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Role Description

As Senior Major Gifts Officer, you will personally own and deliver significant philanthropic revenue goals for The Water Project. You will be personally accountable for an annual major gifts revenue goal in the $1–$2 million range.

• This is a senior frontline role for an experienced major gifts fundraiser who knows how to build trust, move relationships forward, and close meaningful gifts.
• Reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer, you will manage and grow a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects.
• Expand a strong pipeline of five- and six-figure opportunities.
• Serve as a trusted philanthropic partner to individuals and families capable of transformational giving.
• This role exists to ensure that donor relationships translate into sustained, mission-aligned investment.
• This is a full-time position and may be located anywhere in the United States, with travel required.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of fundraising experience, including 5+ years managing high-capacity major gift portfolios.
• Demonstrated success closing $15,000–$100,000+ gifts, including multi-year commitments.
• Proven year-over-year revenue growth with clear personal accountability for outcomes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Salesforce or comparable CRM systems.
• High emotional intelligence and cross-cultural competence.
• Willingness and ability to travel.

Requirements

• Secure $10,000+ gifts and six-figure multi-year commitments from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners.
• Maintain a qualified major gifts pipeline valued at a minimum of 3–4x annual revenue target.
• Consistently meet or exceed annual and quarterly revenue goals.
• Personally manage a strategic portfolio of 150–200 high-capacity donors and prospects.
• Design and manage multi-year donor strategies that support predictable, sustained revenue growth.
• Identify, qualify, and engage new major donors.
• Partner closely with the Chief Revenue Officer on revenue forecasting and pipeline development.
• Maintain accurate, current donor plans, activity tracking, and records in Salesforce.
• Provide peer coaching and informal mentorship to strengthen major gift strategy across the team.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries and excellent benefits, including fully covered medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) match.
• A generous vacation policy.

Success in the First 12–18 Months

• Consistent achievement or exceedance of assigned annual major gifts revenue goals.
• A pipeline maintained at or above 3–4x coverage against annual revenue targets.
• A clearly defined, actively moving portfolio with strong donor engagement and upgrades.
• A healthy, growing pipeline of qualified five- and six-figure prospects.
• High donor retention and increased lifetime value among major donors.
• Strong trust and partnership with the Chief Revenue Officer and philanthropy team.
• Confidence across leadership that major gifts revenue is disciplined, predictable, and growing.

Who You Are

• You are trusted—and donors give because of the relationships you build.
• You enjoy raising money and are comfortable being directly accountable for revenue results.
• Integrity and authenticity define how you work and communicate.
• You ask thoughtful questions, listen closely, and act with discernment.
• You think strategically within relationships for the benefit of both the donor and the organization.
• You hold yourself to a high bar and follow through.
• You are both an independent owner and a strong collaborator.