Senior Philanthropy Officer

Job title: Senior Philanthropy Officer

About the Role The Senior Philanthropy Officer is a key member of Lafayette College's Advancement team, responsible for cultivating, stewarding, and soliciting major gifts from alumni, donors, and other constituents to support the institution’s strategic priorities. This role collaborates across the College to identify prospects, develop tailored strategies, and advance philanthropic investments at the highest levels.

What You'll Do

• Develop and implement strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual gift prospects with capacity for significant contributions, and manage a portfolio of 150–200 prospects and donors with regular engagement.
• Conduct 12–15 meaningful engagements per month (in-person visits, virtual visits, and strategically planned phone visits) and develop strategies for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding an assigned portfolio of donors at the $50,000+ level; ensure 25% of visits are unique and at least 70% occur in person.
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit major donors and other potential supporters; build and maintain strong relationships through personalized communication, engagement opportunities, event participation, and stewardship activities.
• Develop and implement strategies to effectively steward existing donors and deepen their engagement; collaborate with Advancement staff and college leadership to ensure donors receive appropriate recognition and personalized stewardship.
• Prepare compelling proposals, case statements, and solicitation materials tailored to the interests and priorities of gift prospects; lead or support solicitation efforts, including direct asks, proposal presentations, and donor meetings to secure gifts for institutional priorities.
• Conduct prospect research in collaboration with Advancement to identify new prospects, assess capacity, interest, and affinity, and build and manage a robust pipeline with moves management.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in Advancement, academic departments, administrative units, and campus partners to identify fundraising priorities, develop case materials, and coordinate cultivation and solicitation; serve as liaison between donors, prospects, and college leadership.
• Collaborate to set personal annual fundraising goals and metrics for individual giving, aligned with the College's priorities; provide regular updates on visit planning, progress, and analysis of fundraising activities, outcomes, and trends.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, business administration, communications, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).
• Minimum of five to seven years of professional experience in fundraising, with a focus on major gifts, preferably in higher education or a related nonprofit environment.
• Demonstrated track record of success in cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts from individuals.
• Strong understanding of fundraising principles, techniques, and best practices, including donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences and inspire donors, volunteers, and colleagues.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies and plans.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
• Proficiency in prospect research, database management, and fundraising software/tools.
• Commitment to the mission and values of the College and the advancement of higher education.

Nice to Have

• Master’s degree preferred.