Donor Engagement Senior Manager (DESM)/Major Gifts Officer | United Way
United Way NCA Mission: United Way of the National Capital Area is committed to the health, education and economic opportunity of every person in our community, regardless of race, gender, income, and ability. We are uniquely positioned at the intersection of the public, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors and the only organization that can mobilize the best resources and people to lead collective impact for our community. Through our programmatic focus, we are transforming our region and changing the story for thousands of people in a meaningful way.
Who We Serve: The ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population represents more than 500,000 low- and moderate-income households in our region that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level but less than the basic cost of living for the county/state in which they live. United Way NCA’s ALICE Lives Here initiative addresses the issues of inequity in our systems for employment, education, health and food access, financial stability, and opportunities for all to grow to the best of their abilities.
Equity: Equity is essential to our mission and is infused into all our business operations, hiring practices and community impact initiatives.
Position Description: Reporting to the CDO, the Major Gifts Officer is an important member of the Development/Fundraising department and will help build and lead United Way NCA’s individual giving efforts. They will manage a portfolio of prospects, current and lapsed donors, targeting five- and six-figure gifts. The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for developing, planning, and implementing strategies for identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual donors to include support for Alexis de Tocqueville Society and other related programs to support United Way NCA. They will focus on strategically building and expanding the organization's Individual Giving and Planned Giving program with a goal of significantly increasing the base of annual gifts. This position is ideal for a dynamic, results and relationship-driven, well-organized development professional who is committed to United Way NCA’s mission and has a passion for building development/fundraising programs.
The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for maintaining and increasing annual revenue through the development, implementation and management of comprehensive major gifts moves management plan. Internally this position will work closely with SVP and cross functionally to leverage and enhance donor and prospect engagement to inspire deeper connection to the mission and programs of United Way NCA.
The Major Gifts Officer will
- work closely with the CDO and Development/Fundraising Team to build, implement, grow, and maintain long-term cross-functional strategic plans focused on immediate, near-term, and long-term major and planned gifts.
- Secures a minimum of 120 donor meetings/visits per year
- Collaborates with colleagues across UW NCA to understand the case for support and inspire donors up the giving pyramid
- Actively practices moves management through the donor life cycle of identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship
- Documents all donor related activities using the donor database Andar
- Assists in all cultivation and stewardship for UW NCA events
- Manage a portfolio of Corporate Partners:
- Secure major gifts at the five- and six-figure levels.
- Directly responsible for identifying, cultivating, and soliciting prospects for major and planned gifts of all varieties. While there is some portfolio in place, there will be significant portfolio development required in the first year to reach an expected 125-150 prospect portfolio size.
- Responsible for $1M in annual revenue from cash, pledges, and documented planned gifts designated to United Way NCA.
- Establish and maintain a qualified fundraising pipeline/prospects, focused on achieving stretch goals to support enhanced revenue streams.
- Manage systems and software to track and cultivate donors and prospects, including United Way NCA’s donor database and wealth screening tools.
- Work with the Development/Fundraising department to align efforts and set goals. Create and implement moves management plans.
- Make direct, face-to-face solicitations and work with program staff to develop individualized donor strategies; to include donor communications.
- Acknowledge major donors through public and private recognition. Track and report progress using specific metrics.
Requirements:
- Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or equivalent experience is required
- Minimum eight (8) years of fundraising experience, with demonstrated experience in Major and Planned Gifts moves management and relationship building including at least five years of front-line fundraising and working with individual donors.
- Results driven; demonstrated entrepreneurial ability to develop alliances
- developing, maintaining, and deepening strategic relationships that generate the resources that support United Way’s mission
- An effective and passionate communicator
- Champions and facilitates change to ensure long-term community sustainability
- Creatively seeks new opportunities to generate revenue and other resources that add greater value to the organization and the community
Interested applicants should submit their cover letter and resume to the online application portal. If you have any questions, you can email Sophia LaFontant at [email protected].
United Way NCA offers competitive compensation and benefits including substantial paid leave, healthcare benefits, a matching retirement plan, and a great work environment.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Nonprofit HR is committed to fostering and maintaining a work environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are fully integrated into everything we do for the benefit of our employees and the clients that we serve. To fully realize our goal, we prioritize our understanding of the complexities of DEI within our workforce to inform our approach to talent management. We believe that this guides how we do our work, advise our clients to operationalize DEI and position our content and educational opportunities help strengthen the talent management capacity of the social impact sector.
Continue reading our about our commitment at nonprofithr.com/deinow.