The Major Gift Officer is responsible for the establishment of relationships and the solicitation of gifts from philanthropically inclined donors across the Archdiocese of Denver (AOD).  Major Gift Officers are charged with understanding the specific programs, needs and operations of selected AOD ministries and initiatives. Major Gift Officers are typically assigned to or aligned with a primary ministry or initiative within the AOD.

The AOD operates on a consolidated model where development efforts on behalf of the various diocesan ministries, initiatives, and direct marketing campaigns are all conducted in a coordinated fashion.  The AOD development office supervises gift officers that are independent, regionally aligned or focused on specific ministry initiatives. Development activities includes: donor cultivation, direct gift solicitation, stewardship of donors, and attending Ministry events across various ministries including, but not limited to:

• Catholic Charities
• Holy Family High School
• John Vianney Seminary
• Redemptoris Mater Seminary
• Bishop Machebeuf High School
• Centro San Juan Diego/Hispanic Ministries
• Seeds of Hope of Northern Colorado, Inc.
• Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal

Major Gift Officer compensation is comprised of a fixed salary component with a significant and meaningful bonus that is dependent upon a number of factors including:

• Individual fundraising performance against mutually established soft and hard goals
  • Total gifts received from assigned donor base in annual period
  • Increase on annual basis from prior years with assigned donors
  • Increase on donations from assigned donors as correlated with donor activity
• Performance of the specific ministry or initiative-related fundraising team to which Major Gift Officer is associated or aligned for both gifts and event revenue (if applicable);
• Overall performance of the Development Department toward goals and objectives;
• Individual performance against pre-established metrics for cultivation and reporting.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Administrative

• Collaborates with Chief Development Officer and Director of Development in the preparation of annual fundraising projections, including the creation of work plans with targets, objectives and goals for the assigned regions or ministries of existing and prospective donors;
• Prepares regular reports on impact of development efforts to the Development Director and Chief Development Officer;
• Keeps track of crucial development issues and develops long-term strategies and plans;
• Systematically and consistently utilizes donor software (Raiser’s Edge and other programs) to capture donor information (including meetings, asks and other correspondence);
• Takes strategic direction and assistance from Director of Prospect Management and Research regarding donor cultivation, population of database and overall fundraising techniques and procedures.

Donor Relationships

• Identifies and develops individual and corporate/foundation prospects for the AOD’s fundraising priorities. Conducts face-to-face meetings with donors to learn more about their interests and goals in supporting the Ministries and to educate them about the work of the AOD;
• Assumes personal responsibility for relationships with a designated number of donors; undertaking direct individual donor solicitations as appropriate with support from the Chief Development Officer and Director of Development;
• Attendance at AOD events (fundraisers, galas, golf tournaments, speaker series, etc.) and attend relevant, non-AOD events to increase the AOD's visibility and help strengthen donor relations in the community;
• Implements a structured program to foster strong, long-term relationships with targeted donor constituencies;
• Actively solicits and closes major gifts of $5,000 and above;
• Works with AOD, ministry, and church leadership to effectively identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors toward increased level of giving;
• Coordinates visits with major gift prospects, donors, and key individuals for the Chief Development Officer, Director of Development, certain Board Directors and lay and church leaders as appropriate;
• Collaborates with Events staff to ensure donors are included in various events that target audiences of the ministries and stays informed about which events appeal to specific donors in the Director of Development and Chief Development Officer’s portfolio;
• Works with volunteer-led committees for the purpose of carrying out major fundraising events.