Gift Officer

As the Gift Officer, you are responsible for managing and growing a portfolio of individual donors and prospects to secure philanthropic support for the organization. This role focuses on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors at the mid‑level and major gift levels, building strong relationships that advance the organization’s mission. The Gift Officer collaborates closely with development team members but does not have supervisory duties.

Objectives of the Role

Donor Portfolio Management

• Develop individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies for each prospect.
• Conduct regular outreach, including calls, personal visits, and written communication.
• Maintain timely and accurate donor activity records in the CRM system.

Cultivation and Stewardship

• Build authentic, long-term relationships with donors to enhance engagement and loyalty.
• Prepare customized donor materials, proposals, and impact reports.
• Plan and execute stewardship activities, including thank‑you calls, recognition, and donor briefings.
• Ensure high-quality donor experience aligned with organizational values.

Solicitation & Fundraising

• Solicit annual, mid-level, and major gifts in alignment with fundraising goals.
• Assist in strategy development for campaigns and special initiatives.
• Collaborate with internal teams to gather program information needed for donor conversations and proposals.

Collaboration & Internal Partnership

• Work closely with the Director of Development and colleagues on prospect strategy and pipeline management.
• Coordinate with marketing/communications to support donor messaging.
• Participate in team meetings, planning sessions, and fundraising events as needed.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement campaign strategy, donor development pipelines, and coordinate with lead staff on major campaign events.
• Collaborate with Development Leadership to set campaign goals and metrics.
• Manage strategies for benchmark giving levels and supervise sub-campaign execution.
• Personally solicit from a donor portfolio and oversee volunteer engagement efforts.
• Coordinate with finance team on pledge/payment documentation, acknowledgements, tax letters, tributes, and billing.
• Develop campaign themes and work with marketing on materials and publications.
• Ensure campaign volunteers are motivated, trained, and prepared for donor outreach.
• Supervise a small development team, providing coaching and support.
• Serve as a collaborative member of the Development team; perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 3+ years of fundraising, sales, relationship management, or related experience.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to connect with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Comfort with donor databases (CRM), data entry, and tracking activities.
• Ability to articulate a complex organization’s mission, accomplishments, and goals.
• Maturity, sound judgment, and ability to interact with major donors, Board members, and staff.
• Proficiency with database systems and constituent relationship management software (e.g., Blackbaud or Salesforce) and Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge of Jewish community, culture, and traditions; familiarity with St. Louis Jewish community preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to use data to achieve strategic outcomes.
• Strong organizational, strategic planning, and relationship-building skills.
• Team-oriented and collaborative mindset.

About the Jewish Federation of St. Louis
The Jewish Federation of St. Louis, founded in 1901, is one of the region’s largest and oldest nonprofit organizations.   The Jewish Federation of St. Louis is a community-driven organization that mobilizes resources, connects organizations, and builds collaborations to support and strengthen Jewish life in St. Louis, in Israel, and around the world. Our work is guided by Jewish values, a commitment to inclusion, and a vision of a thriving, engaged Jewish community for generations to come.  As the community’s central philanthropic and planning body, it supports over 100 local, national, and international agencies, programs, and initiatives to strengthen and sustain a vibrant Jewish community.

Benefits
•    Health and dental insurance
•    403(b) retirement plan
•    Generous PTO (vacation, holidays, sick leave, personal time)
•    Life and long-term disability insurance
•    And more

To Apply
Submit a cover letter and resume to hr@jfedstl.org for consideration.