Principal Gifts Officer

At CSUN we aspire to continually grow as an inclusive, cooperative community. We foster an environment of success for both our students and employees, with a relentless passion for celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a leader, you will thrive in a community where our leaders share common traits outlined in our Leadership Principles.

Responsibilities

• Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards principal gift prospects to support campaign priorities, collaborates with internal and external stakeholders, and contributes to strategic fundraising initiatives that strengthen donor engagement and long-term institutional advancement.
• Leads the growth and development of a robust pipeline of principal gifts, ensuring alignment with the annual DNCBE campaign goals.
• Builds and maintains a robust portfolio of high-level donors and prospects capable of $1M+ gift commitments, demonstrating frontline fundraising success through identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Collaborates with donors' financial, tax, and estate advisors and senior leadership in CSUN Advancement to develop and present tailored principal gift cultivation and solicitation strategies.
• Builds upon existing commitments and expands the current donor base of support.
• Demonstrates a commitment to student success that aligns with the university's vision, values, and priorities.
• Establishes an ethical and collegial work environment, promoting collaboration, accountability, and inclusivity.
• Encourages a courageous and resilient solution-oriented environment by participating in new opportunities to further the university's mission.
• Participates in developing initiatives that support the campus mission with a service-oriented and catalytic mindset.
• Strengthens employees by being communicative and a talent builder, developing team attributes to further departmental goals.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Seven years of development/fundraising experience working with major gift and principal gift donors.
• Experience with university-level campaign principal gifts is preferred.
• Experience in an academic setting is strongly preferred, as is working in a campaign environment.
• Strong preference for experience with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge.

Skills

• Strong written and interpersonal communication skills to establish and maintain good working relationships throughout the organization and with outside constituencies.
• Expert skills in making persuasive and compelling presentations to secure principal gifts.
• Proven experience in the full spectrum of development, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Demonstrated organizational, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Expert project/program management skills, including setting and meeting goals and objectives within budget and time constraints.
• Experience and success in designing strategies for cultivation and solicitation of prospective donors.
• Strong sense of ethical conduct that inspires confidence and motivation, with a proven ability to persuade prospective donors and colleagues while maintaining confidentiality in donor relations.
• Expert ability to serve both the needs of the university and the philanthropic goals of donors.
• Demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams, fostering an ethical, inclusive, and collegial work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to support ongoing improvement through courageous, resilient, and catalytic leadership.
• Ability to lead initiatives through a collaborative, service-oriented, and communicative approach.
• Demonstrated commitment to employee development, recognition, and accountability to further operational goals.

Pay

The anticipated hiring range is $135,000 - $150,000 per year, dependent upon qualifications and experience.

Schedule

The position is currently hybrid (2 days in office, 3 days remote); however, this is subject to change based on student and/or operational needs.

This position is designated as sensitive by CSU. A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily. The person holding this position may be considered a 'limited reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and must comply with requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. CSUN is not currently sponsoring H-1B employment visas for this position.