Major Gifts Officer - United Way of Greater Charlotte

United Way of Greater Charlotte is committed to having a workforce that reflects our entire community. United Way opposes racism and oppression in all its forms and believes the nonprofit work environment is enhanced when diverse groups of people with ideas come together to achieve common goals. United Way understands that diverse representation and perspectives are vital to our success.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Major Gifts Officer is a key player in United Way's growth plan for high net-worth donors. The position is responsible for managing and cultivating relationships with existing major gift prospects, as well as identifying new prospective donors

The ideal candidate will be an outgoing self-starter driven by results. Candidate must be a strategic thinker with excellent relationship-building skills and a proven track record in securing significant donations. They must also possess the ability to empathize with donors and clearly communicate our organization's mission. Candidates must be able to demonstrate a commitment to promoting a diverse, inclusive, and team-oriented work environment.

Responsibilities:

• Successfully qualify, cultivate, and solicit 100-125 high-net worth prospects
• Utilize systems and software to track and cultivate donors and prospects, including United Way's CRM and wealth screening tools
• Meet annual appointment, solicitation and revenue goals
• Leverage United Way's slate of year-round volunteer and donor engagement events to identify new prospective donors and deepen relationships with existing donors and corporate partners.
• Help build and implement the donor experience event strategy for Tocqueville Society members
• Create and develop awareness about United Way's place-based work with current and prospective donors
• Create a pipeline of new prospective donors through effective networking and qualification
• Work effectively with volunteers on the Regional Development Committee to identify, cultivate, and solicit donors
• Acknowledge major donors through public and private recognition
• Develop and maintain strong collaborative working relationships with other team members
• Participate in regular Philanthropy & Communications staff and organization-wide meetings, to develop and maintain strong collaborative working relationships with other team members
• Know and follow the CASE Code of Ethics for Fundraisers

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent training and work experience
• Minimum 5-7 years of professional fundraising or sales experience in higher education, healthcare or a nonprofit setting
• Must feel passionately about United Way's Impact Strategy
• Demonstrated success in planning, executing and closing personal solicitations
• A strong command of fundraising principles and a familiarity with the objectives of annual and unrestricted-gift fundraising
• Familiarity with technology, software, and digital tools to communicate and engage with others and experience with fundraising databases
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles, ethics and practices of successful fundraising
• Strong communication skills (written and oral)
• Strong data-analysis skills
• An outgoing and positive personality, strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative working style
• Organized and detail-oriented with proven ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced and goal-oriented environment
• A self-starter who can work effectively as a team member and independently
• Demonstrated ability to execute objectives and goals aligned to the mission of a complex, responsive organization and the ability to persuasively represent its goals to multiple constituents
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse environment or commitment to do so as a nonprofit professional at United Way

Equity & Inclusion

• Constantly learning & actively participating in programs, trainings, and discussions regarding racial inequities, exclusions, oppressions
• Appreciation of and willingness to work with and advocate for people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Consistently seeks to learn and understand the specific experiences of historically marginalized racial groups in the U.S., particularly Black, Indigenous, and Latinx groups

Workplace Values

• Take action and go! Be bold and not afraid of a little competition or thinking outside the box even when opportunities seem unimaginable. Create a new path one-step at a time, you got this!
• A catalyst is a substance that ignites change in its environment. We strive to work within various ecosystems - corporate, nonprofit, philanthropic, government, etc. - to make the connections and spark the actions that will positively impact the lives of underserved members of our community today and for generations to come

• Sometimes things just need a shake-up. Whether internally or out in the community, we aren't afraid to be disruptive. Understanding that we may leave a few feathers ruffled along the way, if it is the right thing to do and benefits our community, we will take the chance!
• Inaction is the enemy of innovation. We are a perpetual work in progress, striving to be better, constantly learning and taking risk to be the best we can be. Learning from our mistakes and paving the way for continual betterment
• Teamwork makes the dream work. Bottom line, we need each other. Working together makes us all better individually and makes us awesome as a group. Welcome tough conversations don't make assumptions, and rely on others. Together we are stronger! Understanding what others' strengths and weaknesses may be and using that knowledge to guide, support, and model our work makes for a successful and high performing team
• Recognizing and appreciating our differences only make us better. We all share in the responsibility to create a positive culture and to safeguard equity, inclusion, dignity, and respect for all. Each member of our team will be a role model for others.