Major Gifts Officer

Summary

Job Category:
Development and Alumni Relations
Job Title:
Major Gifts Officer
Job Category Definition:
This specialty is a support unit working in institutional advancement to support Penn State’s goals and mission. The unit consists of various offices working synergistically in two major functional areas, the Office of University Development and the Penn State Alumni Association. In concert with the colleges, campuses, and other units of the University, the Division of Development and Alumni Relations has responsibility for advancing the University’s overall mission of teaching, research, and outreach to alumni, parents, friends, corporations and foundations. This is done by informing alumni and other constituents about Penn State and involving them in the life of the University through effective communications, quality programs and services. In doing so, we strive to gain their support and encourage them to join in shaping Penn State’s future through fundraising campaigns, enhancing honors education, enriching the student experience, fostering discovery and creativity, sustaining a tradition of quality, and building faculty strength and capacity. The division’s mandate is to generate among key constituencies the attitudinal, financial, and behavioral support needed to realize the University’s goals and objectives.
Job Title Definition:
The Major Gifts Officer manages the fundraising efforts for donors and prospects in their assigned college or unit including annual receipt and commitment goals; provides professional guidance and leadership in identifying and executing strategies that are most likely to be achieved through private philanthropy; develops annual goal setting and fundraising plans and direct related activities in support of these goals and objectives; manages a portfolio of major gift prospects and lead the staff to identify, cultivate and solicit donors and prospects in support of the College or Unit fundraising goals; works collaboratively with the head of the academic unit, development, trained committee volunteers and central University Development staff to maximize fundraising success for the University; works to engage department heads, faculty, and staff in the fundraising enterprise. Duties are performed at various levels within the defined title.
Working Conditions:
Specific physical requirements and effort are outlined in Job Responsibilities Worksheet (list of essential job duties and responsibilities specific to a particular job at the unit level) in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
Other Requirements:
 

Levels

Level 1 

Level Details
Job Code Salary Band FLSA Status
DVAR0301 I Exempt

Level 1 positions typically demonstrate baseline working knowledge of routine work applications; follow standard principles and systems and use appropriate terminology associated with a particular field of specialization; participate as a team member in a collaborative environment within a diverse workforce; actively contribute to completion of team goals and assigned tasks; clearly communicate information, ideas, or instructions verbally and in writing; follow recommended approach to assigned work to facilitate achievement of desired results; ensure safe practices and environmental consciousness are exhibited in decisions; typically work under direct and frequent supervision while performing routine duties using established procedures with detailed instructions.

Typical Education & Experience

1+ years related experience

Bachelor's Degree or higher

Or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Typical Work Duties
  • Develop fundraising plans and objectives for individual major gift solicitations; supervise fundraising activities, processes and systems
  • Manage acknowledgment systems, cultivate benefactors
  • Conduct monthly personal calls on assigned donors and deliver solicitation proposals; travel to visit donors as assigned
  • Assist and/or advise University Development staff and others in the process of identification and solicitation of prospects
  • Analyze the effectiveness of programs and recommend improvements or new creative strategies
  • Work with committees and boards to plan and implement development activities
  • Assist in development and production of communication tools, proposals and reports; provide support with scheduling and general correspondence
  • May supervise assigned staff and recruit and train volunteers
  • Serve as liaison on behalf of the College annual fund; prepare regular progress reports
  • Collate and interpret available research data pertinent to the development of relationships with potential donors
  • Match University strengths with prospective donors

This profile is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions in this job title and should not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties should not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind or level of difficulty.

Level 2 

Level Details
Job Code Salary Band FLSA Status
DVAR0302 K Exempt

Level 2 positions typically demonstrate intermediate knowledge of the concepts, practices and procedures of a particular field of specialization; perform intermediate tasks in defined skill areas/applications by continuously building on current job knowledge; maintain effective relationships with peers, vendors, and others in a diverse environment; support team decisions and follow through with team responsibilities; interpret information, ideas and instructions and communicate clearly and accurately both verbally and in writing including materials intended for distribution; determine causes of unusual occurrences and apply standard principles and practices to determine and implement solutions; ensure safe practices and environmental consciousness are exhibited in decisions; typically work under general supervision, while performing assignments that are varied and that may be somewhat difficult in character, but usually involve limited responsibility.

Typical Education & Experience

3+ years related experience

Bachelor’s Degree or higher

Typical Work Duties
  • Maintain liaison with appropriate staff and executives to strengthen existing donor relationships
  • Identify, cultivate, steward and solicit contributions through personal calls and visits
  • Establish, create, implement, develop and evaluate plans for solicitation and stewardship strategies
  • Match University strengths and interests with prospective interests
  • Collate and interpret available research data pertinent to development of relationships with potential donors
  • Assist in the development of policies, procedures and systems
  • Prepare and present reports for management and University officials
  • Develop and execute plans for the evaluations, cultivation and solicitation of major gift prospects
  • Identify, cultivate, recruit and train volunteers for designated projects
  • May assume responsibility for office operations, as necessary
  • May supervise assigned staff

This profile is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions in this job title and should not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties should not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind or level of difficulty.

Level 3 

Level Details
Job Code Salary Band FLSA Status
DVAR0303 L Exempt

Level 3 positions typically demonstrate proficient and comprehensive knowledge of defined skill areas/applications to integrate fundamental elements from other specialties into work assignments; apply knowledge of principles, practices, and procedures of a particular field of specialization to complete difficult assignments; promote a culture that is conducive to effective relationships among diverse team members; ensure safe practices and environmental consciousness are exhibited in decisions; may lead a project team involved in completion of difficult assignments, requiring proficient knowledge of field of specialization; interpret and communicate information, ideas and instructions clearly, accurately and persuasively both verbally and in writing including materials intended for distribution; incorporate new facts and ideas into group processes and apply creative thinking to develop new solutions; typically work with minimal supervision on difficult assignments, conferring with manager on unusual matters.

Typical Education & Experience

5+ years related experience

Bachelor’s Degree or higher

Typical Work Duties
  • Plan, implement and be accountable for fundraising programs for assigned area of responsibility
  • Develop proposals and coordinate fundraising efforts with University Development to eliminate duplication of efforts
  • Identify, cultivate, steward and solicit current and potential donors
  • Coordinate assigned unit development with other University offices to assess, create and advance joint solicitation strategies
  • Establish lists of prospects and develop cultivation and solicitation strategies
  • Partner with the Dean, Chancellor, or unit leadership on strategic advancement initiatives and the management of campaign committees
  • Serve on various boards and direct committees
  • Participate in presentations to University, business, social and civic groups
  • Supervise assigned staff

This profile is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions in this job title and should not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties should not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind or level of difficulty.

Level 4 

Level Details
Job Code Salary Band FLSA Status
DVAR0304 N Exempt

Level 4 positions typically demonstrate advanced knowledge of principles, practices, and procedures of a particular field of specialization and complete complex assignments; integrate complex elements from other specialties into work assignments; demonstrate a strong commitment to inclusionary practices which support diversity throughout the University; establish a shared vision and take responsibility for the achievement of team goals, and provide direction for appropriate implementation of plans; present ideas, concepts and instructions in a clear manner, and use persuasion and negotiation to build consensus and cooperation; ensure safe practices and environmental consciousness are exhibited in decisions; develop new techniques, concepts, theories, programs or solutions and apply them to complex strategic operating issues; typically work independently on complex work assignments, review progress and evaluate results and update management as appropriate; may direct and delegate work to lower-level staff.

Typical Education & Experience

7+ years of combined Major Gifts and related experience

Bachelor’s Degree or higher

Typical Work Duties
  • Develop, execute and evaluate strategies and programs to identify, cultivate, steward and solicit donor prospects for assigned area of responsibility
  • Advise leadership donors on complex gift arrangements benefiting the unit
  • Develop short- and long-term fundraising goals, plans and objectives, as well as solicitation proposals to meet the unit’s philanthropic needs
  • Work closely with the unit’s academic leadership and collaboratively across University Development to meet the unit’s and University fundraising objectives
  • Coordinate fundraising efforts with multiple units in contact with University Development to execute effective solicitation strategies
  • Participate in presentations to University, business, social and civic groups
  • Supervise assigned staff

This profile is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions in this job title and should not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties should not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind or level of difficulty.

Level 5 

Level Details
Job Code Salary Band FLSA Status
DVAR0305 O Exempt

Level 5 positions typically extend mastery of job knowledge to the principles, theories and practices of related specialties; expand knowledge of best practices and incorporate into all work assignments and procedures; evaluate and enhance current practices and efforts to ensure optimal support of diversity; oversee leadership of teams and projects that involve extensive cooperation and coordination between multiple departments across the University or with external customers; prepare written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on highly complex issues and deliver to a broad variety of audiences; identify and implement innovative solutions to important, highly complex strategic and/or operational issues which may involve unusual circumstances and incomplete or conflicting data; ensure safe practices and environmental consciousness are exhibited in decisions; work independently on highly complex or strategic assignments; may direct and supervise lower-level staff.

Typical Education & Experience

8+ years of combined Major Gifts and related experience

Bachelor’s Degree or higher

Typical Work Duties
  • Develop, execute and evaluate strategies and programs to identify, cultivate, steward and solicit donor prospects for assigned area of responsibility
  • Advise leadership donors on complex gift arrangements benefiting the unit
  • Develop short- and long-term fundraising goals, plans and objectives, as well as solicitation proposals to meet the unit’s philanthropic needs
  • Work closely with the unit’s academic leadership and collaboratively across University Development to meet the unit’s and University fundraising objectives
  • Coordinate fundraising efforts with multiple units in contact with University Development to execute effective solicitation strategies
  • Participate in presentations to University, business, social and civic groups
  • Supervise assigned staff and supervise either an alumni relations director or communications function
  • Sustain a higher level of prospects, solicitations and personal commitments than a lower level Major Gift Officer

This profile is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions in this job title and should not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties should not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind or level of difficulty.