Major Gift Officer

January 2025 | Boston, MA

The Salvation Army seeks an experienced Major Gift Officer to join a collaborative and creative team to work together to achieve fundraising goals through increased philanthropic support.

About The Salvation Army

For more than 150 years, The Salvation Army (TSA) has stood firm as a faith-based organization in its commitment to those who are facing a variety of difficulties and challenges in their lives. Wherever there is a need, you’ll find TSA. With a team of over 1.5 million members, TSA serves over 30 million Americans in the United States annually, and over 130 countries around the world.

The work undertaken by the Massachusetts Division is local and based on the critical needs of each region served – communities and neighborhoods that TSA of MA has come to know well. The Massachusetts division programs include helping disaster survivors, empowering youth through summer camps and programs, partnering with adults and families, alleviating hunger, combatting addiction, brightening the holidays, and supporting veterans and LGBTQ+ community members. Just a few of their impactful programs are outlined below:

• Supporting Disaster Survivors: Many first-responders say that TSA is the first to have boots on the ground and the last to leave when disaster strikes. The disaster services teams also respond year-round to local emergencies – like house fires – serving survivors and first responders.
• Empowering Youth: The Salvation Army ensures kids are equipped with the tools they need to succeed, which starts by meeting their basic needs. TSA takes a holistic approach by providing character-building programs, summer camp opportunities, sports activities, music education, The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Centers, after-school tutoring, mentorship and more.
• Alleviating Hunger: TSA’s approach to feeding the hungry is formed based on the local needs of each community served. Those in need can get nutritious meals from their nearest TSA center, or access food pantries at no cost. TSA feeds thousands daily, including underserved children in after school programs, the elderly, forgotten friends at homeless shelters, and more.
• Combatting Addiction: TSA has been helping those battling substance abuse since its founding over 150 years ago. Today, they continue to help people recover through holistic programs at Adult Rehabilitation Centers, which include emotional, spiritual and social services components that focus on the root causes of the struggle. 
• Brightening the Holidays: The holidays bring added financial and emotional stress to families and individuals living in poverty. From gifts for children in need to special meals for those who would otherwise go without fellowship on the holidays and meeting other basic needs – TSA aims to bring joy back into the season.

TSA is proud to serve every zip code in the state of Massachusetts, and to serve anyone in need. People who come for support are served according to their need and TSA’s capacity to help – regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

COVID-19 Support

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had extraordinary effects on communities throughout the world. TSA MA continues to open its doors to children and families in need throughout every zip code in Massachusetts without discrimination, even beyond the critical periods of COVID-19. While normally serving 3.5M meals per year, TSA MA served over 25 million meals in the first 10 months of the pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2019 until now, TSA MA has served over 45M meals to people in need. TSA continues to serve communities affected by the long-term health, economic, and social effects of the pandemic.

About Philanthropy at The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army MA raises between $16 – $19 million each year, of which about $3-4 million comes from major gifts. This division of TSA MA achieved a fundraising goal of $3.5 million in 2024. The Major Gift Officer portfolio will generate at least $1 million annually.

About the Position

The Major Gift Officer (MGO) will be a results-oriented seasoned professional that is responsible for advancing relationships with individuals who have the capacity to make a significant philanthropic investment in TSA. This position will bear responsibility for managing a portfolio of high-end major donors and prospects throughout Massachusetts. The MGO will maintain the portfolio’s annual fund giving while cultivating, soliciting, stewarding, and upgrading prospects and donors to major and special giving levels.

Reporting to the Divisional Director of Advancement (DDA), Carlisa Brown, the MGO will strategize and prospect for new donors in cooperation with the DDA and other fundraisers to maintain a robust portfolio. A member of a 13-person development team, the MGO will collaborate with other departments (Social Services, Emergency Disaster Services, Programs, and other staff) in order to serve the needs of the Division and Corps fundraising priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 100-150+ major gift donors.
• Build, assess and update portfolio with approval from DDA.
• Create and implement moves management system to identify, educate, cultivate, and solicit major gifts for the portfolio of donors.
• Establish and meet annual revenue goals for each major donor and for the major gifts program, including maintaining donors’ annual fund giving while growing capacity from five-figure to six-figure and seven-figure levels or more.
• Meet monthly contact goals, set annually by DDA for: substantive in person visits; written/in person solicitations/proposals; substantive calls/emails; personalized letters; days in the field; referrals to gift planning and corporate and foundation relations.
• Submit accurate and timely contact reports into donor management system.
• Complete personalized gift acknowledgement and stewardship communication with portfolio.
• Work in conjunction with other members of the Advancement team, ensuring collaboration between direct mail, foundation, corporate, and gift planning efforts relative to their portfolio.
• Collaborate with DDA and Corps Officers to identify and be knowledgeable about fundraising priorities in order to continually increase major gifts revenue and program growth.
• Collaborate with Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations and the Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations to produce major gift proposals.
• Cooperate with other MGOs to supervise, guide, and set goals for the administrative assistant.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by supervisor.

Key Qualifications

• A highly motivated fundraiser with proven track record in building and maintaining positive relationships with many diverse individuals.
• A proven record of success in closing six-figured level gifts and higher.
• Excellent oral, written, and corporate-level presentation skills with ability to speak persuasively and articulate The Salvation Army’s mission and purpose.
• A high level of comfort with direct donor interaction, including discussions of personal and family finances and ability to ask for outright charitable gifts.
• Superior ability to collaborate cross-functionally and cooperatively with various departments.
• Strategic thinker who is flexible and able to change direction quickly.
• Demonstrated ability to set and achieve goals as well as meet deadlines.
• Ability to initiate and design gift solutions that matches organizational priorities with donor priorities.
• Comfortability with working independently in a complex environment.
• Willingness to travel regularly throughout Massachusetts.
• A proficiency in Word, Outlook, and Excel, as well as experience with donor tracking and/or database software is preferred
• Flexible Work from Home options are available.

Compensation: The salary range for this role starts at $90,000, commensurate with experience.

The Salvation Army does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you are interested in being considered for this search, please use the form below to submit your cover letter and resume in confidence.

Tracy Marshall

Executive Director, Search Practice

Development Guild