Major Gifts Officer
The Niskanen Center is seeking a dynamic and strategic Major Gifts Officer to lead our fundraising expansion and new-donor acquisition efforts, driving the growth of unrestricted funds that support our vision of advancing prosperity, opportunity, and human flourishing. The ideal candidate will be a visionary leader with a proven track record in fundraising for mission-driven organizations, coupled with a deep understanding of and passion for Niskanen’s unique approach to policy formation and advocacy. Candidates should be highly skilled at researching and pursuing new funding streams, and will manage the individualized stewardship plans of a portfolio of approximately 100 new donor targets.
Candidates should come to this opportunity with a career in fundraising and developing new sources of donors, including experience in strategic research, donor stewardship, major gifts campaigns, and foundation grant processes. We seek candidates with the ability to effectively communicate and market Niskanen’s mission and values, develop and cultivate a firm grasp of our initiatives, and coordinate team members’ participation in this work.
Key Responsibilities
- Donor Acquisition and Revenue Growth Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive research and outreach strategy that aligns with Niskanen’s mission to promote synergy between a free market and an effective government by identifying individuals of high net worth for cultivation and promoting a culture of donor intent within the Development team. The candidate will make effective and efficient use of all day-to-day department and organization-wide business rules and utilities required for successful and comprehensive revenue growth.
- Prospect and Donor Engagement: Articulate Niskanen’s mission, vision, and policy initiatives to potential and existing donors. Support the stewardship efforts of Niskanen’s leadership, ensuring that prospective donors are consistently engaged and informed about the impact of their contributions and receiving strategic updates from the President. Learn and leverage Niskanen’s existing relationships for prospective donors.
- Stewardship Development: Draft and execute individualized stewardship plans to convert prospects into donors. Must be able to enter and track those plans into all Development software utilities and regularly update the Executive Vice President on completed and pending stewardship steps.
- Internal Department Collaboration: Maintain real-time knowledge of all ongoing organizational initiatives, publications, events, and future growth plans. Consistently interface with leadership to maintain communications workflow between policy teams and the Development team to track and prioritize which initiatives should be communicated to the portfolio of donor prospects.
Qualifications
- Experience: A minimum of 5 years of experience in development, with a focus on fundraising for policy-oriented or mission-driven organizations via high-net-worth prospects. A strong preference for experience at a think tank.
- Skills: Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey complex political and policy ideas in an accessible and persuasive manner. Strong strategic thinking and organizational skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, Salesforce, and other database systems.
- Knowledge: In-depth understanding of the current philanthropic, political, and policy landscapes and the principles that guide Niskanen’s work, including a commitment to pragmatic, boundary-crossing political thought and practice.
- Values Alignment: A clear appreciation for Niskanen’s commitment to fostering a free-market economy, effective government, and social insurance as mutually reinforcing pillars of a flourishing society.
This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive, and responsibilities can be expected to evolve over time to meet changing organizational needs. The employee may be required to perform other related duties to meet these needs. While Niskanen’s intent is always to be clear and transparent about the expectations of this role, this job description may be reviewed and updated accordingly with or without notice.
We will review applications only after the deadline. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 30, 2026. Please include a cover letter and resume. Be prepared to potentially present additional materials during the interview process.
