Senior Major Gifts Officer

About the Legal Aid Justice Center:

The Legal Aid Justice Center is a nationally recognized, non-profit organization that partners with low-income clients and communities of color in Virginia to fight for racial, social, and economic justice. We understand that the harms our clients endure are inextricably linked to overarching systems of injustice. Together we are dismantling those systems through a combination of community organizing, litigation, policy advocacy, public relations, and individual legal services.  

Founded in 1967, LAJC has offices in Charlottesville, Richmond, Petersburg, and Falls Church and provides services under six key program areas: Civil Rights & Racial Justice (focuses on the criminal legal system), Housing & Consumer Justice, Youth Justice, Health Justice & Public Benefits, Immigrant Justice, and Worker Justice. As examples of LAJC’s recent work, our lawsuit and organizing against the state forced reform of Virginia’s unemployment insurance system, including advocacy that resulted in the distribution of over $1 billion in illegally withheld payments to over 160,000 Virginians. During the pandemic, we demanded and secured a statewide eviction moratorium and emergency pandemic protections that helped hundreds of families avoid eviction. We reduced incarceration across the state, including reducing the population of a local immigration detention center down to historically low levels through a coordinated effort of organizing paired with impact and individual litigation.  Our staff are on the front lines of some of the most important anti-poverty fights happening today.  

With a staff of over 90, the past few years have been a time of exciting growth and opportunity for the organization. In addition to the growth of programmatic efforts including increased organizing capacity, LAJC has expanded its operations and administrative capacity, created new opportunities for professional growth and leadership among staff, engaged in ongoing race equity work, and explored changes to organizational structure to deepen its efforts to create long-term, sustainable, community-driven change. 
   

About the Position:

Legal Aid Justice Center is seeking an experienced Senior Major Gifts Officer to join our frontline fundraising team and help set the stage for our next ambitious chapter. The Senior Major Gifts Officer will be a creative relationship-builder who will make an immediate impact on the LAJC’s fundraising priorities while simultaneously helping to build a pipeline of future major donors. The ideal candidate will be results-oriented and skilled at developing strategies to build long-term relationships with donors. A high level of knowledge and expertise in areas of major gifts and gift planning strategies is essential, preferably in a non-profit community organization setting. 

The Senior Major Gifts Officer will be an experienced major gifts fundraiser with a track record of soliciting and closing 5- to 7-figure gifts. The Senior Major Gifts Officer will cultivate relationships with individuals with a portfolio of 100-125 current and prospective donors that will lead to major gifts to support all aspects of LAJC’s work.  

As a senior member of the Development team, the Senior Major Gifts Officer will be a leader and will serve as a mentor and resource to the other team members. The Senior MGO will collaborate closely with organizational leadership, program staff, and external partners to align funding opportunities with the organization’s mission and priorities. 

This position requires frequent travel, as the Senior Major Gifts Officer has prospects and donors in all areas in Virginia served by LAJC. Preferred location is Charlottesville. Richmond applicants will be considered and will be required to spend time weekly in the Charlottesville office. 

Key qualities necessary for success in this position include: 

• Action orientation, even in the face of minimal information; must be proactive and take initiative;
• Approachability and ability to build rapport with donors, clients served by LAJC, program staff, and volunteers;
• Business acumen: Ability to keep up to date on progress in reaching goals and creating strategy to meet goals, as well as the latest trends in philanthropy;
• Listening skills: Ability to ask probing questions and then sit back and listen actively to the answers; and
• Diplomacy and tact: Demonstrated ability to engage donors and other constituents with diplomacy and composure, even in challenging situations.
• Strategy and Vision: Ability to apply strategic, forward-looking thinking while working alongside the Director of Development to deepen and diversify LAJC’s donor and prospect pipeline. 

Job Duties:

• Build and systemize a sustainable major gifts program for LAJC, including developing multi-year work plans and setting goals.
• Develop and manage a portfolio of 125-150 major gift prospects focusing initially on solicitations of $5,000 and up, with a goal of increasing this over time. 
• Conduct at least 200 strategic moves with prospects and donors per year and participate in a minimum of 50 solicitations per year. 
• Collaborate with the Executive Director, managing donors and prospects in their portfolio, which the Senior MGO facilitates. 
• Manage and track a deliberate sequence of interactions with each prospect, intended to build engagement and move them through the steps of an established donor engagement and readiness process. 
• Consistently and meticulously track and report relationship management activity using constituent relationship management system to best ensure proper health and hygiene of their portfolio to ensure coordinated fundraising efforts including using information gathered to independently determine whether prospects should be disqualified, with the goal of establishing a continuous pipeline of donors capable of making commitments of $25,000 or more. 
• Gather data, assess prospects, and develop strategies designed to realize the current and lifetime giving potential of individual prospects by validating prospect’s capacity, inclination, and strength of affinity while taking on the role of trusted philanthropic advisor throughout the donor lifecycle. 
• Aggressively identify, and formally qualify, new major and planned gift prospects by developing, optimizing and executing long-range and short-term cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies, producing a continuous stream of donors capable of making major gift commitments. 
• Design and oversee execution of donor cultivation and stewardship events in partnership with the Director of Development, Executive Director, Board, staff, and existing donors. 
• Develop complete knowledge of LAJC’s programs. 
• Serve as a role model to the rest of the Development team, demonstrating patience and sharing knowledge and skills as needed to support their professional growth. 
• Racial Equity: Promote racial equity across all dimensions, including within LAJC, by doing the following:  
• Helping to recruit, retain, and support both staff and leadership that reflect the racial composition of our community;  
• Cultivating respect for the work of and expanding resources for non-attorney staff that are disproportionately people of color;  
• Creating spaces for staff to discuss issues of racial, gender, and all other issues of marginalization; and 
• Pushing for institutional and cultural changes by management, the board, and staff to further promote racial equity 
• Build travel plans demonstrating judicious use of time and resources, including strategic meetings with active prospects and additional qualification and stewardship meetings. 
• Frequent travel across Virginia is required as well as regular participation in evening and weekend activities. 
• Serve as LAJC representative at specific events and conferences where prospects and donors are present. 
• Other duties as assigned. At times, all members of the team work on events and projects outside of their primary job functions. 

Required Qualifications:

• Strong commitment to social, economic, and racial justice. 
• Alignment with Legal Aid Justice Center's mission. 
• Commitment to advocating for and adhering to LAJC’s Community Agreements. 
• Commitment to racial, economic, and social justice and a willingness to learn how to be a better anti-racist. 
• A proven track record in fundraising, with demonstrated success in closing significant gifts, often requiring 7-10 years of progressive experience. 
• Exceptional oral, written, and interpersonal skills are vital for building trust and rapport with high-value donors. 
• The ability to develop and execute complex fundraising plans and tailor engagement strategies for individual donors. 
• Proficiency with donor management software like Raiser's Edge or DonorPerfect, and CRM systems, for tracking interactions and analyzing data. 
• A nuanced understanding of philanthropic motivations and the ability to listen and connect with donors on a personal level.  
• Demonstrated initiative in seizing opportunities, must be a self-starter. 
• Ability to prioritize and organize complex projects and plans to deliver results. 
• Proven record of accomplishment that demonstrates initiative, creativity, and interpersonal skills. 
• Strong organizational, leadership, and mentoring skills. 
• Ability to learn development software quickly. 
• Ability to write and speak clearly and effectively. 
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently across the Commonwealth. 
• Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 7-9 years of related professional experience. 
• Must be eligible to work in the United States. 
• Must possess a valid driver's license. 

A Note to Potential Candidates: Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary folks, and BIPOC are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.
 

Location: This role will be based in our Charlottesville or Richmond offices. Richmond applicants will be considered and will be required to spend weekly time in the Charlottesville office. Frequent travel between offices will be required. Although a regular presence in the office is required, LAJC offers a remote work policy to support employees in co-creating schedules and arrangements that allow us all to do our best work. 

Salary: The salary scale for this position is $90,073.82 - $120,608.85 based on the LAJC salary scale. To allow for salary growth within the position over time, the anticipated hiring range for this position is between $90,073.82 - $105,341.33.  

Application Review Date: We'll start reviewing applications after Friday, February 6. While our review process can take some time, this doesn't mean you're not being considered—please be patient as we carefully evaluate each candidate. We'll continue to accept and review applications until the position is filled; however, if we receive a high volume of applications, the posting may close earlier than the stated review date. 

Application Instructions: Complete the online application. This position requires a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references. Please address the cover letter to the hiring manager, Hayden Sloan, but submit all materials through the online application system. We will not contact references without advance consent from candidates.

Benefits: Our mission is compelling, and our team members are passionate about their work, and so we recognize the need to provide generous benefits and encourage rest and a healthy work environment. For example, we provide: 
 

• Generous paid time off every year, including 3 to 6 weeks of vacation, 12 days of health leave, 16 weeks parental leave, and 14 holidays (not including bonus holidays/rest days allocated as needed) 
• 100% employer paid health, dental, and vision insurance, plus excellent family insurance with annual max of $2,400 premium contribution to LAJC-sponsored health plan 
• 403(b) retirement plan with 4% employer contribution (no required match) 
• Strong commitment to professional development 
• Student loan repayment assistance program

The Legal Aid Justice Center is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, and communities to apply. The Legal Aid Justice Center is committed to strengthening the voices of our low-income clients, working in collaboration with community partners, and rooting out the inequities that keep people in poverty. We strive to take on the issues that have broad impact on our client communities and to be responsive to client input. Recognizing the particular impact of racism on our clients and staff, we devote special attention to dismantling racial injustice. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment that enables staff and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected, and safe. In reviewing applications, we look for evidence that applicants have experience and/or thoughtfulness in working with traditionally marginalized populations.