Senior Major Gifts Officer

GBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate, inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.

At GBH, we believe in the advantages of coming together to build community, mentor and learn from colleagues, and connect more deeply with our mission. As a result, the majority of our staff are hybrid and work both from home and onsite. Our current hybrid approach requires staff to work onsite a minimum of two days each week, every Tuesday and Wednesday, Hybrid staff are also welcome to come in additional days each week or may be asked to come in on other days by their manager.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

GBH is a vibrant public media powerhouse that enriches people’s lives through programs and services that educate, inspire, and entertain–fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.

GBH is more than a station or a channel—it is a leader in independent public media, telling the stories that matter to our audiences and producing programs that can change the world.

For the past 75 years we have grown to become the largest producer of content for PBS, making award winning series such as FRONTLINE, NOVA, MASTERPIECE, American Experience, and ANTIQUES ROADSHOW. PBS is the most trusted source of media in the United States carrying the local, national and international news that audiences rely on. 

The Development Division is responsible for raising funds from individuals and institutions. It plays a vital role in helping to finance broadcast, video, digital, and audio programs, including celebrated dramas, investigative journalism, documentaries, children’s media, podcasts, and other local and national programming in the public media system.

JOB OVERVIEW

GBH seeks an experienced major gifts officer to join the development team. Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, Major Gifts, the Senior Major Gifts Officer (SMGO) will work in a fast-paced, highly complex development environment and will manage a portfolio of approximately 150 local and national donors and prospects who have the potential for making five -, six-, and seven-figure gifts to support GBH’s institutional priorities. These priorities include thematic funds (climate and environment, arts and culture, kids and education, etc.), as well as support for the national production program trusts.

This is a transformative period for GBH, as it navigates profound changes in its business model, driven by the changing media landscape and evolving sources of revenue. GBH celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2026, and to mark the milestone has launched a comprehensive campaign that will position us solidly for the next chapter of our storied history as a local and national leader in public media. The SMGO will play a key role in this effort, ensuring the active identification of new prospects, and the effective movement of current prospects and donors through the moves management process.

RESPONSIBILITIES  

• Manage the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individuals and family foundations who can make gifts of $25,000 and higher, with a focus on those with the potential to make gifts of $100,000 or more.
• Develop and implement a cultivation and solicitation strategy for each assigned current and prospective major donor.
• Cultivate and solicit donors through high-touch personal communications and exceptional customer service.
• Become a content expert for one or more of GBH’s productions, and function as the lead fundraiser of the associated funds, staying abreast of existing, new, and developing funding opportunities. 
• Collaborate with the executive producers, Chief Development Officer, CEO, and other development and program staff on designing and implementing fundraising strategy for associated content areas.
• Establish and meet dollar and visit goals for each major donor and for the major gifts program, while also growing donors’ annual fund giving in collaboration with membership and patron society teams.
• Prepare solicitation strategies, meeting briefings, written proposals, letters of gratitude, and impact reports for use during donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
• Record and track all activity using GBH’s CRM.
• Attend development department, unit, and foundation-wide meetings to establish a deep understanding of organizational programs, priorities, and goals to accurately present them to donors.
• Work with events team, production team, unit leadership, and volunteer hosts to envision, plan, and execute donor stewardship and cultivation events.
• Collaborate with other team members to foster a positive, productive, and inclusive culture, and contribute toward the overall growth of GBH.

SKILL SET

• Must possess exceptional skills of written and oral expression and be able to adapt their writing style for all manner of communications including email, formal letters, informal notes, extensive funding proposals, briefings, donor meetings and presentations. This also includes the ability to write on behalf of others.
• Ability to multitask with extreme proficiency, respond nimbly to evolving priorities, and work both independently and as part of a team to achieve goals are all essential, as is a sense of humor and flexibility.
• The successful SMGO will be a relational leader with a high degree of emotional intelligence and the ability to strategically and thoughtfully guide relationships—both internal and external—with nuance and maturity.
• Commitment to the values and ideals of GBH and its public media mission is imperative.
•  High degree of energy, creativity and initiative is also paramount.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience required.
• 7-10 years of development experience with progressively increasing responsibility, with at least 5 of those years demonstrating effectiveness and success in a major gift officer role.
• Proven track record of soliciting and closing six-, and seven-figure gifts.

JOB SPECIFICS

Staff position

Hybrid position

LOCATION

1 Guest Street, Boston, MA 02135

This position is located in Boston, MA, and requires on-site presence.