The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is the worlds largest nonprofit organization creating educational, workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are visually impaired, is seeking a Major Gifts Officer.
Reporting to the Executive Director of Development, the Major Gifts Officer will identify and directly solicit mid-level and major giving prospects, steward current major donors, and manage the national major giving program for APH, particularly focused on the Northeast, to raise funds toward the Development fundraising goal. This individual will develop compelling cases for support, actively ask for gifts, and ensure APHs ongoing sustainability and growth. Working collaboratively with the Development team to support major gift cultivation, the Major Gifts Officer will serve a critical, pivotal role within the department to ensure achievement of fundraising goals.
This position is remote with the ideal candidate located in the Washington, DC metro-area, with travel required, largely along the Northeast corridor, with two annual visits to Louisville, KY.

Major Duties And Responsibilities:

• Build the foundation of a revenue-generating mid-level and major donor program, by stewarding existing donors and building new relationships through active asks that will lead to major gift commitments
• Responsible for portfolio of 100 mid-level to major gift donors
• Working with Executive Director and Development Services Specialist, prioritize moves management pipeline and develop strategies to drive major donor gifts (identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, steward) to reach departmental fundraising goal
• Research and identify current major donors and new major gift prospects using all available tools and resources to determine donor propensity, affinity, and capacity
• Working with Development Services Specialist, create profiles of prospects with assessments, ratings and recommended strategies for moves management, updating records as appropriate
• Coordinate, set-up, troubleshoot, and break down of major donor appreciation and fundraising events in Northeast, and support Louisville fundraising efforts
• Work within systems and software to track and cultivate donors and prospects, including Development donor database and other wealth screening tools
• Work with Director of Annual Fund and Special Projects to be aware of, and ensure timely sharing of, legacy giving materials with Finance team, including charitable gift annuities (CGA), wills, bequests, and other legacy giving; provide families and legal representatives with information upon request; and follow-up on pending disbursements and additional file maintenance.
• Make decisions on cultivation time versus expected gift response, determine other staff/leadership who may serve to assist in donor cultivation.
• Work closely with Finance team to ensure timely and correct management of funds
• Comply with fundraising ethics and standards
• Pursue professional opportunities to remain up-to-date in the field
• Remain aware and educated about the programs, activities, resources, and services provided by APH for people who are blind and visually impaired

Education, Training and Experience Requirement

• Bachelors degree required
• Three to five years of experience in a lead role as a fundraising professional
• An understanding of, and a passion for, APHs mission, vision, and goals, with a commitment to service
• A strong record of direct, individual gift solicitation
• A proven fundraising background with a sincere interest in listening to, and fulfilling, donor needs
• Strong research skills and the ability to analyze data to identify giving prospects
• Ability to craft budgets and budget narratives, Gantt charts and schedules, brief executive summaries and lengthy narratives, and scopes of work
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to write clear, structured, cohesive, and persuasive documents
• Ability to work independently and remotely, with timely responses to communication
• Strong contributor in team environments, with the ability to handle multiple assignments and meet multiple deadlines
• A successful track record of working collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external constituents
• Excellent computer skills, including competency with standard business applications and database systems (e.g., Donor Perfect)