Development Officer – Major Gifts & Prospect Strategy

Overview: We are seeking a highly organized and motivated Development Officer – Major Gifts & Prospect Strategy to join our development team. This role focuses on cultivating and stewarding relationships with donors, supporting major gift initiatives, and conducting prospect research to identify new fundraising opportunities. The ideal candidate has strong communication skills, attention to detail, and a passion for donor engagement. You will manage donor outreach strategy, assist with donor visits and events, and support fundraising efforts to strengthen our organization’s impact.

Key Responsibilities:

Donor Communications & Stewardship

• Draft and send donor communications, including emails, thank-you notes, and personalized outreach.
• Handle verbal thank-you calls and coordinate personal outreach to high-level donors.
• Manage ongoing stewardship and relationship-building with mid-level and major donors.

Prospect Research & Strategy

• Conduct donor and prospect research, including reviewing donor lists to identify high-capacity prospects.
• Identify lapsed or prior donors and develop targeted re-engagement strategies.
• Track donor history, interests, and giving patterns to inform outreach.
• Create and execute cultivation and solicitation plans for assigned prospects.

Major Donor Cultivation & Engagement

• Support major donor cultivation through gifting, relationship-building, and personalized engagement.
• Make prospect and stewardship calls on behalf of the development team for visits, follow-ups, and event sponsorships.
• Assist with event-related donor outreach and sponsorship coordination.
• Travel as needed for donor visits, particularly with mid-level donors.

Other Possible Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and logistical support to the development team.
• Assist with scheduling donor meetings, travel, and internal coordination.
• Prepare donor materials, briefing packets, and meeting itineraries.
• Support special projects and team initiatives as needed.
• Maintain organized donor records and internal documentation of donor communications and research in the CRM.

Experience/Education/Qualification:

● 2+ years of experience in development, fundraising, donor relations, or a related field.

● Strong written and verbal communication skills, especially for the donor audience.

● Demonstrated experience with donor research and prospect identification.

● Comfortable making calls to donors and prospects.

● Highly organized with strong attention to detail and follow-through.

● Ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently.

● Experience with CRM systems and donor databases preferred.

● Willingness and ability to travel for donor visits.

● Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.

● Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets.

● Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.

American Principles Project Benefits package includes:

● CareFirst Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO Healthcare plan

● Option to contribute to a 401(k) (no matching at this time)

● Flexible Spending Account

● Flexible Spending Account Dependent Care Allowance

How to Apply: Interested candidates should submit a resume to operations@americanprinciplesproject.org