Major Gift Officer

As a Major Gift Officer at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, you will manage a portfolio of qualified major gift prospects, leading to meaningful cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of philanthropic investments of $50,000 and above. The selected candidate will be based out of the Twin Cities, Rochester, Winona, or the Chicago area. In this role, you will forge lasting relationships and make a profound impact on our Lasallian Catholic educational mission by aligning Benefactor passions with institutional needs.

Your dedication to securing major gifts will directly contribute to the enrichment of our academic programs, support for faculty and students, and the expansion of transformative educational experiences.

$85,000-$100,000

• Complete 175 visits per year of meaningful, strategic, personal interactions with assigned prospects.
• Achieve or exceed dollar goals determined on an annual basis in collaboration with the Vice President of University Relations.
• Manage a major gift portfolio of prospects including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major outright and planned gifts.
• Coordinate cultivation activities and solicitations with other University representatives, including the president, senior staff, advancement professionals, key faculty, and volunteers.
• Maintain strategic cultivation plans for a select group of assigned prospects scheduled for solicitation within the coming 12–18‑month period, projecting gift amount, area of Benefactor passion, and a step‑by‑step cultivation schedule.
• Provide timely, written reports regarding the outcome of cultivation and solicitation actions in the form of contact reports, stage updates, and strategy statement updates within Raiser’s Edge NXT.

• Travel as required, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree required. Experience deemed equivalent and relevant will also be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, with a proven track record of raising major and principal gifts, outright and planned gifts, and/or complex gifts.
• Proficiency with computer and development software (Raiser’s Edge NXT) preferred.
• A career history of commitment to the highest professional and ethical standards, including confidentiality.
• Support, respect, and advance the mission of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and its Lasallian charism.
• Proficient in managing multiple tasks simultaneously with attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently, with a team, and with volunteers.
• Ability to take advice and guidance in a positive and productive manner.
• Demonstrated ability and initiative to gain knowledge of the job and the institution.
• Capacity to develop prospect strategy, portfolio management, and tracking processes.
• Knowledge of best practices and ethical standards in the field.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and work with sensitive information.
• Ability to meet performance goals while working in a remote environment.
• Demonstrate competency and promote inclusion and human dignity.

☒ Sedentary work. Sedentary work involves lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.

☐ Light work. Light work involves lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds. Even though the weight lifted may be very little, a job is in this category when it requires a good deal of walking or standing, or when it involves sitting most of the time with some pushing and pulling of arm or leg controls.

To be considered capable of performing a full or wide range of light work, you must have the ability to do substantially all of these activities.

☐ Medium work. Medium work involves lifting no more than 50 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

☐ Heavy work. Heavy work involves lifting no more than 100 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 50 pounds.