Viewpoint School is currently seeking a Major Gifts Officer. The Major Gift Officer (MGO) will join Viewpoint’s Advancement Office at an important moment of strategic growth and will be critical to the department’s effort to build a best-in-class fundraising operation. Reporting to the Senior Director of Major Gifts, the MGO will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward Patron Circle gifts to the Viewpoint Fund through the management of a robust portfolio of current and prospective donors, with plentiful opportunities for discovery work and pipeline development. The individual will work also closely with the Director of the Viewpoint Fund to improve donor acquisition and retention as well as upgrade donors through tailored moves management strategies. There is tremendous opportunity in the Viewpoint community across constituencies, and the MGO will assist the Senior Director of Major Gifts in growing the base of support for the Viewpoint Fund and Annual Benefit.

The MGO will also take the lead on special projects in donor relations, collaborating extensively with team members to create and manage a stewardship system for the Viewpoint Fund that maximizes philanthropy, strengthens long-term donor relationships, and emphasizes inclusion and belonging. This role adds critical capacity to the frontline aspect of the advancement team and will enable a more targeted focus on portfolio segmentation and major gifts fundraising for the Viewpoint Fund and upcoming capital campaign. The MGO will play a vital role in helping scale fundraising results and cultivating a culture of philanthropy. 

The ideal candidate will thrive in a highly collaborative and dynamic fundraising environment, where team members have multi-faceted roles and intersect on a variety of projects that move rapidly throughout the school-year. The individual will have a proven track record in annual and/or major giving and experience with successful stewardship programs. This is a two-pronged role, with responsibilities in both frontline fundraising and donor relations, and the ideal candidate will be someone who not only toggles well between functions, but also someone who has a strong, holistic understanding of advancement, in which stewardship plays a critical role. To be successful in the full scope of this role, the Major Gift Officer will be a strong communicator in verbal, written, and presentation formats with excellent interpersonal skills, an appreciation for data driven work, and the ability to work collaboratively with a variety of partners in a large TK-12 independent school. 

Responsibilities

The Major Gift Officer is responsible for raising at least $500,000 annually in individual gifts with the goal of significantly growing participation in the Patron Circle of the Viewpoint Fund over the next 1-3 years in preparation for a major campaign. The Major Gift Officer will also lead stewardship strategy and implementation for the Viewpoint Fund in a creative and inclusive manner: Primary responsibilities include: 

Major Gifts 

• Independently manage a portfolio of prospects through all phases of the giving cycle 
• Focus on the retention and acquisition of Patron Circle donors, identifying opportunities to upgrade gifts through tailored engagement and stewardship strategies 
• Conduct a minimum of 60 prospect meetings annually to cultivate and solicit prospects and close gifts. Manage communications and follow-up, including updated Raiser’s Edge with contact reports, research, and moves management information on all prospects in the portfolio.
• Work closely with the Senior Director of Major Gifts and Director of the Viewpoint Fund to coordinate prospect review meetings to identify, qualify, and prioritize prospects through research and screening
• Partner with the Director of Prospect Research Strategy to regularly review and refine portfolio, determine priority of research requests, and ensure effective moves management, accuracy of projections, and data integrity.
• Participate in regular department moves management meetings to plan cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies. 
• Partner with the Assistant Head of School for External Affairs, the Senior Director of Major Gifts, and Director of Prospect Development (future position) to develop new pipelines in key areas of growth: alumni, alumni parents, and grandparents, for example. 
• Travel within the greater Los Angeles area for donor meetings and events. 

Donor Relations 

• Collaborate with the Assistant Head of School for External Affairs, the Director of the Viewpoint Fund, Director of Prospect Research Strategy, and the Data Specialist to implement a segmented stewardship program for the Viewpoint Fund and a future campaign.
• Create new ways to recognize gifts of all sizes and transmit a strong feeling of inclusion and belonging in fundraising efforts 
• Help manage bespoke stewardship plans for top tier donors, restricted gifts, and special initiatives 
• Assist with the creation of the Annual Report in coordination with the Director of Content Strategy 
• Collaborate with the Assistant Head of School for External Affairs, the Director of Special Events, and the Auction Lead to recognize donors and volunteers for the Annual Benefit

Education and Work Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree preferred 
• A minimum of five years of frontline fundraising experience, with track record in annual fund, major gifts, and donor relations 
• Experience working in education is preferred. Understanding of the mission and purpose of independent schools is desirable. 

Skills and Qualifications

• Team player with a can-do attitude and willingness to help others 
• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB) 
• Highly organized and detail oriented with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and projects, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment  
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a collaborative approach to working with staff at all organizational levels, including volunteers and board members 
• Ability to be creative, enterprising, persuasive, and tactful 
• Ability to deliver exceptional customer service via all channels (phone, email, in-person, etc.)  
• Ability to use current desktop office technologies proficiently and ability to adapt to and use future technologies 
• CRM experience required (Raiser’s Edge/NXT preferred)   
• Data-driven and digital first mentality, with the ability to work collaboratively through Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc)
• Ability to work evenings for prospect dinners and events as needed
• Ability and willingness to travel locally in greater Los Angeles area for prospect visits and events 

Compensation: Anticipated compensation is $100,000 - $110,000 depending on experience.