Reports To: Sr. Director of Alumni Relations & Advancement
Position Type: Full-Time, 12 months
Standard Hours: 40 hours / week
FLSA Status: Exempt
Classification: Professional Staff

Summary:
Charged with dramatically increasing both the quality and size of Keuka College's prospect pool, the Office of Advancement will play a key role in the overall growth of private philanthropy at the College. The Major Gift Officer will be based in Keuka Park and deployed geographically to originate prospect/donor activity and coordinate all Advancement work in their assigned regions. Extensive travel is required. This position will need to work collegially with the academic units and Alumni Relations staff, carry a portfolio of approximately 200, work to qualify 150 prospects and make a minimum of 150 face-to-face visits per year. The Major Gift Officer is expected to be a full and active member of the Advancement team and of the broader Keuka College team, participating in strategy and planning, and contributing ideas and counsel, particularly as they relate to their assigned regions.

Essential Responsibilities:
• Effectively manage a major prospect solicitation pipeline. Initiate and/or strengthen relationships with major gift prospects; create strategies for and solicit donors capable of contributing gifts of $50,000 or more. Initial work will likely involve a high number of identification and qualification visits.
• Participate in all aspects of the gift cycle: (1) initiate contacts with potential donors; (2) develop appropriate cultivation strategies for them, including working with volunteers and senior university administrators; (3) move potential donors in an appropriate and timely fashion toward solicitation and closure; (4) make solicitations when appropriate; (5) maintain stewardship contacts with donors.
• Recruit, train and manage regional volunteers and regional campaigns organized to support major gift activity. Regional volunteers and regional campaigns will be comprised of top major gift prospects in a geographic area.
• Develop and continuously update the strategic plan for assigned region, with the goal of dramatically increasing the size and quality of the prospect pool; plan will include coordinating activity with other internal stakeholders.
• Continuously update the prospect management database with information related to donor strategies, contacts, qualification, proposals and results.
• Hone in on professional skills through seminars, conferences, training and individual mentoring. This includes regular meetings with faculty, staff and students to update\" product knowledge\", training on Advancement protocols and procedures; and technical training on Advancement's Raiser's Edge database system.
• In consultation with the Senior Director of Advancement, make one or two multi-day trips per month sufficient to meet the goal of at least 150 face-to-face visits per year.
• Responsible for ensuring that assigned tasks are completed in compliance with various institutional and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain a professional and courteous attitude at all times towards co-workers, internal and external customers, representing Keuka College, its programs, policies and procedures in a positive and professional manner. Maintain effective working relationships to ensure institution-wide teamwork.
• Attend provided/necessary trainings and other meetings to support effectiveness within the position as required.
• Consistently demonstrate high standards of integrity by supporting the Keuka College mission, vision and values and adhering to institutional policies.
• Maintain high regard for student privacy in accordance with the FERPA privacy policies and procedures.
• Regular and reliable attendance is expected and required.
• Perform other functions as assigned by management.

Minimum Qualifications:
1. Bachelor's degree required and 3 to 5 years' experience in development, preferred.
2. This position may require extensive automobile travel throughout the assigned territory, as required by the position; therefore, a valid driver's license, and successful DMV check is also required.
3. A track record of success in individual major gift fundraising, preferably in higher education, and experience in cultivating and soliciting prospects capable of gifts of $50,000 or more.
4. Excellent territory management skills. Preference for individuals who have worked in a regionally assigned development office and have experience with, and a passion for, working \"on the road.\"
5. Broad knowledge of the principles of fundraising.
6. General understanding of options for planning giving including information of tax laws that impact charitable giving, personal assets and estates.
7. Excellent time management and organizational skills.
8. Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing.
9. Understand and behave with a high level of integrity and complete confidentiality at all times.
10. Ability to be sensitive to and respond to needs/concerns of students, faculty, college staff and the public.
11. Ability to work under pressure with a high tolerance for interruptions, and the ability to work with diverse groups of people.

Physical Requirements:
• Requires repetitive motions and sitting at a computer keyboard.
• Hearing and speaking on the telephone.
• Able to conduct business at other locations. Some performance of job duties may require travel to branch campus or other offsite locations.

In support of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this job description lists only those responsibilities and qualifications deemed essential to the position.

Equal Opportunity Employer