Senior Major Gifts Officer

Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) is a public foundation working to advance gender equity, which we believe to be inherently interconnected with racial, economic, and health equity. CFW envisions a world in which all women and girls, transgender, and gender nonbinary people have the opportunity to thrive in safe, just, and healthy communities. We celebrate the spectrum of identities and experiences of women and girls, uplift their leadership and center the voices of the community to achieve true equity. To support our philanthropy, the Foundation promotes increased investment in women and girls, raises awareness about their issues and potential, and develops them as leaders and philanthropists. Since 1985, the Foundation has awarded over $50 million to hundreds of organizations that help achieve its mission of gender equity across the Chicago region.

CFW looks at the broad spectrum of needs of all women. We support the areas of freedom from violence, economic security, and access to health, which we see as integrally related and are paths forward toward an equitable society.

Chicago Foundation for Women is committed to becoming an anti-racist institution. CFW is committed to engaging in continual analysis and essential restructuring to ensure the Foundation’s way of being is one that wields shared power and holds itself accountable to racially oppressed groups to achieve its gender equity goal.

About the Position:

The Senior Major Gifts Officer (MGO) is a critical member of the Development team, focusing on achieving CFW’s major gift fundraising and planned giving. Reporting to the Director of Donor and Community Engagement, the Senior MGO is responsible for implementing effective solicitation and stewardship strategies to strengthen CFW’s major gift program. Additionally, they will collaborate with CFW board members and senior leadership to coordinate and execute long-term fundraising initiatives and strategies to advance CFW’s mission.

Position Breakdown:

Moves Management (60%)

• Build and maintain a portfolio of donors with the capacity to make $10K+ annual gifts and $100k+ multi-year commitments.
• Works closely with the Director of Donor and Community Engagement to develop comprehensive and customized solicitation and engagement strategies for donors in support of the Foundation's annual fund and planned giving goals; ensure strategies are aligned to maximize opportunities with other existing appeals and campaigns.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for the Foundation’s Major Gifts portfolio, developing and implementing a written donor strategy and relationship record (using Raisers Edge NXT as the moves management platform) of all interactions.
• Communicate with portfolio through in-person interaction, solicitation, and stewardship meetings, and written strategies; ensure that each major donor has a clear strategy and timeline for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Assist in setting annual revenue goals for major gifts prospects with the Director of Donor and Community Engagement.
• Effectively manage and support the participation of senior leaders, staff, board, and volunteers in fundraising, including cultivation and stewardship of donors to their programs, while actively engaging them to leverage their resources and networks.
• Support the fundraising efforts of the President and CEO, and Director of Donor and Community Engagement in securing new and renewed gifts by working closely with the Database and Development Coordinator to identify and qualify additional prospects, creating a new pool of potential donors.
• Collaborate with staff responsible for gift processing and finance to ensure proper recording, allocation, documentation, acknowledgement, stewardship, and analysis of major gifts and pledges.
• Provide complete and accurate activity reports on moves management on a regular basis that include detailed call reports, revenue forecasts, data analytics, and other accomplishments to the Director of Donor and Community Engagement, and the President and CEO.
• Partner with the Database and Development Coordinator to screen and prepare profiles of current and prospective donors; briefings while establishing and refining benchmarks for department research and update processes as needed.
• Collaborate with the Director of Marketing and Communications to create a comprehensive plan for all print and web-based supporting materials for planned giving programs and stewardship programs.
• Oversee appropriate recognition opportunities for major donors, which may include special events, targeted print and online publications, or program engagement.

Events (30%)

• Support the execution of Chicago Foundation for Women’s Annual Luncheon and other major fundraising events by developing compelling proposals best serving the donor as well as the revenue strategy of the Foundation. Work closely with the development team to determine appropriate sponsor benefits and monitor the receipt of benefits for individual donors.
• Organize and support smaller-scale events that cultivate major and planned giving prospects.

Other (10%)

• Attend and actively participate in required educational programs, and departmental and staff meetings.
• Protect CFW’s value by keeping information confidential.
• Update knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; maintaining
• networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Work Environment

• This position requires attendance during business hours - 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday with two remote workdays.
• Occasional night and weekend hours are required to attend and assist Foundation events or donor meetings/events.
• This position operates primarily in an office environment that is accessible. Some work at off-site locations may be required and those may not necessarily be fully accessible.
• This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, scanners, and filing cabinets.
• The employee may be asked to lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds.
• Travel between the primary office and other locations may be required.
• Workplace is a smoke- and drug-free environment.
• CFW is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ qualified individuals based on individual merit. CFW does not discriminate against any individual with respect to the terms and conditions of employment based on that individual’s race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, housing status, or any other non-merit factor protected under state, local or federal laws. Equal Employment Opportunity applies to all personnel actions such as recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotions, training, transfer, termination, and opportunities for training. CFW is committed to a fair and equitable workplace where everyone is a respected and valued member of the team.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in major gifts and planned giving, with a proven record of successfully closing gifts of six and seven figures.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work and lived experience (master's preferred).
• Strong project management skills with the ability to balance multiple priorities and projects while keeping high level goals and strategy in mind.
• Experience using a donor database, prospect research and other wealth screening tools to support moves management process.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and key stakeholders and build long-term relationships.
• Exceptional planning skills: goals, results and detail-oriented with the ability to set and meet deadlines.
• Understanding fundraising best practices, and donor prospect research and strategy.
• Ability to manage confidential matters with utmost integrity.
• Self-motivated, proactive, curious, collaborative, responsible, and flexible.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and Raiser’s Edge, preferred.
• Passion for CFW’s mission.