Job Description
Freestore Foodbank is one of Ohio’s largest food banks. We distribute 34 million meals annually through a network of 600 community partners serving 20 counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Our mission is to provide food and services, create stability, and further self-reliance for people in crisis.
Major and Planned Gifts Officer Position Description Summary
Identify, qualify, solicit, close and steward major gifts ($5,000+) with a focus on high net-worth individuals. Create strategic requests and reports for donors by working with external affairs team staff to integrate into the overall department goals and plans. Reports to Director of Leadership Gifts.
Essential Job Functions
- Identify, qualify, solicit, close and steward major and planned gifts from high net-worth individuals through visits and other forms of direct personal contact
- Execute moves management approach to the portfolio and a custom strategy for each donor to develop approaches to generate new and higher levels of giving
- Enlist senior management, volunteers and board members in the cultivation and solicitation of major donors and prospects that integrates into the overall department goals and plans
- Promote and close complex gifts such as campaign, endowment and sponsorship gifts
- Collaborate with the Database Manager and other staff members to analyze portfolios, strategize upgrades and establish goals for outright and planned giving
- Coordinate cultivation, recognition and stewardship activities, as needed, with other staff members
- Develop customized communications for donors and supporters in order to deepen their understanding and support of Freestore Foodbank’s mission
- Meet annual goals for personal visits, solicitation proposals developed and secured, and planned gift asks
- Monitor and report relationship management activity using constituent relationship management system (Raiser’s Edge/NXT) including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of prospective and current major donors
- Assist in short and long range planning activities to support and implement fundraising goals and objectives
Additional Responsibilities
- Independently maintain a schedule to support 150 relationships
- Represent the organization externally, providing consistent and positive customer service
Qualifications
- Education Bachelor’s Degree in related field with Master’s preferred
Experience
- Minimum of 5 years of successful portfolio management experience in a similar field with proven success record in major and/or corporate relations and/or planned gift fundraising.
Skills & Abilities
- Ability to work effectively across all departments and teams
- Strong critical thinking to align organizational needs and donor opportunities
- Strong organizational and problem solving skills with the ability to multi-task, handling many relationships at once. Strong planning skills, including the ability to anticipate tasks, set priorities, meet deadlines and function smoothly under deadlines and shifting priorities
- Strong listening and interpreting skills in order to respond to donor needs
- Strong writing, oral and presentation communication skills with demonstrated ability to persuade others
- Proficiency in writing solicitation letters, proposal and stewardship materials
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite with ability to learn Raiser’s Edge, Power Plan and other relevant tracking and reporting systems
- Must remain knowledgeable of all Freestore Foodbank programs, services and events
- Must be comfortable with speaking to the public and making presentations
- Expectation of ability to work some nights/weekends.