Major Gifts Officer

Join Our Team as a Major Gifts Officer

Heritage College & Seminary | Full-Time | Campus or Remote | Travel-Intensive Role

Department: Community Engagement

Reports To: VP Operations

About Heritage College & Seminary

Heritage College & Seminary exists to glorify God by partnering with churches in providing a biblically based educa=on equipping men and women for life and ministry in the church and in the world. Formed in 1993 from the merger of two respected institutions, Heritage has a rich history in providing academic excellence in the delivery of programs that help to shape biblical insight. The school is a place of worship that celebrates and cultivates God-given talents that make it possible for its graduates to Major in the Word of God, so they can help churches make a world of difference.

About the Role

Reporting to the VP Operations, the Major Gifts Officer plays a critical role in advancing Heritage College & Seminary’s mission by building, nurturing, and sustaining meaningful relationships with major donors and prospective supporters. This role is highly relational and outward-facing, requiring warmth, credibility, and a genuine passion for connecting people to the impact of Heritage’s work.

The Major Gifts Officer is responsible to grow revenue for Heritage from private gifts and grants. The successful candidate will do this by identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gift prospects, matching donor interests with strategic institutional priorities. To do this effectively, the incumbent must be deeply engaged with what is happening across the school - academically, spiritually, and institutionally - and able to clearly articulate Heritage’s impact, vision, and funding needs to donors.

This position requires regular travel, strong collaboration across internal teams, proven success in major gift fundraising, and comfort balancing relationship-focused work with administrative and CRM responsibilities.

All duties are carried out in alignment with Heritage’s Mission, Vision, Values, and policies, and within a collaborative, team-oriented environment.

Key Responsibilities

Major Gift Fundraising & Relationship Management

• Manage a portfolio of major gift donors and prospects, with responsibility for cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal.
• Build authentic, trust-based relationships with existing donors through meaningful engagement, regular communication, and in-person meetings. Regularly communicate how their gifts make an impactful difference.
• Discover new donors and effectively introduce them to Heritage, its mission and mandate. Communicate the importance of support for the training and equipping of the next generation of leaders for the church.
• Develop tailored solicitation strategies that align donor passions with Heritage’s strategic priorities, programs, and projects.
• Conduct face-to-face and virtual solicitations and consistently demonstrate a proven ability to secure major gifts.
• Travel regularly to meet with donors and prospects, primarily within Ontario.

Institutional Knowledge & Donor Alignment

• Maintain a strong working knowledge of Heritage’s programs, faculty initiatives, student needs, and strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to identify funding opportunities and translate institutional needs into compelling donor opportunities.
• Effectively communicate Heritage’s impact through stories, outcomes, and data that resonate with donors. Can articulate ‘why’ Heritage matters to students, parents and church leaders.

Strategy, Collaboration & Communication

• Facilitate building resilient relationships between key donors and Heritage President and faculty.
• Work closely with the Community Engagement Manager to align major gift strategies with broader fundraising and engagement goals.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to ensure consistent, donorappropriate messaging and high-quality materials.
• Contribute to the development of proposals, reports, stewardship communications, and donor-facing materials.
• Support integrated fundraising efforts alongside annual giving, campaigns, events, and appeals as needed.

Administration, Reporting & Systems

• Maintain accurate and timely donor records, contact reports, and pipeline activity in Bloomerang (or comparable CRM).
• Track donor interactions, moves management activity, and fundraising outcomes to support forecasting and reporting.
• Assist with donor acknowledgements, follow-ups, meeting coordination, and other stewardship-related administrative tasks.
• Ensure high ethical standards, discretion, and confidentiality in handling donor information.

Qualifications & Experience

Education & Professional Background

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in fund development, with demonstrated success in major gift solicitation.
• Proven track record of securing significant individual gifts.
• Experience using Bloomerang or another donor CRM is required.
• Membership or affiliation with the Association of Fundraising Professionals is an asset but not required.

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills, marked by warmth, authenticity, and professionalism.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including proposal and donor correspondence writing.
• Ability to engage confidently with donors, senior leaders, faculty, and external stakeholders.
• Highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and follow through on details.
• Comfortable balancing relational work with administrative and data management responsibilities.
• Collaborative team player who works well across departments, particularly with marketing and communications.
• Self-motivated, adaptable, and comfortable working independently while remaining closely aligned with team goals.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and ethical standards.

Other Requirements

• Willingness and ability to travel regularly to meet with donors.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• A genuine passion for Heritage’s mission and commitment to its values.

Commitment to Mission, Vision, and Values

• Actively support and advance Heritage’s mission and vision in all aspects of work.
• Conduct oneself in accordance with Heritage’s code of conduct and ethical standards.
• Promote a positive, encouraging, and collaborative work culture.

To Apply

Please submit the following to HR@heritagecs.edu:

• A cover letter outlining your interest in the role, qualifications and alignment with Heritage’s mission
• Your current résumé/CV
• Contact information for three references

Please include Major Gifts Officer in the subject line.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

*The salary range for this position is $65,000-$75,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications.