Senior Specialist, Major Gifts (East Coast) At Search for Common Ground

Team Summary:

The Development Team is responsible for maintaining and cultivating relationships with current and prospective donors and securing unrestricted resources from individual and private sources by deploying leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

This position is for candidates based in the United States; Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC, or New York City are preferred. Additionally, candidates must be able to travel throughout the East Coast.

Position Overview

• Identify, 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.
• Develop and execute personalized cultivation strategies, including donor meetings, events, and communication plans, to foster long-term relationships and maximize donor engagement.
• Manage a portfolio of 150 prospects, maintaining regular communication and engagement with each donor to deepen their involvement and support for the organization’s initiatives.
• Work closely with our CEO and Director of Development to strategically prioritize and make gift requests ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, tailoring proposals and solicitation materials to align with individual donors’ interests and philanthropic goals.
• Collaborate with the CEO and fundraising team to create compelling fundraising materials, proposals, and impact reports tailored to the interests and priorities of major donors.
• Establish a robust donor stewardship program to ensure continuous engagement, recognition, and appreciation for major gift donors’ contributions.
• Conduct in-depth prospect research to identify new major gift opportunities and expand the organization’s network of potential philanthropic supporters.
• Coordinate closely with program staff to stay updated on the organization’s initiatives, impact, and success stories, effectively communicating the organization’s programmatic achievements to donors.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor records, donor correspondence, and gift documentation in compliance with organizational policies and procedures.
• Act as a Search for Common Ground ambassador, representing the organization at events, conferences, and networking opportunities to promote its mission and philanthropic initiatives.

Education and Experience

• BS/BA with a minimum of 12 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.
• 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 in managing donor databases and utilizing fundraising software for donor relationship management.
• Demonstrated understanding of philanthropic trends and best practices in major gift fundraising and donor stewardship.

Competency Behavior Indicators (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Works collaboratively with senior managers and colleagues sharing senior expertise; builds teams for successful implementation of projects and programs.
• Effectively influences vendors, organizations, professional associations, partners, funders, and Search’s network of experts critical to the area of purview.
• Makes decisions on existing information when it may not be complete.
• Adapts to the personal style and preferences of colleagues to assess their needs and preferences; tolerates ambiguity.
• Articulates Search/function program/project goals and objectives within and external to Search; develops program objectives, indicators, and results; and participates in strategy development for the team.
• Creates standards across functions globally within Shared Services teams with the ability to create a best fit that considers international norms and compliance while supporting an organizational culture for work.
• Overcomes obstacles, including personal biases, by following Search’s ethics code in complex situations; displayed in activities as ethical principles and values that guide professional interactions.
• Assesses risks and opportunities in a complex environment and convenes discussions to lead to a favorable outcome.
• Establishes tools to monitor quality of work and verification of information.
• Has knowledge of project management tools including technology as resources and applies delegation skills to support the development of others, as well as the building of efficiency and reduction of stress.