New England College of Optometry
Description
The New England College of Optometry (NECO), a nationally recognized leader in optometric education, patient care, and research, seeks a collaborative, strategic, and relationship-driven Major Gift Officer to join its growing Development & Alumni Relations team during an exciting period of institutional momentum. With an engaged alumni base and expansive clinical footprint, NECO is preparing for its next era of philanthropic growth, including increased scholarship support, clinical expansion, research investment, and a forthcoming comprehensive capital campaign.
The Major Gift Officer (MGO) will play a critical role in strengthening NECO’s philanthropic ecosystem by managing a robust portfolio of alumni, parents, friends, corporate partners, and community stakeholders. Reporting to the Director of Development & Alumni Relations, the MGO will drive donor strategy, meaningfully engage constituents, and directly contribute to building a sustainable and pipeline-focused advancement program for the College.
Key Responsibilities Portfolio Management & Fundraising
Manage a portfolio of 125–175 major and leadership annual gift prospects across alumni, grateful patients, friends, industry partners, and the broader eye care community.
Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors with the goal of securing five- and six-figure gifts, with potential for occasional seven-figure solicitations.
Conduct 10–12 meaningful donor visits per month, both in person and via Zoom, with a focus on deepening engagement and moving prospects through the donor cycle.
Develop individualized donor strategies grounded in donor motivations, NECO’s strategic priorities, and long-term cultivation plans.
Create and execute annual portfolio plans, forecasting activity and revenue projections, and providing regular progress updates to the Director.
Conduct proactive discovery work to identify new major gift prospects, strengthen the leadership annual giving pipeline, and support portfolio expansion.
Campaign & Strategic Initiatives
Support all aspects of NECO’s comprehensive campaign planning and implementation, including case development, prospect strategy, campaign volunteer engagement, and pipeline analysis.
Collaborate with the Director and institutional leaders to align annual, major, and planned giving strategies to ensure coherent donor journeys across multiple stages of engagement.
Provide insights on emerging major gift opportunities tied to NECO’s strategic plan, clinical partnerships, research initiatives, and capital projects.
Volunteer & Board Engagement
Partner with the Board of Trustees, Alumni Board, and campaign volunteers to support cultivation, solicitation, recognition, and engagement strategies.
Prepare materials, briefings, and follow-up reports for volunteers participating in donor outreach.
Serve as a staff partner for select committees and task forces, offering strategic guidance and operational support.
Stewardship & Donor Experience
Work with colleagues across Development & Alumni Relations to deliver personalized stewardship, including impact reporting, donor recognition, endowment updates, and student engagement opportunities.
Partner with faculty, clinicians, and students to connect donors with the outcomes of their philanthropy, highlighting the transformative impact of NECO’s mission.
Institutional Partnership & Representation
Represent NECO at internal and external events, regional gatherings, donor meetings, and relevant conferences within the eye care, health professions, or higher education sectors.
Collaborate with faculty, clinical site directors, admissions, student affairs, and research teams to understand institutional priorities and identify new philanthropic opportunities.
Serve as an ambassador for the College, articulating NECO’s mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities with clarity and passion.
Operational Excellence & Advancement Infrastructure
Maintain complete and timely documentation of donor interactions, strategies, and research in NECO’s CRM.
Utilize data, analytics, and research tools to guide strategy development, prioritize prospects, and drive portfolio performance.
Contribute to the growth of a high-functioning advancement program by supporting process improvement, prospect management discipline, and a culture of collaboration.
Key Qualifications, Skills & Competencies
5+ years of progressive fundraising experience, with at least 2-3 years of frontline major gift work and demonstrable success securing five- and six-figure gifts.
Experience working with high-net-worth individuals, board members, senior leadership, and volunteer leaders.
Familiarity with fundraising in higher education, healthcare, or related mission-driven nonprofits is strongly preferred.
Knowledge of major giving strategies, moves management, donor psychology, and pipeline development; experience with planned giving is highly desirable.
Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, and communication skills, with the ability to translate NECO’s mission and strategic priorities into compelling philanthropic cases.
Entrepreneurial, disciplined, and self-directed professional with strong organizational skills and flexibility within a small, collaborative team environment.
Proficiency with fundraising databases (Little Green Light preferred), Microsoft Office Suite, and donor research tools.
Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends and travel regionally as needed.
Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred.
NECO is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, disability, age, or veteran status.
New England College of Optometry offers a robust benefits program including:
3 plan options for BCBS medical coverage (employer subsidized at 75% or greater)
Mental Health and Wellness benefits
BCBS Dental
Discounted vision services
13 paid holidays and generous paid time off for sick, vacation, and personal days
Employer-paid life insurance, and short-term and long-term disability,
Voluntary Insurance: life, critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident,
Voluntary Benefits: employee discounts and pet insurance,
9% employer contribution to a 403(b) retirement plan after 1 year of service with no vesting schedule or match requirement
Qualified Public Service Loan Forgiveness Employer.
About NECO New England College of Optometry (NECO), founded in 1894 and located in the heart of Boston’s medical and higher education community, is a national leader in optometric education, patient care, and vision research. As the oldest continually operating optometry school in the country, NECO prepares the next generation of optometrists through a rigorous, clinically immersive curriculum and a deep commitment to community-based care. NECO students complete more than 200,000 patient encounters annually across an expansive network of more than 60 clinical training sites, including hospitals, community health centers, VA clinics, and private practices.
NECO’s faculty and researchers advance the field through innovative scholarship in areas such as myopia control, ocular disease, low vision rehabilitation, and technologies that enhance patient outcomes. The College’s clinical system, the NECO Center for Eye Care, provides comprehensive eye and vision services to diverse patient populations across Greater Boston, reinforcing NECO’s mission to improve health equity and strengthen community vision health.
With a strong alumni community, influential clinical partnerships, and forward-thinking leadership, NECO continues to shape the future of optometry by integrating education, research, and patient care in service of the public good.
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The New England College of Optometry (NECO), a nationally recognized leader in optometric education, patient care, and research, seeks a collaborative, strategic, and relationship-driven Major Gift Officer to join its growing Development & Alumni Relations team during an exciting period of institutional momentum. With an engaged alumni base and expansive clinical footprint, NECO is preparing for its next era of philanthropic growth, including increased scholarship support, clinical expansion, research investment, and a forthcoming comprehensive capital campaign.
The Major Gift Officer (MGO) will play a critical role in strengthening NECO’s philanthropic ecosystem by managing a robust portfolio of alumni, parents, friends, corporate partners, and community stakeholders. Reporting to the Director of Development & Alumni Relations, the MGO will drive donor strategy, meaningfully engage constituents, and directly contribute to building a sustainable and pipeline-focused advancement program for the College.
Key Responsibilities Portfolio Management & Fundraising
Manage a portfolio of 125–175 major and leadership annual gift prospects across alumni, grateful patients, friends, industry partners, and the broader eye care community.
Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors with the goal of securing five- and six-figure gifts, with potential for occasional seven-figure solicitations.
Conduct 10–12 meaningful donor visits per month, both in person and via Zoom, with a focus on deepening engagement and moving prospects through the donor cycle.
Develop individualized donor strategies grounded in donor motivations, NECO’s strategic priorities, and long-term cultivation plans.
Create and execute annual portfolio plans, forecasting activity and revenue projections, and providing regular progress updates to the Director.
Conduct proactive discovery work to identify new major gift prospects, strengthen the leadership annual giving pipeline, and support portfolio expansion.
Campaign & Strategic Initiatives
Support all aspects of NECO’s comprehensive campaign planning and implementation, including case development, prospect strategy, campaign volunteer engagement, and pipeline analysis.
Collaborate with the Director and institutional leaders to align annual, major, and planned giving strategies to ensure coherent donor journeys across multiple stages of engagement.
Provide insights on emerging major gift opportunities tied to NECO’s strategic plan, clinical partnerships, research initiatives, and capital projects.
Volunteer & Board Engagement
Partner with the Board of Trustees, Alumni Board, and campaign volunteers to support cultivation, solicitation, recognition, and engagement strategies.
Prepare materials, briefings, and follow-up reports for volunteers participating in donor outreach.
Serve as a staff partner for select committees and task forces, offering strategic guidance and operational support.
Stewardship & Donor Experience
Work with colleagues across Development & Alumni Relations to deliver personalized stewardship, including impact reporting, donor recognition, endowment updates, and student engagement opportunities.
Partner with faculty, clinicians, and students to connect donors with the outcomes of their philanthropy, highlighting the transformative impact of NECO’s mission.
Institutional Partnership & Representation
Represent NECO at internal and external events, regional gatherings, donor meetings, and relevant conferences within the eye care, health professions, or higher education sectors.
Collaborate with faculty, clinical site directors, admissions, student affairs, and research teams to understand institutional priorities and identify new philanthropic opportunities.
Serve as an ambassador for the College, articulating NECO’s mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities with clarity and passion.
Operational Excellence & Advancement Infrastructure
Maintain complete and timely documentation of donor interactions, strategies, and research in NECO’s CRM.
Utilize data, analytics, and research tools to guide strategy development, prioritize prospects, and drive portfolio performance.
Contribute to the growth of a high-functioning advancement program by supporting process improvement, prospect management discipline, and a culture of collaboration.
Key Qualifications, Skills & Competencies
5+ years of progressive fundraising experience, with at least 2-3 years of frontline major gift work and demonstrable success securing five- and six-figure gifts.
Experience working with high-net-worth individuals, board members, senior leadership, and volunteer leaders.
Familiarity with fundraising in higher education, healthcare, or related mission-driven nonprofits is strongly preferred.
Knowledge of major giving strategies, moves management, donor psychology, and pipeline development; experience with planned giving is highly desirable.
Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, and communication skills, with the ability to translate NECO’s mission and strategic priorities into compelling philanthropic cases.
Entrepreneurial, disciplined, and self-directed professional with strong organizational skills and flexibility within a small, collaborative team environment.
Proficiency with fundraising databases (Little Green Light preferred), Microsoft Office Suite, and donor research tools.
Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends and travel regionally as needed.
Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred.
NECO is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, disability, age, or veteran status.
New England College of Optometry offers a robust benefits program including:
3 plan options for BCBS medical coverage (employer subsidized at 75% or greater)
Mental Health and Wellness benefits
BCBS Dental
Discounted vision services
13 paid holidays and generous paid time off for sick, vacation, and personal days
Employer-paid life insurance, and short-term and long-term disability,
Voluntary Insurance: life, critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident,
Voluntary Benefits: employee discounts and pet insurance,
9% employer contribution to a 403(b) retirement plan after 1 year of service with no vesting schedule or match requirement
Qualified Public Service Loan Forgiveness Employer.
About NECO New England College of Optometry (NECO), founded in 1894 and located in the heart of Boston’s medical and higher education community, is a national leader in optometric education, patient care, and vision research. As the oldest continually operating optometry school in the country, NECO prepares the next generation of optometrists through a rigorous, clinically immersive curriculum and a deep commitment to community-based care. NECO students complete more than 200,000 patient encounters annually across an expansive network of more than 60 clinical training sites, including hospitals, community health centers, VA clinics, and private practices.
NECO’s faculty and researchers advance the field through innovative scholarship in areas such as myopia control, ocular disease, low vision rehabilitation, and technologies that enhance patient outcomes. The College’s clinical system, the NECO Center for Eye Care, provides comprehensive eye and vision services to diverse patient populations across Greater Boston, reinforcing NECO’s mission to improve health equity and strengthen community vision health.
With a strong alumni community, influential clinical partnerships, and forward-thinking leadership, NECO continues to shape the future of optometry by integrating education, research, and patient care in service of the public good.
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