Major Gifts Officer

The Major Gifts Officer is responsible for assisting the Director of Development with planning and leading Yaqeen Institute’s Major Gifts Program. This includes managing an individual portfolio of current and prospective donors through identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

• Models Islamic character and professionally represents the Yaqeen brand.
• Supports implementation of the annual development plan and goals.
• Develops a robust plan to actively manage a portfolio of prospects, including self-directed research, a multi-faceted communication strategy with an emphasis on personal interactions with prospects and donors, gift solicitations, and stewardship in line with the Development Department’s stewardship matrix.
• Works with staff and volunteers to identify and cultivate new major donors.
• Makes direct and face‐to‐face solicitations, in person when safe to do so.
• Effectively stewards the organization’s relationships with a portfolio of individual major gifts donors through daily interactions, including written correspondence, phone calls, video chats, and in-person visits and events when safe to do so.
• Maintains accurate records of donor outreach through timely upkeep of donor database, including new record creation, contact reports, contact information updates, donation processing, organizing queries, and other similar types of relevant information.
• Contributes to strategies for increasing retention of current major gifts donors.
• Maximizes efficiency and accuracy of Major Gifts Program by regular review of database reports and file pulls.
• Develops strategies for increasing retention of current donors.
• Initiates opportunities for Yaqeen staff, board, volunteers, and/or partners to interact with prospects/donors when appropriate.
• Makes presentations and presents proposals to prospects/donors for funding.
• Assists in preparation of donor communications.
• Supports and leads the planning and execution of donor-facing webinars and events when safe to do so.

• Minimum of a BA, BS, or equivalent; fundraising certificates or degrees are preferred.
• Two to three years related work experience with the Muslim community in the field of development is required; five to ten years experience is preferred.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Ability to travel outside of Toronto, including overnight stays, for meetings and/or events when safe to do so.
• Working evenings and weekends as needed.
• A demonstrated track record of creating meaningful points of engagement for donors.
• Strong writing and public speaking.
• Ability to organize and prioritize time and accurately complete multiple varied tasks.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of donor information and other sensitive information.
• Excellent customer service background and demonstrated organizational and communications skills.
• Manages for Results - Strong project management skills necessary to manage and coordinate multiple relationships and projects at one time.
• Leverages Functional Expertise - Ability to proactively and independently manage all aspects of fundraising activities.
• Communicates Effectively - Ability to communicate with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders through both written and verbal communication.
• Collaborates Internally and Externally - Ability to collaborate across a variety of internal departments as well as partner and engage with a wide range of external stakeholders.
• Translates Strategy to Operational Goals - Ability to understand Yaqeen’s overall strategy and then work to implement the strategies.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite. Experience with or interest in learning HubSpot, Salesforce, and other development software.
• Superior verbal/written communication skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with all levels of staff, volunteers, donors, and prospective donors.
• Ability to manage up and across different staff levels to bring projects to completion.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to details.