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Description

About the Organization

Polaris is a national nonprofit that uses data, research, and survivor-informed design to understand and disrupt the systems that enable human trafficking. Building on more than 20 years of work and field insight, we use advanced analytics to illuminate how trafficking operates, identify emerging risks, and develop practical solutions that strengthen safety and economic opportunity.

Our work is grounded in two programmatic pillars:

Data & Intelligence: Produces actionable insights and predictive tools from one of the nation’s most comprehensive trafficking data sets to inform prevention, protection, prosecution, partnerships, and prosperity.

Survivor Care & Outreach: Strengthens the national ecosystem of support by aligning survivor-centered services, economic mobility pathways, and cross-sector partnerships. This pillar focuses on outreach, coordinated response, resource navigation, and reducing the vulnerabilities that allow trafficking to persist.

With deep partnerships across the field and two decades of building the national response ecosystem, Polaris translates data into strategy, strengthens coordinated systems of care and accountability, and advances proactive, intelligence-led approaches to transforming the systems that allow trafficking to persist.

About Opportunity

The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for building and managing a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, with a focus on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts. This role plays a key part in growing individual donor revenue by developing strong, trust-based relationships and aligning donor interests with the organization’s mission and strategic priorities. This is a highly relational, externally facing role for an experienced fundraiser who can independently manage a portfolio, close significant gifts, and contribute to the broader individual giving strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

Major Gifts & Portfolio Management

• Manage a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, with responsibility for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Develop and execute individualized engagement strategies, with a focus on five- and six-figure gifts
• Conduct donor meetings, prepare proposals, and manage follow-up and pipeline tracking
• Partner with executive leadership and strategic advisors on key donor relationships

Donor Strategy & Pipeline Development

• Identify, qualify, and cultivate new major gift prospects
• Build a strong pipeline of donors with capacity to give at the five- and six-figure level
• Support the development of clear pathways from mid-level giving into major gifts
• Contribute to overall individual giving strategy, particularly around donor upgrades and retention

Team Leadership & Coordination

• Manage and mentor junior staff or consultants supporting individual giving and campaigns
• Provide guidance on donor strategy, communications, and execution
• Coordinate and support the year end giving campaign
• Partner with executive leadership and board members to support donor engagement and solicitations
• Prepare leadership for donor meetings, including strategy, talking points, and follow-up plans
• Collaborate with communications and program teams to translate impact into compelling donor narratives

Stewardship & Donor Experience

• Ensure thoughtful, timely, and personalized stewardship for all major donors
• Develop donor reports, updates, and engagement opportunities that reflect impact and build long-term relationships
• Maintain a high standard of donor experience across all interactions

Systems, Data & Reporting

• Track and analyze key metrics including revenue, donor retention, upgrade rates, and campaign performance
• Ensure strong CRM usage, segmentation, and moves management practices
• Build simple, scalable systems for managing campaigns and donor engagement

Requirements

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years of nonprofit fundraising experience, with a focus on major gifts
• Proven success managing a donor portfolio and closing five- and six-figure gifts
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills
• Experience preparing donor proposals and managing the full gift cycle
• Comfort working with SalesForce and tracking performance metrics
• Ability to work independently while collaborating across teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with executive leaders and advisors in fundraising
• Familiarity with moves management and donor lifecycle strategies
• Experience in a growth-stage or evolving organization

Success in This Role Looks Like

• Achievement of ~$1.5M–$2M in individual giving revenue (portfolio + campaigns)
• Increased donor retention and upgrade rates
• High-performing campaigns with clear ROI and growth over time
• Strong, consistent donor communications that deepen engagement
• A cohesive and scalable individual giving program
• Clear, organized tracking of donor engagement and outcomes

Compensation

$80,000-$115,000

Salary Description

80,000-115,000