Major Gift Officer - Higher Ed. jobs in Boston, MA

Our Mission

The team in Boston University’s Development & Alumni Relations (DAR) division harness the power of philanthropy to make an excellent education accessible and welcoming to all, and to advance BU’s global leadership in research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice. To support our work, we have built—and are continuing to build—an outstanding team of dynamic, mission-driven advancement professionals who constantly strive to create an environment where everyone belongs. Where it’s not just a job, but a career and a community.

Now, our highly collaborative, motivated central team overseeing Development and Alumni Relations for the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is looking for two Major Gifts Officers who will be responsible for managing the donor giving journey and for advising donors through the gift cycle – from identification to gift closure.   

Development and Alumni Relations, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences 

With over 100,000 alumni, the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is the largest College within Boston University. The Development and Alumni Relations team for the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is responsible for engaging and connecting with domestic alumni, parents/families and friends to raise philanthropic dollars in support of priorities for the College and Graduate School. The College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is led by Dean Stan Sclaroff. The Dean’s Advisory Board is an active group of volunteers committed to advising the Dean and to helping develop networks in local regions to identify philanthropic supporters of the Dean’s priorities.

Major Gifts Officers

Reporting to Assistant Dean, Development & Alumni Relations, the MGOs will be responsible for establishing their own prospect and donor Major Gifts ($100,000 ) portfolio with ambitious goals for prospect discovery, solicitations, and gift closures.  The MGOs will focus on securing multi-year commitments of $100K and leadership annual fund gifts for CAS/GRS priorities.  The focus in the first 12 months will be on pipeline development.

To be effective in this role, the MGOs must develop collaborative partnerships with CAS/GRS faculty and staff, peers on the central University Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) team, senior administrators, alumni, and volunteers when necessary.

Fundraising Responsibilities:

• Maintain active awareness of individuals in prospect pipeline at various stages of identification, cultivation and solicitation.  Focus on direct solicitation of major gifts at the $100,000 level and leadership annual gifts of $10,000 .
• Manage and actively advise donors through the gift cycle with a targeted goal of 12-14 substantive interactions per month and an annual dollar goal as determined by the Assistant Dean. Work includes regular domestic travel to defined regions as determined by the Assistant Dean.
• Collaborate with Development & Alumni Relations colleagues to devise specific strategies and timetables for the successful solicitation of individuals with a goal of maximizing their philanthropy to the College and Graduate School and Boston University.
• Coordinate and orchestrate prospect strategies with the appropriate School and University leadership and work in tandem to assure the highest and best use of time, budget, and personnel.
• In consultation with donor relations, customize and implement appropriate stewardship program to assure regular contact with donors through annual reports and various stewardship and cultivation activities and events.

Programmatic Responsibilities: 

• Develop expertise on assigned priorities within the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and serve as an advancement liaison to these areas. As appropriate, the Major Gifts Officers will coordinate meetings in priority areas, serve as a resource to other DAR colleagues, and provide regular updates and reports on areas and donor pipelines to Assistant Dean.
• Partner with the Assistant Dean and Associate Director on special projects including, but not limited to, Dean’s Advisory Board activities, regional events, and fundraising in support of parents and families.

Other duties as assigned:

• The MGO will work with Alumni Relations to integrate strategic activities into College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Alumni Relations work.
• The MGO may be called on to partner with central colleagues on regional events across all colleges which feature College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences faculty and administrators.  prospect development strategy and into strategies related to academic areas. 
• Other duties as assigned.