Major Gifts Officer (Remote, US East Coast)

Mission

Through healing, education, and love, the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) empowers orphaned and vulnerable Rwandan youth to build lives of dignity and contribute to a better world.

Overview

The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and successfully stewarding qualified prospects and donors, meeting regularly with key stakeholders to understand major priorities and goals, and providing timely information on donor cultivation. The Major Gifts Officer reports to ASYV’s Chief Advancement and Strategy Officer (CASO) in New York.

This position is hybrid to our NYC office or remote for candidates in the Philadelphia through Boston metro areas. Up to 40% US East coast and domestic travel is required, plus an annual trip to visit ASYV in Rwanda.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate and solicit major gifts from individual donors, family foundations, and other prospective high-net-worth supporters aligned with the organization's mission and values.
• Identify new prospects, with support from the CASO (NYC) and CEO (Rwanda), and manage the visitor to donor pipeline.
• Develop and execute personalized cultivation strategies, including donor meetings, events, and communication plans, to foster long-term relationships and maximize donor engagement.
• Manage portfolio of prospects up to the $50,000 gift range.
• Work closely with our CEO and CASO to strategically prioritize and make gift requests, tailoring proposals and solicitation materials to align with individual donors' interests and philanthropic goals. Partner with the CEO and CASO to secure higher level gifts.
• Collaborate with the Director of External Affairs to create compelling fundraising materials, proposals, and impact reports tailored to the interests and priorities of major donors.
• Manage a robust donor stewardship program to ensure continuous engagement, recognition, and appreciation for major gift donors' contributions.
• Collaborate with Development Assistant to conduct in-depth prospect research to identify new major gift opportunities and expand the organization's network of potential philanthropic supporters.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor records, donor correspondence, and gift documentation in compliance with organizational policies and procedures.
• Act as an ASYV ambassador with individual donors, at events, networking opportunities, and on trips with donors and ASYV stakeholders.
• Other duties as assigned

Skills and Experience:

• BS/BA with a minimum of 6-8 years of fundraising experience, securing major gifts, and cultivating relationships with high-net-worth individuals and philanthropic donors.
• Proven track record of successful portfolio management with a leading non-profit organization.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to articulate complex issues in a clear and compelling manner.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build rapport with diverse stakeholders, including donors, board members, and program staff.
• Experience managing donor databases and utilizing fundraising software for donor relationship management. Experience with Raiser’s Edge/NXT preferred.
• Demonstrated understanding of philanthropic trends and best practices in major gift fundraising and donor stewardship.
• Demonstrated commitment to ASYV’s core values and passion for our mission.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with international development, and/or East African culture or Jewish philanthropy.
• An advanced degree or certification in fundraising.
• Experience with planned giving programs.