Senior Philanthropy Officer

Reporting to the Vice President of Advancement, the Senior Philanthropy Officer will be responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive program for major donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. The role will focus on securing gifts of $ $25,000 and above to support our academic programs, scholarships, athletics initiatives, and a range of university priorities. The role needs strong alignment with the mission of California Lutheran University and a proactive approach to donor engagement.

Responsibilities

• Donor Cultivation and Solicitation: Plan and execute strategies to cultivate relationships with all donor prospects, including major and planned gift donors. Aim to secure substantial gifts through personalized engagement and effective solicitation techniques. This experienced professional should be proficient at managing a portfolio of 150-200 active prospects.
• Stewardship: Develop and implement stewardship plans to acknowledge and recognize major donors, ensuring ongoing engagement and support.
• Activity Management: Conduct approximately 150 in-person donor visits that represent meaningful engagement annually. Track all activities and contacts with major donors and prospects diligently. Submit timely contact reports on activities and results into Raiser’s Edge software.
• Travel and Scheduling: Be prepared for frequent local, regional, and national travel and occasional evening and weekend work to meet with donors and attend events.
• Team Collaboration: Work closely with the Vice President for Advancement and collaborate with other members of the advancement and alumni engagement teams to advance the university’s fundraising goals and enhance donor relations.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination equivalent to: A Bachelor’s Degree and 8 years of experience in philanthropy, fundraising or other higher education role requiring similar competencies, such as Admissions, Community Engagement, etc.