Fast Facts

Join College Possible Oregon as an Individual Giving & Major Gifts Officer, where you will play a pivotal role in advancing access to higher education by leading fundraising strategies and managing donor relationships.

Responsibilities: Oversee major gifts and annual giving strategies, cultivate a portfolio of 100+ donors, manage the Getting to Graduation campaign, and provide mentorship to the Development & Operations Coordinator.

Skills: Strong fundraising experience, excellent communication skills, proficiency in Microsoft Office and donor database software; Salesforce and iWave experience preferred.

Qualifications: Bachelor's degree and 5-7 years of experience in fundraising or related fields; proven success in soliciting major gifts and managing donor relationships.

Location: Position is based in Portland, OR with a hybrid work arrangement and some regional travel required.

Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation ranges for this position are between $70,000 - $100,000.

Individual Giving & Major Gifts Officers

College Possible Oregon

This Work Is Our Mission

At College Possible, we believe talent is universal. For many students, the path to college can feel overwhelming or out of reach. That's where you come in.

We support students on their journey to higher education by providing personalized coaching, resources, and guidance. When you join College Possible, you become part of a team dedicated to making college access and success a reality. Together, we help students navigate the admissions process, overcome challenges, and earn their degrees.

Our Impact

80% of College Possible students are admitted to college

86% of College Possible students enroll in college

93,000+ students served nationwide since 2000

Why Join Our Team?

When you work at College Possible, you're not just taking a job-you're advancing a mission to help more students get to and through college. You'll play a direct role in helping students achieve their educational goals and build brighter futures.

Key Benefits

✅ Professional Growth

Access training, mentorship, and career development opportunities as you support student success.

✅ Mission-Driven Impact

Make a direct difference in students' lives by helping them access and complete college.

✅ Collaborative Community

Join a team that values teamwork, innovation, and excellence in service of students.

✅ Work-Life Balance

Enjoy flexible work options, unlimited PTO, and resources to support your well-being.

Your Role as Individual Giving and Major Gifts Officer

The Individual Giving & Major Gifts Officer provides leadership and oversight for the Oregon site's major gifts and annual campaign strategies to ensure we meet or exceed annual revenue targets for individual giving. The Individual Giving & Major Gifts Officer's primary responsibilities include assessing, developing and leading strategies; as well as cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major gifts from individuals. This dynamic role on the development team will cultivate and grow a portfolio of 100 or more donors and prospects with the capacity to give over $2,500 and build strategies to grow the major gifts program's sophistication and capacity upwards.

This individual will play a key role in driving major gift cultivation within the team and will work closely with the Executive Director to execute portfolio engagement plans, ensuring the organization generates successful individual giving program. The officer will oversee our Getting to Graduation campaign (a $1.6 million major gifts campaign to raise multi-year gifts to support the growth of our program expansion from urban to rural Oregon communities). In addition to major gifts, the officer will lead the strategy for annual giving and coordinate with the team to carry out moves management and messaging for individual donors. This position will collaborate closely with the Executive Director, Senior Director of Development, the External Relations Team and leadership volunteers to meet annual revenue goals.

This role is seen as a strategic partner at all levels of the organization and offers significant opportunities for professional growth, ideal for individuals seeking a challenging, innovative and dynamic environment. As a key driver of major gift initiatives that impact education and workforce in Oregon, you'll have the opportunity to lead with creativity, take on high-impact projects, and drive new approaches to fundraising in the region. The position is perfect for those eager to innovate and expand their leadership capabilities while shaping the future of the organization's strategy.

Essential Job Functions

Prospecting and Cultivation: Oversee prospecting and donor research for individuals and identify prospective donors for our Getting to Graduation campaign. Strategize and work with the Executive Director and Senior Director of Development to implement cultivation techniques to inspire prospective supporters to become major donors and grow the number of new major prospects qualified.

Relationship Management and Stewardship: This position will successfully steward a robust portfolio of 100+, including developing and implementing an individual engagement plan for each donor. They will develop new relationships and build on existing relationships, improving donor retention through a meaningful stewardship strategy. Leverage Executive Director and Board Members in these efforts. Use tactics such as site visits, friend-raisers, face-to-face meetings, events, etc., to generate new and increased gifts.

Strategic Planning and Analysis: Build out newest phase of our Getting to Graduation Campaign. Develop annual campaign strategy to ensure alignment with the major gifts program and successful moves management. Help build the annual strategic development plan. Manage progress toward funding goals with the use of Salesforce fundraising database. Assist the key team members with identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects for increasing individual giving.

Oversee Annual Giving Campaign: Oversee the strategy and execution of the annual giving campaign, ensuring all pieces work together and are executed successfully, including integration with the story/messaging for biannual appeals. Collaborate with the communications coordinator to ensure all pieces of the plan are executed and meet deadlines. Provide direct support and guidance to the ED with their individual portfolio management.

Direct Supervision: Provide day-to-day management and mentorship of the Development & Operations Coordinator. In partnership with the Senior Director of Development, help this team member establish work plans for annual giving, development operations and other professional development opportunities as they arise.

Other Duties as Assigned: Work with the Senior Director of Development on projects as assigned.

What You Bring

Education/Certifications/Licenses:

• Bachelor's degree required.

Related Work Experience:

• Minimum of five to seven years of experience in fundraising or transferrable related skills (business development, sales, nonprofit management, relationship management, volunteer management).
• Proven track record in successfully soliciting and closing major gifts from individuals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.
• Experience organizing fundraising campaigns and/or managing portfolios.
• Past community-centric fundraising practice experience/knowledge.
• Passion for advancing education opportunities for students.

Computer/Software Skills:

• Strong computer skills, including demonstrated proficiency in: Microsoft Word, Excel and donor database software; Salesforce and iWave experience preferred.

Other Skills, Abilities and Requirements:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal
• Self-starter with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and deadlines
• Problem solver, flexible and adapt easily to
• Attention to detail, including proofreading and project follow-through.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to lift up to 15 pounds when needed
• Hybrid workplace - in the office two days a week, with some regional travel.
• Ability to stand and/or sit for a minimum of 7 hours a day

What We Offer

In addition to joining a committed, diverse, values-based organization, we offer:

• An opportunity for you to have a tremendous impact both internally and in the broader country
• a competitive salary commensurate with experience
• excellent benefits including complete health, dental, life, short-term and long-term insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Encouraged sustainability through a generous paid time off program

To Join Our Growing College Possible Team

Please apply online at https://collegepossiblelt.applicantpro.com/jobs/, which includes submitting your resume and cover letter.