Major Gifts Associate

JOB SUMMARY

The Major Gifts Associate supports Burning Man Project’s philanthropic efforts by helping to build and sustain relationships with individual major donors and prospects. This position plays a dual role: managing a small portfolio of donors and prospects, while also contributing to the research, coordination, and infrastructure that support the broader major gifts program.

This is an ideal opportunity for an early-career fundraiser to grow as a frontline gift officer while developing skills in donor strategy, research, and engagement.

This is a regular, full-time, eligible for benefits role, with preference given to candidates located in proximity to one of Burning Man’s operations (San Francisco, CA, Reno, NV, or Gerlach, NV). Working hours will be based on Pacific Time.

The deadline to apply for this role is 5:00 pm Pacific on July 1st.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Major Gifts Associate will report directly to the Director of Philanthropic Engagement, and works closely with the entire Philanthropic Engagement team, primarily other gift officers.

AUTHORITY TO ACT: EMPOWERMENT

The Major Gifts Associate is empowered to make decisions on their day-to-day activities and will report directly to the Director of Philanthropic Engagement, and works closely with the entire Philanthropic Engagement team, including other gift officers.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

PERCENTAGE OF TIME SPENT

Donor Portfolio Management and Prospecting (35%)

• Develop and manage a portfolio of individual donors and prospects at the mid- to major-gift level
• Conduct the majority of initial prospecting for new donors/prospects on behalf of other MGOs to determine philanthropic capacity and to facilitate proper assigning to MGO portfolios  
• Develop and implement cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies
• Conduct donor meetings and track all interactions

Prospect Research and Portfolio Support (25%)

• Conduct research on individuals and foundations to assess philanthropic capacity and interests.
• Maintain prospect profiles and update donor intelligence in Salesforce. 
• Support the development and maintenance of major donor portfolios in collaboration with officers.

Donor Engagement Logistics and Communication (15%)

• Prepare donor briefing and meeting materials
• Support stewardship through acknowledgments, updates, and other touchpoints 
• Coordinate logistics for donor events or meetings

Data & Reporting (10%)

• Track donor activity and proposals in Salesforce CRM database. 
• Maintain accurate donor records and generate internal reports.

General Philanthropic Engagement Support (10%)

• Participate in fundraising campaigns, stewardship events, and donor communication strategies. 
• Participate in on-playa donor activities when applicable.

Other Functions and Responsibilities (5%)

• Perform other duties as assigned.

LEARNING AND TEACHING

Sample duties

• Documentation - Assists in the creation, publishing, and maintenance of process documentation related to their assigned duties.
• Knowledge sharing – Helps acculturate and educate junior staff in Burning Man culture and business processes.
• Training development - Collaborates with the education team to develop training materials in their area of expertise, as requested.
• Learning – Pursues ongoing learning in their area of expertise, working to stay current on emergent knowledge, skills, and processes.

• Learning – Pursues ongoing learning in their area of expertise, working to stay current on emergent knowledge, skills, and processes. Participates in conferences, forums, and networking events, where appropriate.
• Speaking – Represents Burning Man as a subject matter expert and culture-bearer, as requested.

QUALIFICATIONS

 Required

The ideal candidate will be a results oriented, proactive, self-directed and organized professional who possesses the following skills and attributes: 

• 3+ years of experience in fundraising. Experience cultivating or soliciting donors (individual or institutional), even in a support or junior role. 
• Comfort initiating donor conversations and articulating mission-driven fundraising needs. 
• A bachelor’s degree.
• Collaborative problem solver who brings an entrepreneurial approach to designing personal donor engagement strategies.
• Innovative, self-motivated, able to manage multiple projects well, working both independently and as a team member.
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• The ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and calmly switch gears when priorities/objectives change.

• Ability to adjust schedule seasonally to work at the Burning Man event held in Nevada 

Preferred

• Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint skills required; strong familiarity with Salesforce or customer relationship management (CRM) systems and procedures a plus.
• It is helpful if the candidate has previously been to Burning Man and/or is familiar with its culture.

Note: If you have gained the necessary experience to succeed in this role and have acquired this experience in other ways, we encourage you to apply and share all relevant experience in your application.

REQUIRED LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

• Valid driver’s license and a good driving record

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

We are certain that working for Burning Man Project is unlike any other job on the planet! In addition to the unique opportunity to participate and contribute to our global community and culture within a creative, fun, and inspiring work environment, we’re also thrilled to provide the following:

COMPENSATION:

Individual compensation decisions are dependent on a variety of factors, including prior experience and geographical location. The anticipated salary range for this position is $90,000  to $100,000  annually.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:

• Health benefits: medical, dental, vision insurance for employees and dependents.
• Long term disability and life insurance.
• 401k retirement plan with voluntary employee contribution.
• Accrued vacation and sick time: Up to 10 days vacation per 12 months on assignment.
• Additional annual paid time off in accordance with policy guidelines; 7 paid holidays annually, in addition to paid office closure during December 24th - January 1st.
• Paid parental and bonding leave.
• Communications benefits for remote employees; reimbursement of up to $120/month for home office internet and phone expenses.
• Commuter benefit program.
• Mental health support, life coaching, financial and legal consultation services through our employee assistance program.
• Professional development fund along with unique leadership and learning opportunities. 
• Equipment and tools necessary to succeed in a remote friendly workplace.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Off-playa:  Work is primarily sedentary in nature, and no special demands are required.
• On-playa:  Work could include walking or using some form of manual transportation.  Some of the work will be in outside weather conditions and will be exposed to fumes or airborne particles as well as possible extremes in temperature.

NOTICE FOR ALL APPLICANTS:

• Burning Man Project celebrates the importance of creating a diverse environment and enthusiastically encourages Black, Indigenous, Peoples of Color, LGBTQIA+, Immigrant, women, and people with disabilities, of all ages, to apply.
• Burning Man Project provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
• Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.