Wallin Education Partners | Saint Paul, MN
Salary Range: $80,000 - $85,000
Status: Full-time/Hybrid Work environment
Reports to: Chief Advancement Officer
Wallin Education Partners Mission and Vision:
The mission of Wallin Education Partners is to ensure college and career success for high-potential students from low-income backgrounds, and through our efforts help build diverse, equitable and vibrant communities. We do this through a comprehensive model of financial aid and holistic support, and collaboration with our business, education, community, and philanthropic partners. Wallin Education Partners’ vision is to create a diverse, ever-expanding community of scholars and educated citizens with the skills, leadership, and dedication needed to build a stronger tomorrow. Wallin is engaged in a review of its programs and the development of a strategic plan to organize and expand its impact and reach.
Organization:
Wallin Education Partners is a proven college completion program that includes financial aid and comprehensive support for students from low-income backgrounds. With a 90%+ six-year graduation rate compared to 64% nationally, Wallin Education Partners is one of the most effective college completion programs in the country. Wallin’s model of financial aid and comprehensive individual advising accelerates economic mobility and fundamentally increases the odds of graduation and employment for underrepresented students. Since 1992, Wallin Education Partners has helped increase access to college and degree completion for lower income students by partnering with high schools, donors, community organizations, and civic leaders to support more than 5,000 students on their college journeys.
The Position:
The Major Gift Officer will play a pivotal role in establishing and nurturing valuable relationships with our community of donors with an emphasis on soliciting major gifts in support of the mission and strategic goals. The Major Gift Officer will manage a portfolio of current and prospective donors to increase their involvement and support of Wallin’s mission through research, cultivation and solicitation to grow and strengthen the program.
Primary Roles & Responsibilities
Donor Relations (85%)
- In collaboration with the Director of Development and Associate Director of Development, develop and implement annual giving strategies for Wallin.
- Manage a portfolio of major donors and prospects to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward supporters.
- Identify donors’ passions and interests, build relationships, and leverage those relationships into meaningful support opportunities that utilize a variety of gift vehicles including multi-year gifts and planned giving.
- Increase the number and quality of donor prospects through individual visits, research, donor database management, and networking.
- Conduct research to identify and qualify new major gift donors.
- Create and present compelling proposals to prospects and donors demonstrating the impact of their gifts on scholars and the community.
Administration (15%)
- Maintain detailed records of all donor contact, history, and activities.
- Ensure the accuracy and integrity of information collected.
- Assists with events throughout the year as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree
- Minimum of five years’ professional experience in individual giving, with demonstrated ability to promote and successfully solicit and steward major gifts or relevant experience with high achievement in sales/marketing, including face-to-face client work or high-level customer relations.
- Excellent writing, editing, research and verbal communication skills.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively interact with a variety of stakeholders, including leadership, program team, prospects, donors, and/or volunteers.
Preferred Qualifications & Experience
- Demonstrated ability to build genuine, authentic and trusting relationships to securing major gifts from individuals and family foundations.
- A strong commitment to increasing equity in higher education.
- Knowledge of or ability to quickly learn planned giving tools.
- Knowledge of donor development trends and practices.
- Familiarity with donor data management tools.
Beyond the basic qualifications, candidates must demonstrate a commitment to Wallin Education Partners’ mission and values—and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through learning, training, and dialog on an ongoing basis.
Compensation: $80,000-$85,000 annually
Wallin Education Partners offers employees a generous benefit package including group health insurance, dental insurance, long- and short-term disability insurance, and a 401K plan. Wallin employees are working in a hybrid capacity. Wallin policy requires staff to be fully vaccinated, subject to reasonable accommodation.
Additional Info: For further information on Wallin Education Partners, please visit www.wallinpartners.org.
To Apply
Email a cover letter and resume to: Caitlin Cardinal, Operations Manager, at hr@wallinpartners.org
Wallin Education Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. Wallin Education Partners provides equal opportunity to all applicants for employment in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and will not refuse to hire any qualified individual, or otherwise discriminate against any individual by reason of an individual’s race (including hair texture and hairstyles), color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, childbirth, (or related medical conditions, including, but not limited to lactation), physical disability, mental and/or intellectual disability, age, military status or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including, but not limited to, cancer related or HIV/AIDS related), genetic information, or sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law.