Major Gifts Officer
Center for Immigrant & Refugee Advancement, Omaha, NE, United States
POSITION TITLE
Major Gifts Officer
REPORTS TO
Director of Development
HOURS
Full Time, in-person
WORKSITE
Omaha, Nebraska
COMPENSATION
$70,000 - $85,000 annually, commensurate with experience
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Unlimited paid time off (including employee birthday); 9 paid holidays with year‑end holiday break
Medical, dental, vision, life, and AD&D insurance; 403b retirement plan with an automatic 5% contribution; and FMLA
Employee Wellness Program (enriching snacks, support groups, and engaging activities)
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – life event referral program, 5 free counseling sessions, financial and legal resources, employee discount/savings program
Yearly stipends for employee development opportunities
Relocation assistance; travel and expense reimbursement
ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION
In 2022, the Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center merged, forming CIRA, the Center for Immigrant & Refugee Advancement. Our diverse team provides exceptional, compassionate legal representation, refugee services, and social work services. We take on complex immigration cases, resettle refugees worldwide, and ensure all clients have access to essential resources. Operating from Council Bluffs to Scottsbluff, our team of over 100 full‑time employees helps communities welcome immigrants and refugees as they build their lives here. We assist with all forms of family and humanitarian‑based immigration, never turning families away due to inability to pay.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
CIRA seeks a relationship‑driven, mission‑focused Major Gifts Manager to join our Development team. This role supports long‑term sustainability and growth by building and deepening relationships with donors who are passionate about our mission. The Major Gifts Manager spends most of their time in the field meeting donors and prospects to cultivate connections and secure philanthropic support. Core functions include major gifts strategy and portfolio management; donor cultivation and stewardship; collaboration and proposal development; and goal setting and reporting.
CORE FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION
Major Gifts Strategy & Portfolio Management
Build and manage a portfolio of 100‑150 prospects and donors capable of making significant gifts to CIRA
Coordinate and execute personalized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies to secure major gifts
Lead donor identification efforts, conducting prospect research to identify new prospects and deepen relationships with existing donors
Donor Cultivation & Stewardship
Conduct donor outreach via face‑to‑face meetings, mail, email, phone, and social media
Assist other staff with solicitation efforts by providing portfolio development support, strategic counsel, and donor communications help
Develop meaningful relationships with prospective and current donors through personalized outreach, events, tours, and experiences, aligning philanthropic goals with CIRA’s mission
Steward major donors with timely and thoughtful recognition, including impact reports and exclusive updates on agency programming
Develop individualized annual plans for acquisition, donor retention, major gift asks, and development programming
Collaboration & Proposal Development
Collaborate with program staff and agency leadership to understand priorities and funding needs
Ensure donor engagement strategies reflect CIRA’s vision for impact in alignment with donor interests
Coordinate with development and communications teams to create customized proposals, presentations, case‑for‑support materials, and donor‑centric events (tours, lectures, behind‑the‑scenes experiences)
Assist in developing donor communication materials to provide best‑in‑class donor care and foster a donor‑centric culture
Goal Setting & Reporting
Assist the Director of Development in establishing and achieving annual activity and revenue goals for individual giving
Ensure donor care activities follow ethical standards and best practices in fundraising and nonprofit financial management, complying with relevant laws, regulations, and codes of practice
Provide regular progress reports to the Director of Development and leadership team outlining key metrics related to donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
Maintain accurate and detailed records of donor interactions, solicitation strategies, and gift documentation in the donor database, ensuring data entry accuracy and providing analysis upon request
Other duties as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, communications, nonprofit management, or a related field; equivalent experience considered
Minimum of three to five years of fundraising experience, with a track record of successfully securing major gifts in the nonprofit sector
Experience in gift planning, fundraising, sales, and/or business development
Experience working in immigration or refugee resettlement‑related fundraising preferred
Experience with Virtuous, Blackbaud, or other donor database/CRM systems or wealth screening tools preferred
Must have a valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record
Proven success in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high‑net‑worth individuals and corporate donors
Knowledge of planned giving and estate/trust vehicles preferred
Exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills, including strong written and verbal communication and active listening
Proficiency in Office 365 applications and ability to learn new software
Ability to take initiative and problem‑solve independently when appropriate
Ability to handle confidential information with discretion
Ability to pass all required background checks
Must be authorized to work in the United States
WORKING CONDITIONS
Role is highly field‑based; majority of time outside office meeting donors and prospects
Position is not remote
Workdays Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM, occasional flexibility required
Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, to meet with donors and attend networking and community events
Travel locally and regionally as needed
INCLUSION & EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
Center for Immigrant & Refugee Advancement (CIRA) makes all employment decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We evaluate candidates exclusively on their ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. Selection criteria are applied uniformly to all candidates regardless of protected characteristics.
CIRA is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity. We do not discriminate based on an individual’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, military service, or any characteristics prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment at CIRA, including recruiting, hiring, assignments, training, promotions, compensation, employee benefits, employee discipline and discharge, and all other terms and conditions of employment.
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Major Gifts Officer
REPORTS TO
Director of Development
HOURS
Full Time, in-person
WORKSITE
Omaha, Nebraska
COMPENSATION
$70,000 - $85,000 annually, commensurate with experience
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Unlimited paid time off (including employee birthday); 9 paid holidays with year‑end holiday break
Medical, dental, vision, life, and AD&D insurance; 403b retirement plan with an automatic 5% contribution; and FMLA
Employee Wellness Program (enriching snacks, support groups, and engaging activities)
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – life event referral program, 5 free counseling sessions, financial and legal resources, employee discount/savings program
Yearly stipends for employee development opportunities
Relocation assistance; travel and expense reimbursement
ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION
In 2022, the Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center merged, forming CIRA, the Center for Immigrant & Refugee Advancement. Our diverse team provides exceptional, compassionate legal representation, refugee services, and social work services. We take on complex immigration cases, resettle refugees worldwide, and ensure all clients have access to essential resources. Operating from Council Bluffs to Scottsbluff, our team of over 100 full‑time employees helps communities welcome immigrants and refugees as they build their lives here. We assist with all forms of family and humanitarian‑based immigration, never turning families away due to inability to pay.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
CIRA seeks a relationship‑driven, mission‑focused Major Gifts Manager to join our Development team. This role supports long‑term sustainability and growth by building and deepening relationships with donors who are passionate about our mission. The Major Gifts Manager spends most of their time in the field meeting donors and prospects to cultivate connections and secure philanthropic support. Core functions include major gifts strategy and portfolio management; donor cultivation and stewardship; collaboration and proposal development; and goal setting and reporting.
CORE FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION
Major Gifts Strategy & Portfolio Management
Build and manage a portfolio of 100‑150 prospects and donors capable of making significant gifts to CIRA
Coordinate and execute personalized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies to secure major gifts
Lead donor identification efforts, conducting prospect research to identify new prospects and deepen relationships with existing donors
Donor Cultivation & Stewardship
Conduct donor outreach via face‑to‑face meetings, mail, email, phone, and social media
Assist other staff with solicitation efforts by providing portfolio development support, strategic counsel, and donor communications help
Develop meaningful relationships with prospective and current donors through personalized outreach, events, tours, and experiences, aligning philanthropic goals with CIRA’s mission
Steward major donors with timely and thoughtful recognition, including impact reports and exclusive updates on agency programming
Develop individualized annual plans for acquisition, donor retention, major gift asks, and development programming
Collaboration & Proposal Development
Collaborate with program staff and agency leadership to understand priorities and funding needs
Ensure donor engagement strategies reflect CIRA’s vision for impact in alignment with donor interests
Coordinate with development and communications teams to create customized proposals, presentations, case‑for‑support materials, and donor‑centric events (tours, lectures, behind‑the‑scenes experiences)
Assist in developing donor communication materials to provide best‑in‑class donor care and foster a donor‑centric culture
Goal Setting & Reporting
Assist the Director of Development in establishing and achieving annual activity and revenue goals for individual giving
Ensure donor care activities follow ethical standards and best practices in fundraising and nonprofit financial management, complying with relevant laws, regulations, and codes of practice
Provide regular progress reports to the Director of Development and leadership team outlining key metrics related to donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
Maintain accurate and detailed records of donor interactions, solicitation strategies, and gift documentation in the donor database, ensuring data entry accuracy and providing analysis upon request
Other duties as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, communications, nonprofit management, or a related field; equivalent experience considered
Minimum of three to five years of fundraising experience, with a track record of successfully securing major gifts in the nonprofit sector
Experience in gift planning, fundraising, sales, and/or business development
Experience working in immigration or refugee resettlement‑related fundraising preferred
Experience with Virtuous, Blackbaud, or other donor database/CRM systems or wealth screening tools preferred
Must have a valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record
Proven success in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high‑net‑worth individuals and corporate donors
Knowledge of planned giving and estate/trust vehicles preferred
Exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills, including strong written and verbal communication and active listening
Proficiency in Office 365 applications and ability to learn new software
Ability to take initiative and problem‑solve independently when appropriate
Ability to handle confidential information with discretion
Ability to pass all required background checks
Must be authorized to work in the United States
WORKING CONDITIONS
Role is highly field‑based; majority of time outside office meeting donors and prospects
Position is not remote
Workdays Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM, occasional flexibility required
Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, to meet with donors and attend networking and community events
Travel locally and regionally as needed
INCLUSION & EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
Center for Immigrant & Refugee Advancement (CIRA) makes all employment decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We evaluate candidates exclusively on their ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. Selection criteria are applied uniformly to all candidates regardless of protected characteristics.
CIRA is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity. We do not discriminate based on an individual’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, military service, or any characteristics prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment at CIRA, including recruiting, hiring, assignments, training, promotions, compensation, employee benefits, employee discipline and discharge, and all other terms and conditions of employment.
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