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Principal Gift Officer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Wit

Assistant Vice President for Development

Boston, MA · Hybrid

Lead the gift officer team, spanning major gifts, leadership gifts, and industry, foundation, and government partnerships * Carry a personal portfolio of major and principal gift prospects * Partner ...

BreakthroughT1D

$100K - $101K/yr

... major gift officer who manages a mixed major and principal gift portfolio, operating with significant independence while engaging the AVP as a strategic thought partner on complex $1M+ gift ...

BreakthroughT1D

NY · On-site

$134K - $135K/yr

... major gift officer who manages a mixed major and principal gift portfolio, operating with significant independence while engaging the AVP as a strategic thought partner on complex $1M+ gift ...

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Principal Gift Officer information

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$20K

$84.6K

$129.5K

How much do principal gift officer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 11, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal gift officer in the United States is $84,586.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $69,000.00 and $98,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a principal gift officer?

A Principal Gift Officer is a senior fundraising professional responsible for securing large, transformational donations, often referred to as principal or major gifts, for a nonprofit organization or educational institution. They build and maintain relationships with high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and foundations, guiding them through the giving process. Their work involves strategic planning, personalized donor engagement, and collaboration with organizational leadership to align donor interests with institutional priorities. Principal Gift Officers play a key role in advancing an organization’s mission by generating significant philanthropic support.

What are the main challenges a principal gift officer faces when cultivating relationships with major donors?

A Principal Gift Officer often navigates the complexities of building long-term, trust-based relationships with high-net-worth individuals. One key challenge is balancing personalized engagement with a diverse portfolio of donors, each with unique interests and philanthropic goals. Additionally, securing significant gifts often requires collaboration with organizational leadership, program staff, and sometimes board members to align donor interests with institutional priorities. Continuous stewardship and effective communication are essential to maintain donor commitment and ensure ongoing support.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal gift officer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Gift Officer, you need expertise in fundraising strategy, relationship management, and a strong track record of securing major philanthropic gifts, often supported by a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. Familiarity with donor management systems like Raiser's Edge and certifications such as CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) are commonly valued. Exceptional interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, and persuasive communication set top performers apart in engaging and stewarding high-net-worth donors. These skills and qualities are crucial for building lasting donor relationships and achieving ambitious fundraising goals that sustain an organization’s mission.

What is the difference between Principal Gift Officer vs Major Gift Officer?

AspectPrincipal Gift OfficerMajor Gift Officer
Required CredentialsBachelor’s degree; often advanced degrees or certifications in fundraising or nonprofit managementBachelor’s degree; experience in fundraising or sales
Work EnvironmentHigh-level donor engagement, strategic planning, and major gift cultivationDonor outreach, relationship building, and solicitation of major gifts
Employer & Industry UsageNonprofits, universities, healthcare organizations focusing on large-scale fundraisingSimilar organizations, often with a broader focus on fundraising across gift sizes

The Principal Gift Officer typically handles the highest-value donors and strategic fundraising initiatives, while the Major Gift Officer manages a broader portfolio of donors with significant but smaller gifts. Both roles require strong relationship-building skills, but the Principal Gift Officer often works on more complex, high-stakes solicitations and strategic planning.

What cities are hiring for Principal Gift Officer jobs?

Cities with the most Principal Gift Officer job openings:

What states have the most Principal Gift Officer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Principal Gift Officer jobs include:

What are popular job titles related to Principal Gift Officer jobs?

For Principal Gift Officer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Executive Director of Development

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

University of Southern California
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools • 10K+ employees
Learn more about University of Southern Californiaexternal

Full-time

Medical, Retirement

Posted 22 days ago

University Of Southern California rating

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

Based on 54 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

Executive Director of Development
Office of External Relations
USC Marshall School of Business
The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the "Trojan Family," comprised of the faculty, students, staff, alumni and parents that make our university a world-class research institution.
USC's Marshall School of Business is seeking an Executive Director of Development to join its External Relations team. The Office of External Relations provides opportunities for alumni, parents and friends of the school to engage through philanthropic support and volunteer service to support the mission of the school.
The Executive Director of Development will serve as part of the front-line fundraising group and report to the Assistant Dean, External Relations. The Executive Director is a newly created position to oversee Corporate and Foundation Relations, Annual Giving and to serve as a principal gift officer with an annual goal of upwards to $10M. The Executive Director will manage a portfolio of potential and current donors who can make gifts to USC Marshall of at least $500,000 with a focus on $1M+ gifts. The Executive Director will execute and participate in the development of sophisticated fundraising plans to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward alumni, parents and friends.
The USC Marshall Office of External Relations relies on strong partnerships with our leadership, faculty, and campus partners. Our strategy emphasizes the long view, honoring a donor's lifelong relationship with USC and empowering those who come after us to successfully build on our efforts.
Responsibilities and Duties
  • Oversee Corporate and Foundation Relations and Annual Giving and the directors in these areas to support their fundraising success.
  • Manage a portfolio of 50 principal gift prospects and donors within an assigned geographic region.
  • Identify and cultivate potential principal gift donors to support the USC Marshall School of Business through endowment and current use gifts.
  • Utilize knowledge of prospects' interests to develop and execute sophisticated, donor-centered solicitation strategies for major gift prospects. Plan long-range, multi-step engagement strategies.
  • Plan and conduct face-to-face meetings and visits with donors and potential donors.
  • Responsible for meeting or exceeding assigned annual and monthly goals including, but not limited to, goals for face-to-face visits, solicitations, successful gift closures, and dollars raised.
  • Success will be measured by the Executive Director's ability to uncover prospective donors' philanthropic interests; the quality of their prospect strategies; their ability to move donors from cultivation to solicitation, and the successful closure of gifts.
  • Strategically leverage academic leadership, including Dean, Senior Associate Dean, faculty, and other gift officers in process of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors to USC Marshall.
  • Maintain knowledge of planned giving opportunities; use knowledge in prospect cultivation and solicitation as appropriate.
  • Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The University reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Master's degree
  • Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in principal and major gifts fundraising, corporate and foundation relations and annual giving. Experience in a higher education environment, preferably in a business or professional school.
  • Demonstrated persistency and ability to cultivate and close on major gifts.
  • Ability to professionally form and leverage relationships with top prospects, engage key constituents, and secure significant gifts through effective relationship management on an ongoing basis.
  • The ideal candidate will bring the highest levels of professionalism, organization, collegiality, self-motivation, and a strong desire for continuous improvement.
  • Exceptional active listening skills: ability to draw out interests, motivations, and objections to advance gift conversations
  • Strategic and conceptual thinker with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and handle even difficult situations with aplomb and a sense of humor
  • High level of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and initiative
  • Team orientation and natural inclination toward collaboration and leading through influence. Willing to mentor colleagues as appropriate
  • Goal oriented and results driven
  • Ability and willingness to travel frequently
  • Must be capable of working across disciplinary and interdisciplinary lines, and interacting successfully with a diverse constituency of varying abilities, backgrounds, interests and beliefs
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Passion for transformative power of higher education and business schools. Interest in business, and the ability to be a persuasive advocate for business education.
  • Knowledge of complex academic institutions and experience staffing academic leaders in development work is preferred

Anticipated Hiring Range:
The annual base salary range for this position is $151,435.99 - $198,266.85. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.
Required Documents and Additional Information
  • Resume and cover letter required (may be uploaded as one file). Please do not submit your application without these documents.
  • Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended, so please apply on the same business day if interested.
  • USC has excellent benefits, including health benefits for staff and their family with access to the renowned university medical network; eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions*; tuition benefits for staff and their family; free Professional Development classes; central Los Angeles location with easy access to commuter trains, buses and free tram pick up services; discounts to sporting and other campus events.
  • The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Why join the USC Marshall School of Business?
The USC Marshall School of Business is ideally positioned to address the challenges of a rapidly changing business environment and is ranked as one of the country's top schools for accounting, finance, marketing, consulting, entrepreneurship and international business studies.
USC Marshall builds on the unique opportunities that stem from its Los Angeles location on the Pacific Rim, its interdisciplinary and impactful research, the momentum generated by the University of Southern California, and the unparalleled engagement of the Trojan Alumni Family. With ready access to industries defining the new business frontier, including bio-technology, life sciences, media, entertainment, communications and healthcare, this vast network offers USC Marshall graduates exceptionally strong support for success in the global marketplace.
For more information on the USC Marshall School of Business, visit: www.marshall.usc.edu .
USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.
We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.
  • Notice of Non-discrimination
  • Employment Equity
  • Read USC's Clery Act Annual Security Report
  • USC is a smoke-free environment
  • Digital Accessibility

If you are a current USC employee, please apply to this USC job posting in Workday by copying and pasting this link into your browser:
https://wd5.myworkday.com/usc/d/inst/1$9925/9925$152668.htmld

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About University of Southern California

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The University of Southern California (USC) is not a conventional company, but a private research university established in the heart of Los Angeles, CA, US. Founded in 1880, it's one of the oldest private research universities in California. USC operates in the education industry providing primary services of higher education, research, and community development. This prestigious institution offers a comprehensive array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs across various disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The University is guided by its commitment to foster creativity, innovation, leadership, and discovery through academic excellence.

Industry

Colleges, universities, and professional schools

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Los Angeles , CA, US

Year founded

1880

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