Major & Planned Gift Officer

About the role

The Major & Planned Gift Officer is responsible for identifying and cultivating major gift and planned gift prospects, developing and implementing stewardship strategies, and managing the University's planned giving marketing program.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Vice Chancellor for Advancement & University Relations to identify development priorities and create fundraising opportunities for major gift ($5K+) prospects.
• Partner with Advancement staff on strategy and giving opportunities for broad-based fundraising appeals.
• Develop written materials and publications for university fundraising projects: proposals, grant applications, collateral, reports, gift agreements.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of approximately 75 donors with major gift and/or planned gift capacity.
• Engage with Parkside Works and Academic Area of Distinction Advisory Boards in the cultivation of gifts and development opportunities.
• Represent the University and Foundation at donor meetings and special events.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for planned giving inquiries, providing guidance to donors and collaborating with professional advisors and Foundation leadership as appropriate.
• Develop and implement stewardship and recognition strategies that strengthen relationships with planned giving donors and encourage long-term engagement with the University.
• Manage the University's planned giving marketing program, including the partnership with Stelter, to increase awareness of charitable estate planning opportunities and expand the planned giving pipeline.
• Maintain accurate records of planned gift intentions, expectancies, and realized gifts within the constituent database, and prepare reports to track program activity, donor engagement, and outcomes.
• Identify planned giving opportunities within assigned donor portfolios and integrate deferred giving strategies into comprehensive donor cultivation and solicitation plans.
• Collaborate with colleagues across Advancement to promote legacy giving and support the University's planned giving recognition society and related stewardship initiatives.

Essential Knowledge and Abilities

• Knowledge of higher education advancement, philanthropy, and relationship-based fundraising principles.
• Ability to cultivate and maintain meaningful relationships with donors, alumni, volunteers, campus leadership, and community partners.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare donor correspondence, gift proposals, reports, and presentations.
• Ability to analyze donor interests and align philanthropic opportunities with institutional priorities.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment while adhering to University and Foundation policies, ethical fundraising standards, and applicable regulations.
• Proficiency with constituent relationship management (CRM) systems and Microsoft Office applications.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Develops and delivers targeted fundraising and communication programs and materials specific to gift contributions in alignment with strategic initiatives.
• Develops and updates prospect portfolios, evaluates existing strategy, and recommends improvements to leadership.
• Serves as a unit liaison to internal and external constituencies, provides information, and represents the interests of the institution.
• Identifies, promotes, and maintains donor relationships and identifies solicitation opportunities specifically designed for the generation of gifts to reach program funding goals.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Three to five years of experience in fundraising, development, major gifts, planned giving, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospects.
• Experience managing a portfolio of donors and meeting fundraising goals.
• Experience using donor relationship management (CRM) software.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education or nonprofit fundraising.
• Familiarity with planned giving vehicles and charitable gift planning.

How to Apply

For full consideration, please submit your application with your resume and cover letter no later than August 9th, 2026. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This organization will not sponsor employment visas for this position now or in the future.

Contact Information

If you have questions regarding this position or the application process, feel free to reach out to Kim Duesing at duesing@uwp.edu.