Major Gifts Officer, Climate School

Position Summary

The Major Gift Officer is an integral member of the Climate School’s development team. The Major Gift Officer identifies, cultivates, and solicits individuals, foundations, and corporations with the capacity to make six and seven-figure gifts.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Development, the Major Gift Officer is a senior member of the department. The incumbent is responsible for a prospect portfolio, cultivates prospects, identifies gift opportunities that match donors' interests, designs and develops solicitation strategies, personally solicits and closes gifts, and continually stewards donors. The incumbent is a collaborative team player who will work closely with the Climate School’s Senior Leadership, faculty, researchers, and students, the Climate School Development team, and others at Columbia University Office of Alumni and Development (OAD) to identify priorities and execute our fundraising goals. The incumbent must have effective writing and presentation skills and be a persuasive advocate for the Climate School and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory priorities.

The ideal candidate for this position will be a self-starter, team-oriented, collaborative, able to work independently, highly organized, a strong writer, and experienced in fundraising. An entrepreneurial fundraiser, committed to engaging new donors. Flexibility and the demonstrated ability to thrive in an evolving fast fast-paced environment, effectively handling multiple projects simultaneously. The Major Gift Officer will work at both the Morningside and Lamont campuses. Subject to business needs, the Climate School supports a hybrid work arrangement for this position. Options will be discussed during the interview process.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage a portfolio of prospects through all phases of the giving cycle, from validation and engagement through cultivation, solicitation, gift negotiation, and stewardship.
• Build a prospect pipeline of potential major gift donors and engage those donors in the work of the Climate School and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
• Conduct prospect meetings to cultivate and solicit prospects and close gifts. Complete major gifts and leadership annual fund asks and planned giving conversations annually. Responsible for managing communications and follow-up, including maintaining detailed activity reports and moves management information on all prospects in the portfolio.
• Meet agreed-upon fundraising goals and metrics by identifying and working with major gift prospects through successful gift closings.
• Promote positive donor relations and stewardship.
• Evaluate various gift opportunities and giving vehicles; recommend the most suitable for particular donors.
• Prepare written strategies, briefings, and correspondence for prospects with a focus on the top tier. Written materials include solicitation materials, proposals, briefings, talking points, and executive summaries.
• Maintain records on the development database in a timely fashion.
• Attend regular Development and OAD staff meetings to evaluate progress and prospect assignments. Work closely with OAD staff to coordinate approaches and collaborate on key initiatives.
• Interact with contacts both within the Climate School and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and across Columbia University, such as directors, faculty, and researchers, to consult on needs, formulate proposal strategies, and identify potential donors.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required. A minimum of five (5) years of fundraising or related experience required.
• The ability to interact effectively with skilled professionals in the policy world, as well as financial, legal, academic, and corporate communities is essential.
• Demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills. Outstanding strategic thinking and analytical skills, interpersonal skills, sound judgment, and experience handling highly confidential information.
• Strong initiative, creativity, organizational ability, and attention to detail.
• Ability to analyze a problem and present a strategic solution.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team, and to work cooperatively with other staff.
• Ability to handle a multitude of tasks under deadline pressures and have the ability to work in a high-volume, high-demand (but highly collaborative, supportive, team-oriented) office.
• Ability to be creative, enterprising, persuasive, and tactful.
• Ability to use current desktop office technologies proficiently and ability to adapt to and use future technologies. High energy level, enthusiasm, and flexibility.
• Some weekend and evening work hours required.
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree desirable
• Experience working in higher education and/or a climate-related field is preferred.
• Experience and interest in issues embodied by the Columbia Climate School’s mission are a plus.

Columbia University offers a full range of benefits to help you and your eligible dependents stay healthy, build long-term financial security for retirement, and meet educational goals. To explore the available Health and Welfare, Tax Savings, Tuition, Well-being and Voluntary Benefits options visit: https://humanresources.columbia.edu/benefits.