Major Gift Officer

Overview and Responsibilities:

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is seeking candidates who are eager to contribute to its Lasallian Catholic mission of awakening, nurturing, and empowering learners to ethical lives of service and leadership. We invite individuals to help transform lives through education, inspired by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition’s quest to understand the human experience through faith and reason and its embrace of all who are dedicated to learning from one another through authentic conversations in search of the truth. We are especially interested in and give preference to candidates who demonstrate a vision to create and nurture initiatives that will advance our mission within the scope of their duties and who will foster a culture of dialogue that, with respect for all people, supports the search for meaning and purpose in pursuit of excellence.

 

Job Summary

As a Major Gift Officer at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, you will manage a portfolio of qualified major gift prospects, leading to meaningful cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of philanthropic investments of $50,000 and above. The selected candidate will be based out of the Twin Cities, Rochester, Winona, or the Chicago area. In this role, you will forge lasting relationships and make a profound impact on our Lasallian Catholic educational mission by aligning Benefactor passions with institutional needs. Your dedication to securing major gifts will directly contribute to the enrichment of our academic programs, support for faculty and students, and the expansion of transformative educational experiences.

 

Salary Range: $85,000-$100,000

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Complete 175 visits per year of meaningful, strategic, personal interactions with assigned prospects.
• Achieve or exceed dollar goals determined on an annual basis in collaboration with the Vice President of University Relations.
• Manage a major gift portfolio of prospects including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major outright and planned gifts.
• Coordinate cultivation activities and solicitations with other University representatives, including the president, senior staff, advancement professionals, key faculty, and volunteers.
• Maintain strategic cultivation plans for a select group of assigned prospects scheduled for solicitation within the coming 12–18-month period, projecting gift amount, area of Benefactor passion, and a step-by-step cultivation schedule.
• Provide timely, written reports regarding the outcome of cultivation and solicitation actions in the form of contact reports, stage updates, and strategy statement updates within Raiser’s Edge NXT.

Other Duties & Responsibilities

• Travel as required, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Other duties as assigned.

 

Qualifications:

Experience and Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required. Experience deemed equivalent and relevant will also be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, with a proven track record of raising major and principal gifts, outright and planned gifts, and/or complex gifts.
• Proficiency with computer and development software (Raiser’s Edge NXT) preferred.
• A career history of commitment to the highest professional and ethical standards, including confidentiality.

 

Essential Knowledge & Skills

• Support, respect, and advance the mission of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and its Lasallian charism.
• Proficient in managing multiple tasks simultaneously with attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently, with a team, and with volunteers.
• Ability to take advice and guidance in a positive and productive manner.
• Excellent communication skills, including diplomacy, among all constituencies.
• Demonstrated ability and initiative to gain knowledge of the job and the institution.
• Capacity to develop prospect strategy, portfolio management, and tracking processes.
• Knowledge of best practices and ethical standards in the field.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and work with sensitive information.
• Ability to meet performance goals while working in a remote environment.
• Demonstrate competency and promote inclusion and human dignity.

Physical Demands

• Sedentary work. Sedentary work involves lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.

 

Physical Hazards – Health and Safety Concerns

• General office environments

 

 

Application Requirements:

 

Apply online at https://www.smumn.edu/about/offices-services/human-resources/employment-opportunities/ and include a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references.

 

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota believes inclusion and human dignity contributes to a robust academic and work environment and is critical to achieving the University's mission in an increasingly diverse society. Individuals with expertise and diverse skills from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. The successful candidate must support, respect, and advance the mission of Saint Mary's University as a Lasallian Catholic institution.

 

Saint Mary’s offers a comprehensive benefit package including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, flexible spending, retirement pension plan, and both undergraduate and graduate tuition remission plans.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.