Major Gifts Officer

“Be attentive to the voice of grace.” -Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims each year who visit the historic home and grounds where the first native-born American Saint worked, prayed, and lived.

The Seton Shrine has just celebrated the 200th anniversary of Mother Seton’s death, and completed a successful $10 million Capital Campaign, A New Century of Charity.  We seek to build on this momentum by hiring a Major Gift Officer who will work closely with leadership and key stakeholders to grow our major gift program.

THE ROLE OF THE MAJOR GIFT OFFICER

Whether you are a rising professional or seasoned fundraiser, this position presents an extraordinary opportunity to help deepen and expand the mission of the Shrine. The MGO must be a highly energetic professional with a track record of building donor relationships and closing five and six-figure gifts.

The position will work closely with the existing major gifts team, and will have a portfolio built on existing donors and proven qualification methods. The MGO reports directly to the Executive Director, and can be based out of Shrine or work remotely, preferably located within the mid-Atlantic area for ease of travel to the Shrine, as necessary.

Primary responsibilities include:

1. Donor Cultivation & Solicitation: The MGO will be responsible for meeting with donors and soliciting gifts, sometimes alone, but occasionally with other Shrine staff or board members. This will include meetings centered around tours at the Shrine, as well as traveling to meet donors, primarily in the nearby region.

2. Major Gifts Strategy: With the Seton Shrine’s 200th capital campaign complete, the MGO will work closely with the Shrine’s leadership and development team to steward relationships with established donors and stakeholders, as well as qualify major donor prospects from the Shrine’s database of 50,000 low and mid-dollar donors. They will also cultivate and solicit prospects from within the greater network of the Sisters of Charity and the Seton Shrine National Leaders Council.

3. Relationship Management: The MGO will maintain and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders both within the organization and beyond. This includes members of the Shrine’s Board of Directors, the Sisters of Charity Federation of North America, local and national clergy members, and more.

Other responsibilities:

• Create and execute fundraising and stewardship strategies for a portfolio of 100-150 individual donors for annual gifts of $10,000-150,000, as well as multi-year commitments.
• Participate in the development of long- and short-term plans to meet assigned revenue goals for general operating, special project and campaign funding priorities.
• Oversee the tracking of moves management for major gift donors and prospects within the MGO’s portfolio, with the goal of increased and new giving.
• Work with designated board members to develop personalized solicitation and stewardship touch points.
• Assist in the development of research strategies and targeted areas for research, especially donor interests, working closely with the Executive Director, and members of the Major Gift, Annual Giving, and programming staff.

Qualifications:

The successful MGO will have three to six years’ experience soliciting five and six-figure gifts. He or she will be industrious, motivated, an excellent communicator, highly organized, and possess the following qualities:

• Have strong alignment with the Seton Shrine’s mission and vision of educating and inspiring future generations with Mother Seton’s story.
• Highly effective in forming trusting relationships with donors, strategic partnerships, and colleagues.
• Demonstrate an ability to identify needs and act on donor needs and interests.
• Ability clear and compelling content in many forms—written, verbal, visual—to several different audiences.
• Possess superior organizational, project-management, and time-management skills to ensure the successful execution of competing deadlines.
• Willingness to travel up to 40% of the time.

APPLICATION

• Cover letter that outlines:
  • your interest in the position
  • how your values align with the mission
  • a highlight of your professional and/or personal achievements that have particular relevance to your ability to perform the role’s duties with excellence
• Resume
• Three professional references (optional)

SHRINE SNAPSHOT

Mission

To promote the life and legacy of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton as a source of inspiration and encouragement for all people. 

2022 Core Initiatives: A New Century of Charity

• Develop Brand-New Museum and Visitor Center
• Expand Onsite Retreats and Devotional Services
• Enhance Production and Distribution of New Digital and Multimedia Programs
• Expand the Shrine’s National Leadership Council and launch sponsorships of our programs 

Founded

1965

Location

Emmitsburg, MD

Type

501(c)(3) public charity

Governance

Board of Directors appointed by the Daughters of Charity Province of St. Louise and Sisters of Charity Federation of North America

Number of Employees

37

Annual Operating Budget

$4.3 Million

AMERICA’S CATHOLIC HERITAGE

“When so rich a harvest is before us, why do we not gather it? All is in our hands if we will but use it.”

Over 200 years Mother Seton has created a place for people to serve others. God’s special vocation for Elizabeth led to her bold and inspired work, making this historic site a privileged and sacred place in America.

Seton Shrine memorializes her legacy—and the legacy of American Catholics. It was here that she founded the country’s first community of religious women and established the country’s first free Catholic school for girls staffed by sisters. Two centuries later, her witness has born several religious communities with thousands of sisters, who serve others in schools, social service centers, and hospitals throughout the entire world. Mother Seton was canonized in 1975, and her remains are entombed at the National Shrine that bears her name.