donor tours, funder visits, and private cultivation experiences are thoughtful, confidential, accurate, trauma-informed, and respectful of survivor needs.
  • Ensure all major donor event and tour follow-up is tracked in the CRM, including donor interests, next steps, assignments, ask timing, stewardship actions, and relationship notes.
• Board & Volunteer Partnership
  • Partner with board members and Development Committee on donor introductions, peer cultivation, solicitation strategies, and stewardship assignments.
  • Recruit, train, and support volunteers specifically assigned to major donor cultivation, stewardship, introduction-making, small event hosting, or written/digital communications.
  • Provide board-ready materials, talking points, donor strategy briefs, donor discussion guides, and follow-up tracking.
  • Track board, volunteer, and community introductions into new high-capacity prospects.
• Executive Director & Cross-Team Collaboration
  • Coordinate closely with the ED on top-tier donor strategy, high-stakes solicitations, complex gifts, naming conversations, planned giving, and policy-sensitive asks.
  • Support the ED’s major donor portfolio by preparing briefing notes, ask strategies, donor follow-up, stewardship materials, and next-step plans.
  • Prepare bi-weekly portfolio and pipeline reports, including portfolio movement, prospect stage, next steps, ask amounts, expected timing, revenue forecast, stalled prospects, and support needs.
  • Collaborate with staff on donor-specific storytelling, proposals, impact reporting, and stewardship.
  • Coordinate with the Annual Fund Program Manager on donor segmentation, communication exclusions, donor handoffs, and revenue alignment.
• Institutional Strategy & Grantor Relationships
  • Coordinate strategically with the contracted Grant Writer on institutional prospects, especially relationship-based private foundations, family foundations, and DAF-connected funders.
  • Support relationship-based funder engagement, direct funder communication, site visits, and stewardship when assigned.
  • Align institutional fundraising strategy with major donor priorities and FPC’s long-term revenue goals.
  • Maintain funder relationship notes, cultivation plans, stewardship actions, and post-award follow-up in the CRM or assigned tracking system.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of major gift fundraising experience or comparable experience in donor relations, institutional advancement, sales, business development, campaign fundraising, relationship management, or related fields.
• Proven success securing $10,000+ gifts, multi-year commitments, major donor investments, or comparable relationship-based fundraising results.
• Experience managing donor portfolios, moves management systems, and proposal-based fundraising.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust, open new relationships, make strategic asks, and maintain disciplined follow-up.
• Comfort working with high-net-worth donors, board members, community leaders, business leaders, family foundations, donor-advised funds, and private foundations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including proposal development, donor briefing materials, and tailored stewardship.
• Strong CRM discipline, including contact notes, pipeline tracking, donor segmentation, and revenue forecasting.
• Commitment to trauma-informed, survivor-centered, confidential, and culturally responsive practices.
• Must pass pre-employment background check and complete required post-hire requirements.

Key Performance Indicators

• Major gifts and pledges secured.
• Portfolio activity, movement metrics, and timely next steps.
• New high-net-worth prospects identified, qualified, and secured for the pipeline.
• Proposal-to-close conversion rates and multi-year commitments.
• Capital campaign donor conversion into long-term operating support.
• DAF, family foundation, and relationship-based institutional giving growth.
• Board and volunteer engagement in major gift activities.
• Donor retention and satisfaction at the major gift level.
• Timely CRM input, acknowledgments, follow-up tasks, and stewardship notes for assigned donors.

Benefits

• 90% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Employer-match retirement plan.
• Vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.

Schedule

Generally Monday–Friday 8:30–5:00; some evenings and weekends are required.

Working Conditions

Work is onsite at the Family Peace Center and in the community, with local travel for donor meetings, private tours, events, and community relationship-building. Frequent external meetings and occasional evening or weekend work are required. The position requires professionalism in confidential, sensitive, and trauma-informed contexts.