Senior Manager, Major Gifts

SFJAZZ is looking for a passionate Senior Manager, Major Gifts to lead efforts to cultivate and solicit individual donors, aiming to increase unrestricted support for SFJAZZ. They also promote targeted funding opportunities for special projects, programs, and initiatives. 

The individual in this role will be responsible for
identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding members, Leader Circle donors, and prospective donors, as well as re-engaging lapsed donors, with the goal of raising a total of $4 million annually. The ideal candidate will have a talent for identifying and cultivating new donors, possess strong interpersonal and organizational skills, and demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with various departments to develop strategic fundraising plans and solicitations.  

The Senior Manager, Major Gifts will manage their own portfolio of Leader Circle donors and assist organizational leadership in cultivating their respective portfolios. To be successful, the individual must be motivated to communicate the opportunities related to the Leader Circle and Membership both internally and externally, while creating a compelling vision for donors about the impact their investments will have on jazz. This position reports to the Director of Development.

Responsibilities  

Fundraising: 

• Acts as a strategic thought partner to the Director of Development in creating strategies and messaging for individual giving, focusing on both major gifts and memberships

• Develops and oversees strategies for acquiring, retaining, and stewarding all membership programs, including detailed work plans

• Ensures the Individual Giving program establishes ambitious and strategic goals, leading the Individual Giving Team to raise approximately $4 million or more annually

• Facilitates regular strategy meetings utilizing moves management techniques to secure significant gifts and build lasting relationships

• Manages a portfolio of at least 100 high-capacity Leaders Circle Members, focusing on gifts of $10,000 or more annually, which includes personally soliciting contributions for the annual fund, Gala, designated funds, and endowment campaigns

• Identifies at least 20 prospects from the membership pipeline each quarter

• Supports the Director of Development in leading the Development Committee and assists committee members with their assignments


• Supervises the Major Gifts Officer 

• Recommends, delegates, and executes donor and prospect research while serving as the administrator of research tools

• Tracks cultivation and stewardship activities for the portfolio using the Tessitura database

• Represents SFJAZZ in concert halls, within the community, and at donor events

Program Management: 

• Manages mail and email campaigns aimed at upgrading, renewing, reinstating, and acquiring Leaders Circle donors

• Writes appeals, cultivation and stewardship communications, and related correspondence

• Overseeing the design and execution of 10-15 donor stewardship and cultivation events annually

• Oversees and participates in the fulfillment of Leaders Circle benefits and recognition, including concert sponsorships

• Collaborates with the Membership team to ensure coordinated messaging across individual giving and develops strategies and systems for identifying prospects and upgrading members into the Leaders Circle

• Facilitates monthly Development communications strategy meetings and collaborates with the Development Communications Manager to create a communications calendar


• In collaboration with the Director of Development, works with the Marketing team as needed to create marketing and fundraising materials such as brochures and direct mail


• Other projects as assigned
  

Qualifications: 

• Strong communication skills to proactively inform supervisor of progress, challenges, and opportunities

• Knowledge of principles and practices of fundraising, and ticketing and patron services 

• Proven success in managing portfolios of 100+ donors and demonstrated achievement in providing superior service and producing excellent financial results from patrons 

• Proven track record of identifying, cultivating and soliciting gifts from major donors 

• Exemplary stakeholder awareness, confidentiality, diplomacy, problem-solving and teamwork skills 

• Proactive approach to identifying and addressing potential issues, offering solutions to streamline workflows and improve efficiency 

• Ability to establish working relationships and interact effectively with a wide range of people internally and externally 

• Ability to work effectively with volunteer leadership and senior staff, involving them, as appropriate, in the cultivation and solicitation process for major donors 

• Ability to take initiative and work independently 

• 3-5 Years of Tessitura, proficient with MS Office

• BS degree in Marketing, Business Administration or relevant field 
  

Working Conditions:  

This position requires a minimum of 4 days in the office, with frequent work during evenings and weekends within the San Francisco Bay Area.
The potential for long hours during critical periods such as Gala, Festival weeks and other special events; including evening membership and donor events (LCLs and LPs), occasional to frequent work during evenings and weekends, in addition to standing for long periods of time.