How Much Should a Major Gift Officer Be Expected to Raise?

Today’s question comes from Donna, who wrote:

We’re considering hiring a major gift officer. How much should they be expected to raise in the first year? And when can we expect to see a return on our investment?

I’m delighted you’re considering hiring a major gift officer. Hiring major gift officers and raising major gifts at all types of organizations is the goal of the #MajorGiftMovement. Kudos to you for starting the discussion.

The honest answer is, it depends.

There are lots of factors that go into a successful major gift program. I’ll break them into three main categories.