Being a Major Gifts Officer (MGO) at a nonprofit isn’t always a walk in the park, unless we’re talking about a theme park with two-hour lines . . . it might feel a little like that. Your average nonprofit MGO acts as the face of their organization in building relationships with a large portfolio of important donors. In some ways, they hold their nonprofit's reputation in their hands. No biggie.

Add to this list of important responsibilities the fact that MGO turnover is abysmally high, and nonprofit leaders can hardly be blamed for being anxious about their success.

An MGO is likely to feel their boss’s nervous energy—not exactly a recipe for trust or job satisfaction.

But it’s not all doom, gloom, and discomfort. The MGO role can be highly rewarding for the right people. So, if you’re looking for an ideal new MGO hire, or you’re an MGO wishing to enhance your skills and professional development, look no further. We’ve put together the top four traits that an MGO should cultivate.

Trait 1: Emotional Intelligence

Have you ever walked away from a one-on-one conversation feeling drained from the effort of keeping it up? What causes that feeling? Often, it’s a lack of reciprocity—the person you’re conversing with was talking about themselves too much or too little, not picking up on social cues.

It’s essential that a major donor never feels that way after a conversation with your organization’s MGO. When hiring for the position it’s important to note if the candidate reads body language well, exhibits interest, and balances curiosity with a frank or pleasant manner when answering questions about themselves.

If you’re an MGO or someone who wishes to have this role in the future, it may be worth taking a course or reading a book or two on improving conversational skills.

Trait 2: Determination

For the right personality, hearing “no” provides the motivation necessary to keep going or switch to a new tactic. A good MGO is resilient and not easily discouraged if their work doesn’t reap an immediate tangible reward.

Dogged determination or focus should be balanced by a certain level of flexibility. Why did the donor say no, and is there anything you can change about your “ask” for a better result next time? Is there any information about the donor that would have been helpful to know going into the meeting? Changing your approach or recognizing where you may have fallen short takes humility, but it results in a much faster refinement of skills than would occur without it. This leads us to trait three . . . 

Trait 3: Quick Thinking

An excellent MGO responds with alacrity to the unexpected questions from donors (or potential donors) that inevitably occur. Just as talented actors can save themselves from a forgotten line by improvising in response to the cues in a scene, an MGO can save themselves from innumerable awkward encounters by being (or becoming) calm and alert under pressure.

If you’re hiring a new MGO, consider adding questions to their interview that require an on-the-spot response. For instance, “What are some questions you would ask a donor who’s interested in supporting one of our programs but not quite convinced?” Don’t expect a perfect or polished answer, but pay attention to the candidate’s ability to improvise.

If you’re an MGO to whom this trait doesn’t come naturally, try practicing with a friend or family member. Have them ask you questions about your work, why the organization does what it does, why people support it, etc. They probably aren’t knowledgeable about your nonprofit’s particular space, so are likely to ask questions in an unanticipated way. If possible, it may be worth attending workshops to top up your skills in this area.

Noticing where you need to work the hardest on refining your answers will help you prepare and smooth out your line of thinking before a real meeting.

Trait 4: Organization

Strong interpersonal skills are necessary for an MGO to go above and beyond, but, ideally, they should also be adept at organization. Not only does the average MGO have very busy days and a large portfolio to manage, but the personal outreach aspect of the job also requires a sharp attention to detail.

Of course, if you’re in the process of hiring an MGO, don’t expect perfection in every area. Be prepared to provide professional resources or a plan to remedy any deficiency presented on the organization side of things.

A current MGO who feels organization is their weakness should start with practical items, such as setting aside at least thirty minutes a day to clean up notes, set reminders, and review tasks for the day (or the next day, if you really want to get ahead). The right software can also work wonders—Airtable  is a great resource for those who enjoy the set-up of a spreadsheet but want something more user friendly than Microsoft Excel.

In a nutshell . . .

A great MGO loves their nonprofit’s mission and has the grit and intelligence to be a top-tier evangelist for the organization.