Major Gifts Director

Are you passionate about building meaningful relationships to fuel a mission that makes a real impact?

Be the Bridge Between Donors and Impact

Make a lasting impact through the power of generosity. Midwest Food Bank is seeking a dedicated Major Gifts Director to build transformational donor relationships and expand support for our mission to fight hunger and share Christ's love across Illinois.

Primary Location Flexibility & Regional Collaboration

The Major Gifts Director role may be based primarily out of our Bloomington/Normal, Morton, or Peoria location, with regular travel between all three. This position will work closely with leadership across each site to build strong donor relationships and advance our mission throughout the region

PAY: $90,000 - 120,000 per year

BENEFITS:

• 401(k)
• Paid time off
• Flexible schedule
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• EAP

SUMMARY & MISSION STATEMENT:

Midwest Food Bank (MFB) is a $526M non-profit organization with 10 divisions in the U.S. and 2 operations internationally. MFB operates with $87M in assets and an annual organizational operating budget of $15M to distribute over $526M in food and disaster relief boxes to 2,400 agencies.

It is the mission of Midwest Food Bank to share the love of Christ by alleviating hunger and malnutrition and providing disaster relief. Our vision is to serve those in need excellently, providing physical and spiritual nourishment.

JOB ROLE, PURPOSE & SUMMARY:

Midwest Food Bank seeks an experienced and mission-driven Major Gifts Director to cultivate and grow donor relationships across Illinois. This role will focus on building meaningful connections with individuals, foundations, and corporate partners to increase financial support for our mission of sharing Christ's love by alleviating hunger and malnutrition and providing disaster relief.

The Major Gifts Director will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors, emphasizing major gifts and long-term donor engagement. This position requires exceptional relationship-building skills, strategic thinking, and department collaboration to ensure a seamless donor experience. The selected candidate can also help shape and refine the new role to align with Midwest Food Bank's evolving needs. This role is ideal for someone with a passion for faith-based nonprofit work, a strategic mindset, and a desire to shape the future of donor engagement at Midwest Food Bank.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Donor Engagement & Stewardship: Build and manage a portfolio of major donors, foundations, and corporate partners, creating customized engagement strategies to inspire generosity.
• Planned Giving & Legacy Gifts: Encourage and facilitate discussions on planned giving opportunities with donors.
• Prospect Research: Identify and research new potential donors to expand Midwest Food Bank's giving community.
• Event Participation & Donor Recognition: Support donor engagement events, recognition programs, and stewardship initiatives to foster a culture of gratitude.
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Work closely with Executive Directors, marketing, operations, and leadership to align messaging, donor engagement strategies, and fundraising efforts.
• Budget & Revenue Tracking: Contribute to revenue forecasting and financial tracking for fundraising initiatives.
• Role Development: Assist in shaping and refining the Major Gifts Director position to ensure its long-term impact within the organization.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Model MFB's five core values of: Serving Those in Need, Empowering Volunteers, Embracing Our Communities, Working with Integrity, and Executing Through Teamwork.
• Foster a Christ-centered culture; develop positive relationships and appreciation for volunteers, employees, partner agencies, and community and business contacts.
• Ensure compliance with all MFB policies, procedures, and rules and with all contractual obligations, regulatory standards, and relevant laws.
• Recruit, identify, train, and continue to nurture volunteers in support of job role.
• Network with peers locally and nationally and across the MFB organization.
• Execute other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience: Minimum 3 years in fundraising, donor relations, or nonprofit development, with a proven track record of securing major gifts. 5+ years of experience desired
• Relationship-Building Skills: Ability to engage, inspire, and steward donors through strong interpersonal skills.
• Collaboration: Exceptional ability to work cross-functionally with peers, leadership, and external partners.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication, including experience in crafting donor proposals, reports, and presentations.
• Leadership: Ability to lead and facilitate teams including peers and volunteers.
• Technical Proficiency: Experience with donor management software, prospect research tools, and data tracking.
• Self-Motivated & Strategic: Ability to work independently as a self-starter while contributing to a team-oriented environment.
• Faith-Based Nonprofit Experience (Preferred): Understanding of and alignment with Midwest Food Bank's Christ-centered mission.
• CFRE Certification (Preferred): Certified Fund Raising Executive credential is a plus.
• Corporate Partnerships & Matching Gifts: Experience in securing corporate sponsorships and matching gift programs is beneficial.
• Travel: Ability to travel within Illinois as needed for donor meetings and events.
• Training: Willingness to participate in training related to MFB policies, professional development, and program management.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer in an office setting; periods of standing and movement in a warehouse and truck dock setting.
• Minimal travel in-state; out-of-state travel as needed; infrequent evening and weekend obligations.
• May include exposure to noisy conditions, working conditions with dust, fumes, and weather.

Compensation details: 00 Yearly Salary

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