Major Gifts Officer

1% for the Planet seeks a sophisticated relationship builder to develop and manage a portfolio of major donors ($50,000+) who will fuel our global mission. This is an opportunity to join an organization at a pivotal moment as we rebuild our philanthropy team with a focus on high-impact, strategic fundraising.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Major Gifts Officer will work collaboratively with our Individual and Corporate Gift Officer who is also advancing prospects in the major gifts pipeline, while independently driving cultivation strategies that source and move prospects through the pipeline toward transformational gifts. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in entrepreneurial, scrappier environments and can think several steps ahead to identify opportunities others might miss. Although the role will be primarily focused on individual donors, the Major Gifts Officer will also support our foundation work to help meet an ambitious overall philanthropy revenue target.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of fundraising at an established organization seeking to transform to the next level. The Major Gifts Officer will work directly with the CEO in a role with significant autonomy and impact. We're looking for someone who sees this transformation moment as a chance to collaborate with a smart team to build a major gifts program that's relationship-centered, strategically sound, and designed for sustainable growth.

If you're energized by the prospect of joining us to go big, if you thrive when given room to think creatively and act decisively, and if you want your work to directly fuel environmental impact, we'd love to hear from you.

Build and Steward a Major Donor Portfolio

• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of 50-70 individual major donor prospects and donors, creating a pipeline with $50K+ potential
• Develop tailored engagement strategies for each prospect based on their interests, capacity, and connection to our mission
• Move donors systematically through the pipeline from identification to solicitation to multi-year commitment

‍Strategic Relationship Development

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for your portfolio donors, conducting regular meetings (virtual and in person), and personalized communications
• Connect dots between donor interests and organizational priorities, creating compelling cases for support
• Think creatively and strategically about next steps in each relationship, from anticipating needs, identifying opportunities, to planning multiple moves ahead
• With CEO and team, build strategy for future growth of philanthropy revenue in support of organization’s impact vision

‍Collaborate with CEO on High-Level Cultivation

• Partner closely with the CEO and Philanthropy Team on strategy development and execution for top prospects
• Prepare briefing materials, talking points, and follow-up plans for CEO donor interactions
• Participate in key solicitations and donor meetings alongside organizational leadership

‍Donor & Foundation Research and Prospect Development

• Conduct supplementary individual and foundation research to identify new funding opportunities
• Leverage networks and creative thinking to surface new major donor prospects
• Secondarily, support foundation research and outreach efforts
• Stay informed about trends in philanthropic giving and environmental funding

‍Team Collaboration and System Building

• Work collaboratively with the Philanthropy Team to ensure seamless donor experiences
• Contribute to building efficient systems and processes as we establish a new team structure
• Bring best practices from previous experience to help shape our approach

Relationship Builder Extraordinaire

• You have a natural ability to build authentic, trust-based relationships with high-net-worth individuals
• You have high emotional intelligence and interpersonal sophistication
• You're genuinely curious about people: what motivates them, what they care about, and how they want to make an impact
• You can move fluidly between relationship warmth and strategic thinking
• Existing relationships in the climate / environmental space preferred but not required
• Is comfortable representing 1% for the Planet in any setting, including at events and convenings where high-potential donor prospects may be present. 

‍Strategic and Complex Thinker

• You excel at connecting dots between donor interests, organizational needs, and external opportunities
• You think multiple steps ahead: "If I do X now, that positions us for Y in six months and Z next year"
• You can navigate nuance and complexity without getting overwhelmed

‍Scrappy Self-Starter

• You've operated successfully in entrepreneurial, resource-constrained environments (not just large institutional settings)
• You’re comfortable with a hands-on role that may include both high-level strategy and tactical execution
• You're comfortable with ambiguity and can build the plane while flying it
• You don't need a fully built infrastructure; you help create it

‍Experienced Fundraiser

• You have a proven track record of identifying, cultivating, and closing major gifts
• You understand donor psychology and the long game of major gifts fundraising
• You've managed a portfolio successfully and can demonstrate measurable results
• You have experience working across philanthropy functions in order to be able to contribute to overall team success

Experience & Skills:

‍Required:

• 5+ years of experience in major gifts fundraising, with demonstrated success in managing the donor process from identification to closing gifts of $50,000+
• Proven ability to manage a portfolio of major donor prospects through the full gift cycle
• Experience working in nimble, entrepreneurial nonprofit environments (we value scrappy over university-style operations)
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Strategic thinking abilities with demonstrated capacity for complex problem-solving
• Self-motivated and comfortable working with significant autonomy while collaborating closely with colleagues and leadership
• Some travel, likely to grow over time.

‍Strongly Preferred:

• Experience in environmental, conservation, or climate-related organizations
• Familiarity with foundation research and proposal development
• Demonstrated ability to plan, track, and forecast effectively in a CRM, and to contribute to effective use of existing and new systems.
• Existing network of relationships that could translate to new donor prospects