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Major Gifts Officer

Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice • Full-time • Remote (Seattle, WA, US) • $75k - $80k / year • 1w ago

Reports to: Deputy Director of Development

Location: Remote (US West Coast strongly preferred)

Classifications: Full-time, Exempt, Union-eligible

Salary Range: $75,000-80,000

Projected Hire Date: April 21, 2025

Projected Start: May 5, 2025

About Bend the Arc

Bend the Arc is building a multiracial, multiethnic, intergenerational movement of Jews and allies across the country who are rising up to build an American future free from white supremacy, antisemitism, and racism. We’re investing in systems that keep our communities safe and divesting from systems that uphold white supremacy. We organize, advocate, tell stories, and develop the leaders that we need to finally build a true multiracial democracy in America. And we’re fighting for the joyful future we deserve: one where Black liberation is realized and where all of us — within and beyond our Jewish community — are safe and thriving.

The Bend the Arc family of organizations consists of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, our 501(c)(4) organizing and advocacy arm; Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC, the first and only Jewish PAC to advocate exclusively for progressive policies in the U.S.; and Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, our 501(c)(3) education and leadership arm. We are proud to be a Union shop and to be working with the Non-profit Employees Union (NPEU) toward finalizing a Collective Bargaining Agreement and achieving our goals.

Headquartered in New York City, we have remote staff nationwide, along with a network of staffed chapters, volunteer-led local groups, and affiliates organizing across the country.

About the Position:

The Development department is a six-person team responsible for revenue generation for Bend the Arc’s family of organizations, and raises between $4-5MM annually from individuals and institutions. The Major Gifts Officer is a critical member of the team, and is responsible for stewarding major donors and prospects of $2,500 and above, with a regional focus primarily on donors residing in major West Coast cities. The ideal candidate will be a relational, strategic, and data-informed frontline fundraiser, an enthusiastic and persuasive advocate of Bend the Arc’s mission and programs, and a natural connector of people and their interests and passions.

The Major Gifts Officer works closely with the Development team, the CEO and the Executive Team, the Executive Coordinator, and the Assistant Director of Advocacy and Political Affairs to create, implement, and oversee a comprehensive stewardship program for those donors, including prospecting, annual revenue projections and multiple opportunities for engagement.

Key Responsibilities:

Create and implement a regionally specific stewardship program and solicitation strategies as informed by varied culture and relationship history for a portfolio of individual donors giving $2,500+ annually as well as prospects.
Gain and maintain fluency on Bend the Arc’s work, the ecosystems in which we move, and the time, place, and conditions under which we operate; stay up to date on organizational activities
Responsible for maintaining up-to-date and accurate data to track performance and management of their portfolio, including donor correspondence, meeting notes, and donor profile information (NOTE: our database is currently Raiser’s Edge NXT)
Develop strategy with and prepare solicitors prior to and following meetings and events
Conduct donor research, prepare donor packets for meetings, and gather and maintain relevant and timely donor collateral materials
Plan regional travel to meet with donors and run donor events as needed
Work with the CEO’s Executive Coordinator to schedule meetings, travel, and draft personalized updates and other correspondence to donors and prospects
Increase retention rates and maximize support from current donors by creating and implementing donor engagement plans for donors and prospects including individual meetings, events, donor briefing calls, and the like
Plan and own logistics of creating engaging donor and prospect events
Identify, prioritize, and cultivate potential new individual major donors
Provide support to the Development team on any programs or special events

Required Skills and Qualifications:

Position Specific:

Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with at least 2 of those years working directly with major donors
Knowledge of and familiarity with some or all of the multiple ecosystems and contexts in which this position will work, e.g. the Jewish social justice ecosystem, the national progressive movement, the culture of the West Coast and surrounding states, and networks of high net-worth donors
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and experienced storyteller
Strong interpersonal skills and relationship management experience
Ability to initiate and manage multiple complex projects and work effectively in a results-oriented team environment and meet established deadlines
Meticulous attention to detail
Experience cultivating donors and moving them up a ladder of engagement
Experience fundraising in an organization with a 501(c)3, 501(c)4, and political action committee (PAC), or knowledge of the distinctions between these entities strongly preferred
Proficiency in Google platforms and ability to learn new systems
Experience working with development databases, preferably Raiser’s Edge
Ability to work evenings or on weekends based on need
Ability to regularly conduct a high volume of time-sensitive phone outreach to donors
Experience with prospecting and planned giving strategies are a plus
Experience planning donor and solicitation events preferred

Staff Wide:

Demonstrated commitment to racial equity, inclusion, and anti-oppression practices, and ability to bring this orientation into all areas of the work, internally and externally
Developed racial equity praxis (analysis and skill) that can be applied to day to day work
Resilience and self-awareness to navigate power, responsibility and experience mindfully
Values and is open to giving and receiving feedback.
Communicates effectively, honestly, and considerately
Works collaboratively and considerately with colleagues, within and across teams, to achieve goals and objectives
Completes administrative responsibilities in a timely manner