Major Gift Officer

Overview

Description
State

Title:

Director
Bargaining Unit:
Non-Unit

Employment Type:

35 hours per week/Full-time
Internal salary: $
NON-UNION POSITIONS:
For non-unit positions, salary commensurate with experience and is accompanied by a competitive benefits package.

About TCNJ
Founded in 1855, TCNJ offers a highly personalized and collaborative liberal arts education with over 7,400 undergraduates and 700 graduate students. The college is consistently ranked among the top comprehensive colleges in the nation, offering small classes, a 13:1 student-faculty ratio, and an immersive living-learning experience. With a 4-year graduation rate ranked #1 in New Jersey and #9 among U.S. public institutions, TCNJ is a model for public higher education.

The Major Gifts Officer will manage a portfolio of individual major gift prospects and play a key role in advancing the college’s fundraising efforts.

• Cultivating, soliciting, and securing major gifts through strategic, long-term relationships with new prospects and established donors.
• Partnering in the growth of a comprehensive fundraising program by engaging and soliciting prospects in support of institutional priorities.
• Collaborating with College leadership, faculty, and staff to understand and effectively communicate TCNJ’s mission, programs, and funding opportunities.
• Preparing compelling proposals and negotiating gift agreements in alignment with TCNJ policies and donor intent.
• Supporting thoughtful stewardship and recognition efforts to ensure meaningful donor engagement and retention.
• Maintaining accurate and timely donor records in Raiser’s Edge (RE) and ensuring proper documentation and gift processing.

Required

Donor Cultivation & Relationship Management. Cultivates and maintains relationships with a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors through regular meetings, calls, emails, and events. Conducts discovery, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities to advance donors through the giving cycle.

Solicitation & Proposal Development. Identifies giving opportunities aligned with institutional priorities and donor interests. Prepares and presents compelling proposals, gift agreements, and case statements. Coordinates solicitation strategies with colleagues and leadership to secure major commitments.

Strategic Collaboration with College Leadership & Faculty. Partners with deans, faculty, and administrators to understand institutional needs, programs, and initiatives. Participates in strategy meetings to align donor interests with College priorities. Coordinates campus visits, donor briefings, and leadership introductions.

Stewardship & Donor Engagement. Ensures donors receive personalized stewardship reports, recognition, and follow-up. Collaborates with Advancement Services to deliver impact reports, acknowledgment letters, and event invitations. Tracks donor engagement to foster long-term relationships.

Database Management & Documentation. Records all contacts, strategies, proposals, and outcomes in Raiser’s Edge (RE) in a timely and accurate manner. Participation in Advancement & Campaign Initiatives. Contributes to campaign planning and goal setting. Attends department meetings, professional development sessions, and campus events. Supports special fundraising initiatives, events, and volunteer engagement efforts as needed.

• Undergraduate degree required.
• Three to five years of progressive experience in development in a higher education environment.
• Knowledge of major gift fundraising in a college setting. Demonstrated successful experience in major gift development including a strong track record in devising strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward major gift donors.
• Strong organizational, oral and written communication skills. Sound experience in developing written proposals in support of institutional priorities.
• Demonstrated skill and experience in working independently in the management of a portfolio of 100+ prospects and donors utilizing a moves management process.
• Knowledge of computer database systems.
• Demonstrated skill and experience with…