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Major Gifts Officer

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Major Gifts Officer

Grassroot Soccer

Norwich, VT or New York, NY, Massachusetts

Grassroot Soccer (GRS), which was founded in 2002, is an adolescent health organization that uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire and mobilize youth in developing countries. GRS trains and empowers youth to become role models and “changemakers” in their communities and has provided youth-targeted interventions using sport in risk reduction efforts in 50 countries. It currently operates 3 flagships: GRS South Africa, GRS Zambia, and GRS Zimbabwe.

Young people are connected with local mentors who use soccer to engage, reduce cultural barriers, provide information and access to health services, and encourage healthy behaviors.

The Opportunity

Grassroot Soccer is seeking a Major Gifts Officer to identify new prospects, solicit gifts and provide stewardship for donors. Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Development, this strategic, sophisticated fundraising professional should be a creative thinker, articulate communicator, adaptable team player, and possess an appreciation for the benefits of athletics with at least 7 years of experience. Familiarity with individual donor strategies and experience with major gifts, international fundraising and government grants is preferred. Experience with donor relations is a plus for this exciting opportunity, which can be based in New York City or Norwich, Vermont.

By |2021-06-20T12:34:00-04:00June 20, 2021|Comments Off

About the Author:

Megan Abbett brings years of experience in advancement, nonprofit leadership, and executive search across many sectors and multiple professional functions. Respected and trusted across a broad range of regional and national organizations, clients return to and refer her to lead, manage, innovate, and execute searches whether in established, maturing, or emerging contexts.

Just as Megan was adept at matching donors with causes close to their hearts in her nonprofit work, she excels at finding candidates with deep passion for her clients’ missions. Megan began her advancement career with six years at Simmons University in Boston, MA, then known as Simmons College. Her early years leading annual giving allowed her to gain a thorough grounding in development and in the complexities of an urban university with strong undergraduate and graduate programs. From Simmons she moved to her alma mater, Boston College, and later to another part of the nonprofit sector for Facing History and Ourselves, an organization that helps educators and students use history to take action against racism, prejudice, and hate. Her success there led her back to Simmons, where across a seven-year tenure she moved up through management to serve as a senior advancement leader and lead all Communications and Donor Relations. She made the career transition to executive search at Lindauer in 2011.

Just some of Megan’s notable clients at Lindauer include The Aspen Institute, Auburn University, Brown University, Bryn Mawr College, Children’s Hospital Foundation, City of Hope, Columbia University, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dickinson College, Franklin & Marshall College, Grassroot Soccer, Intelligence Squared, Marietta College, Michigan State University, Pratham USA, Room to Read, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the United States Marshals Museum, University of Illinois, University of Kansas Hospital, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, White Plains Hospital, Whitman College, The United States Marshals Museum, and The University of West Virginia. Megan holds a BA in English from Boston College and a Master of Arts in Public Relations and Business Communication from Emerson College.