Major Gifts Officer

All are welcome! People of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals are strongly encouraged to apply!

Washburn Center for Children is a leading children’s mental health center, caring for a wide variety of children’s needs associated with anxiety, depression, behavioral difficulties and trauma.

The 141-year-old nonprofit offers critical mental health intervention to help children - and their families - realize hope. Washburn Center for Children serves almost 4,000 children ages 0-18 and approximately 9,000 family members each year. Washburn Center’s three office locations – Brooklyn Park, Edina, and Minneapolis – serve the entire Twin Cities metro area. The nonprofit also offers in-home services, and its school-based program serves 50+ schools in the Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Minneapolis, Savage, Burnsville and Eagan school districts.

The demand for therapeutic care has skyrocketed. Join our team to help children through the setbacks of life and create a better future. To learn more about how we do that work in homes, schools and clinic-based services, visit us online.

Washburn Center for Children is seeking a dynamic Major Gifts Officer to expand fundraising opportunities that support children and families in their mental health journey. This role focuses on securing contributions of $10,000+ and bringing innovative strategies to grow the donor pipeline—ensuring our clinicians have the resources needed to provide high-quality care and instill hope in building a stronger, more resilient community.

As a primarily external-facing role, the Major Gifts Officer will develop and implement strategies to deepen donor engagement and increase financial support. They will proactively seek new funding opportunities while strengthening existing donor relationships to enhance giving and overall donor experience.

We’re looking for someone with a creative, entrepreneurial mindset who is nimble, flexible, lively and eager to take strategic risks and leverage connections. The ideal candidate thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced development team and is committed to fostering meaningful relationships that empower children, families, and future generations to thrive.

Responsibilities

Major Gifts (60%)

·         Oversee prospect and donor relationships as related to major gifts by developing strategies to secure financial support and increase awareness

·         Maintain a robust portfolio between 100-120 prospects balanced along the donor continuum of identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship

·         Research and identify (in collaboration with Prospect Research Manager), cultivate, solicit, and track major gifts prospects for support of Washburn Center programs

·         Create compelling, high-quality cases for support to reach fundraising goals

·         Collaborate with team members and volunteers to lead efforts to identify, cultivate, and solicit new prospects to build a robust pipeline for Washburn Center

·         Collaborate closely with the Chief Development Officer and Associate Director of Institutional Giving to create comprehensive strategies for current and prospective funders to achieve fundraising goals

·         Proactively cultivate relationships with funders in anticipation of soliciting major gifts, including general operating and program funding

·         Conduct, on average, 10 visits per month with prospects and donors

·         Establish and/or enhance key connections with community partners and stakeholders integral to Washburn Center’s opportunities for growth

·         Prioritize visibility in the communities Washburn serves through participation in events, meetings, and networking

·         Utilize Raiser’s Edge database to manage contacts, moves, and relationships; track funding requests including deadlines and strategies

Development Support (15%)

·         Work closely with team members to develop funding options and strategies for programs

·         Assist in the development and implementation of annual and multi-year fundraising plans

·         Partner with the Associate Director of Individual Giving to identify program successes to feature in Annual Fund materials, such as newsletters, direct mail and other solicitations, and acknowledgment letters

·         Join in all major aspects of development fundraising activities, including donor cultivation, stewardship and solicitation, and corporate sponsorship recruitment for special events

·         Actively participate in the development team’s prospect identification process to ensure progress is planned and measured for major gifts prospects, including written prospect management plans with primary contacts, planned cultivation steps, and proposed solicitation team and schedule

Agency Support (15%)

·         Maintain a working knowledge of all Washburn Center for Children’s programs and projects

·         Connect on a regular basis with program directors to stay current with the needs of the agency to grow services

·         Proactively engage administrators and program staff in efforts that will ultimately result in funding programs

·         Partner with Washburn team members, Board of Trustees, and CEO to lead strategy sessions regarding the cultivation, solicitation, and/or stewardship of donors when needed

Supervise Associate Director of Institutional Giving (10%)

·         Conduct regular meetings for coaching, ideation, and building strategies to ensure ample grant opportunities with family foundations and corporations

·         Provide support for the development of a comprehensive stewardship plan for existing foundation donors

·         Aid in identifying additional avenues of potential support via national foundations and regional corporations new to Washburn Center

General Team Responsibilities

·         Facilitate positive and effective communication with all staff, volunteers, and external stakeholders on behalf of the agency and development department

·         Participate in both agency-wide and development-driven events (such as Golf Classic, Dawn of Hope, winter gear and gift drives, respectively) to provide support and enhance positive outcomes for Washburn Center

·         Seek opportunities to update personal knowledge of agency programs, including periodic meetings with clinicians and supervisors

·         Maintain open exchange of communication with team members; participate in regular team and individual meetings

·         Remain current on funding opportunities by reading philanthropic resources and periodicals provided by the agency and routed by team members

·         Perform any other duties as deemed necessary by the Chief Development Officer relating to the development and external relations activities of the agency

·         Occasional attendance at evening and weekend events and willingness to travel mostly within the region

Position Competencies

·         Excellent organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks on tight timelines

·         Persuasive written and verbal communication skills

·         Demonstrated success in being self-directed in addition to working with others on a team

·         Project management skills with the ability to think creatively and strategically to implement ideas into operational plans

·         Commitment to participate as a contributing and enthusiastic member of the development team and agency

·         Culturally Responsive; able to build relationships and collaborate with people of different backgrounds, identities, and abilities

·         Demonstrate mature judgment, initiative, and the ability to make independent and effective decisions and work without close supervision

·         Experience in bringing diverse donors and overlooked populations to the mission

·         Baseline knowledge of planned giving opportunities and vehicles

·         Computer literacy skills required (Microsoft Word/Excel/Power Point)

·         Proven ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines

Professional Enhancements

This position is encouraged to participate in relevant professional associations. Professional development funds are available for seminars/workshops offered through MAP, AFP, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits

• Bachelor’s degree is required
• Master's degree is desired
• Minimum of ten years of successful development experience with demonstrated success in major gifts cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship is required
• Knowledge of the local, regional, and corporate foundation community is required
•  Nonprofit experience is desired
• Database management experience is required
• Raiser’s Edge experience is desired
• Must have reliable transportation, and if using personal vehicle, a valid driver’s license and auto insurance is required

BENEFITS at WASHBURN:

Washburn offers benefits to Full-Time benefit eligible employees comprehensive Dental, Vision, Health, Life and Long-term disability insurance.  Additionally, we offer a 403b retirement plan and a flexible benefit option (FSA). 

Vacation:  Paid Vacation accrues at 10 hours of vacation per month - up to 15 days / 120 hours annually.

Sick Leave:  Paid sick leave accrues at 6.68 hours of sick per month - up to 10 days / 80 hours.

Holidays:  There are 2.5 days/20 hours of floating holidays per year in addition to the eight standard holidays.

***Please note that Internships, Part-Time (less than 30 hours/week) and Temporary positions are NOT eligible for all of Washburn Center's benefits***

Washburn Center for Children is an EEO/AA employer: women, minorities, people with disabilities, people that hold different gender identities and expressions and veterans are encouraged to apply. Cultural responsiveness and advancing equity are essential to achieving our mission. Our core values guide how we actively heal, learn and work.

To learn more about life at Washburn and how we work together, visit us online.