Major Gifts Officer

In this role, the Major Gifts Officer will join our dedicated Office of Philanthropy team, reporting to the Director of Individual Philanthropy, and will play a key role in building relationships with AAAS members, Elected Fellows, and other leaders in the science and philanthropy communities to secure unrestricted and programmatic funding.

Help us ignite the next era of science.

What You’ll Do

• Lead prospective and existing donors in all aspects of the gift cycle, including identifying, qualifying, and initiating contact with potential leadership and major gift donors; developing appropriate cultivation strategies; moving potential donors toward solicitation and closure.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 120 prospects and donors, with a focus on soliciting gifts of $10,000 and higher for both unrestricted and program support.
• Travel both regionally and nationally to complete a target number of prospect/donor visits and solicitations each year.
• Develop content for various types of donor engagements and edit organizational communications as needed, ensuring high quality, readability, and consistent voice in the materials.
• Work collaboratively with advancement team colleagues and program staff on major gift activities germane to their subject area or department; participate in and support the fundraising efforts of program staff and help to instill an organizational culture of philanthropy.
• Support the development and execution of giving society recognition opportunities and stewardship activities.
• Organize, in partnership with other philanthropy staff, small- and medium-scale events to cultivate and recognize donors.
• Track solicitation amounts, anticipated gifts, pledges, and income, and provide regular revenue and cash flow updates on projections versus results.
• Manage prospects, portfolio, and reports in Raiser’s Edge, including contact reporting, action tracking, and financial analyses.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree;
• 3-5 years of nonprofit fundraising experience, with increasing responsibilities and demonstrated growth;
• A minimum of 2 years of experience soliciting and securing five- and six figure gifts from individual donors and cultivating/stewarding individual relationships;
• Experience carrying a prospect portfolio and ability to strategize to meet financial goals;
• Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication skills and attention to detail;
• Proficiency with Raiser’s Edgers or similar CRM
• Ability to work without extensive back-office support;
• Ability to work independently, prioritize, multi-task, and meet deadlines;
• Ability to travel 40% of the time (given autonomy to determine your own travel schedule);
• Familiarity with fundraising best practices, standards, and ethics;
• Must understand and support the mission of AAAS.

Application Process

Submit a resume and cover letter outlining qualifications and interest in the position by August 8, 2025. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. A Recruiter will contact you with next steps if you are selected for an interview.

The anticipated initial rate of compensation for this position is $110,000 – $115,000 per year. AAAS currently provides the following benefits for this position: paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, each subject to the terms of the applicable program. Additional benefits may apply.

Any actual offer of employment, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be made in the sole discretion of AAAS and will be based on a variety of factors, including years of experience, depth of experience, and other relevant factors. AAAS reserves the right to amend or modify its employment benefits and compensation structure at any time.

AAAS is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected category. AAAS uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. No visa sponsorship is available for this position.

Search Firm and Employment Agency Disclaimer

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Any unsolicited resumes sent to AAAS from a third party, such as an agency, including unsolicited resumes sent to an AAAS mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to AAAS employees, or to the AAAS resume database will be considered AAAS property. Verbal or written communications from any employee of AAAS shall not be considered binding obligations. AAAS Human Resources is the only AAAS representative authorized by AAAS enter into any employment agreements with any third party. AAAS will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.