ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Major Gifts Associate Jobs (NOW HIRING)

NorthEastern

Associate Director, Major Gifts

Boston, MA · On-site

The Associate Director, Major Gifts (ADMG) will qualify, cultivate, and solicit major gift prospects ($250K-$1M+) in a designated geographic region. Operating within the One Northeastern model, the ...

Sequoia Hospital

Manager Major Gifts

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$41.29 - $61.41/hr

Job Summary and Responsibilities As our Manager Major Gifts, you will serve as a key member of the ... Keeping the organization's mission, vision and values at the forefront of associate decision making ...

Episcopal Academy

Major Gifts Officer

Newtown Square, PA · On-site

$68K - $89K/yr

Reporting to the Associate Director of Advancement, Major Gifts, you will manage your work with significant autonomy while collaborating closely across the Advancement team. This role is ideal for a ...

Focus: HOPE

Major Gifts Officer

Detroit, MI · On-site

$63K - $81K/yr

The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) serves as a senior member of the Focus: HOPE Development team ... Directly supervise the Development Coordinator and the Development & Marketing Associate, providing ...

The Episcopal Academy

Major Gifts Officer

Newtown Square, PA · On-site

$68K - $89K/yr

Reporting to the Associate Director of Advancement, Major Gifts, you will manage your work with significant autonomy while collaborating closely across the Advancement team. This role is ideal for a ...

Sequoia Hospital

Manager Major Gifts

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$41.29 - $61.41/hr

Job Summary and Responsibilities As our Manager Major Gifts, you will serve as a key member of the ... Keeping the organization's mission, vision and values at the forefront of associate decision making ...

Focus Hope

Major Gifts Officer

Detroit, MI · On-site

$96K - $98K/yr

The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) serves as a senior member of the Focus: HOPE Development team ... Directly supervise the Development Coordinator and the Development & Marketing Associate, providing ...

Focus: HOPE

Major Gifts Officer

Detroit, MI

$68K - $98K/yr

The Major Gifts Officer (MGO) serves as a senior member of the Focus: HOPE Development team ... Directly supervise the Development Coordinator and the Development & Marketing Associate, providing ...

previous pagenext page

Showing results 21-40

All JobsNon Profit JobsCharity JobsDirector Of Donor Relations JobsMajor Gifts Associate Jobs

Major Gifts Associate information

See salary details

$11K

$74.5K

How much do major gifts associate jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for major gifts associate in the United States is $72,333.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $70,000.00 and $74,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a major gifts associate?

Major Gifts Associates are fundraising professionals who support nonprofit organizations by identifying, cultivating, and managing relationships with donors capable of making significant financial contributions, often referred to as 'major gifts.' They work closely with development teams to implement fundraising strategies, coordinate donor engagement activities, and track progress toward fundraising goals. Their responsibilities may include donor research, event planning, communications, and supporting stewardship efforts to ensure donors feel valued and connected to the organization's mission.

What skills and qualifications are needed to be a major gifts associate?

To thrive as a Major Gifts Associate, you need experience in fundraising, donor relations, and prospect research, often supported by a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Familiarity with donor management databases like Raiser’s Edge and proficiency in CRM systems are typically essential. Strong interpersonal communication, relationship-building, and organizational skills help you connect with donors and manage multiple priorities effectively. These skills are vital for cultivating and stewarding major donor relationships, which directly impact an organization’s fundraising success.

How does a major gifts associate collaborate with other departments within a nonprofit organization?

A Major Gifts Associate often works closely with development, communications, and program teams to ensure alignment on fundraising strategies and donor engagement. Collaborating with these departments helps create compelling proposals, coordinate donor events, and communicate the nonprofit’s impact to major donors. This cross-functional teamwork is essential for cultivating relationships and achieving fundraising goals, making strong communication and project management skills valuable in this role.

What is the difference between Major Gifts Associate vs Fundraising Coordinator?

AspectMajor Gifts AssociateFundraising Coordinator
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree, experience in donor relationsBachelor's degree, general fundraising experience
Work EnvironmentNonprofit organizations, development officesNonprofits, event planning, outreach teams
Employer & Industry UsageFundraising, development departmentsFundraising, nonprofit support roles
Common Search & ComparisonYesNo

The Major Gifts Associate focuses on cultivating relationships with high-level donors to secure large donations, often working closely with senior staff. The Fundraising Coordinator handles broader fundraising activities, including event planning and outreach efforts. While both roles support nonprofit fundraising, the Major Gifts Associate specializes in major gift cultivation, making it a more targeted position within development teams.

What cities are hiring for Major Gifts Associate jobs?

Cities with the most Major Gifts Associate job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Major Gifts jobs?

The most popular types of Major Gifts jobs are:

What states have the most Major Gifts Associate jobs?

States with the most job openings for Major Gifts Associate jobs include:

What are popular job titles related to Major Gifts Associate jobs?

For Major Gifts Associate jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Major Gifts Associate jobs near you

Senior Associate Director, Major Gifts

Evanston, IL • On-site

Northwestern University
See more jobs at Northwestern Universityexternal

$12/hr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement

Posted 4 days ago

Northwestern University rating

7.5

Company rating: 7.5 out of 10

Based on 49 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

315th of 633 rated colleges and universities

Job description

Department: Kellogg Advancement
Salary/Grade: EXS/12
Job Summary
The Kellogg School of Management (Kellogg) at Northwestern University is an elite business school that is proud of its global network of more than 72,000 alumni. With a network as broad as ours, we know how important it is to facilitate connections with our alumni, between and among each other and the school, to build a strong, engaged, supportive community.
Our alumni are Kellogg Leaders who exemplify excellence in management and represent the competitive advantage of the Kellogg experience that uniquely positions us to drive meaningful change through business education. To sustain and elevate our ability to create positive impact, Kellogg has recently launched the $600M Full Circle Campaign, supported by the Major Gifts fundraising team. As a vital role on this team, a Senior Associate Director contributes to a best-in-class, highly effective, major gifts fundraising team that works closely with Kellogg's dean, faculty members, board and council members, and other senior leaders and volunteers to create curated alumni engagement opportunities and new philanthropic support to advance Kellogg's priorities.
Reporting to the Director, Major Gifts, the Senior Associate Director develops and manages a significant portfolio of finance-related and other Kellogg alumni individual major gift-level prospective donors and donors. This position collaborates with school leadership, volunteers, and faculty to identify, research, create, coordinate, and execute customized engagement, compelling funding opportunities, proposals, and solicitations to generate significant philanthropic gift support that supports students, faculty members, and facilities. This includes working closely with Kellogg's dean, senior leaders, faculty members, and other development staff to align prospect passion, financial capacity, giving vehicles, and stewardship opportunities for major donors. Goal is to generate multiple major gifts of $250,000-$5M per year on behalf of Kellogg, in a sector network model.
Specific Responsibilities
Strategic Planning
  • Plans, develops & implements overall communication plan to encourage education of philanthropy & heightened awareness of fundraising needs among the donor & alumni community to maintain & increase the amount & level of major gift donors.
Collaboration
  • Involves high level of collaboration with both internal department and broader University partners to identify common goals & develop & execute strategies to increase integration.
  • Please bullet examples of key partnerships and work involved below:
Prospects & Gifts
  • Identifies, researches, cultivates and personally solicits major gifts of $50K to $5M by managing a portfolio of approximately 100+ prospects annually.
  • Partners with other areas of development, specifically Annual & Planned Giving to coordinate contacts.
  • Researches & develops prospects including up-to-date knowledge on assigned groups & works with other areas of development to coordinate contacts.
  • Requires travel throughout the region or country.
Administration
  • Writes correspondence and proposals to prospective donors.
  • Prepares contact reports on meetings and interactions with alumni.
  • Updates and maintains prospect management information in the donor database.
  • Tracks and manages the prospective donor pool to develop reports and monitor program results.
Supervisory
  • Provides training to staff within or outside of immediate dept or division in regard to function.
  • Completes other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
  • Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
  • 6 years development, marketing, sales or the equivalent experience is required.
Minimum Competencies:
  • Strategic thinking and analytical skills
  • Global and organizational perspective
  • Ability to bring ideas and value to the team and constituent groups
  • Complex problem solving
  • Ability to work in fast-paced environment
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Demonstrated experience personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts through face-to-face donor engagement.
  • Record of securing six-figure gifts from individuals, including the ability to develop solicitation strategies, present compelling funding opportunities, and guide donors through the decision-making process.
  • Evidence of measurable fundraising results, such as documented progress toward individual or organizational revenue goals, number and value of gifts closed, portfolio growth, or increased donor engagement.
  • Experience in development/advancement at a research University.
  • Fundraising campaign experience
  • Demonstrated experience with highest level of customer service and business and partnership development
  • Experience in the fields of finance, wealth management, entrepreneurship, higher education, health care, or other professional fields.
Preferred Competencies:
  • Demonstrated skill in cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts, including experience making face-to-face asks and securing six-figure commitments.
  • Strong relationship management skills, with the ability to build trust and engage effectively with donors, alumni, faculty, senior leaders, volunteers, and colleagues.
  • High degree of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, discretion, and sound judgment.
  • Strong written, verbal, listening, and presentation skills, including the ability to develop and communicate compelling, donor-centered cases for support.
  • Strong organizational, prioritization, and follow-through skills.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
Target hiring range for this position will be $110,000 - $120,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.
Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.
Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.
Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more
Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement . Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process .
#LI-AS1

What Northwestern University employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

Apply