Director of Individual Giving Job Summary:

Reporting to the Vice President of Development, the Director of Individual Giving is a strategic and driven frontline fundraiser overseeing a portfolio of individual and corporate donors. The Director will supervise the Membership & Corporate Giving Manager and Board Relations Manager, while partnering with the President & CEO and Vice President of Development on board and major gifts. With an emphasis on tailored cultivation and stewardship, this role will strengthen donor relationships to help the FWSO achieve its ambitious fundraising goals.

Interested candidates may send a cover letter and resume to: fwsocareers@fwsymphony.org

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of individual and corporate donors and prospects of meaningful capacity using fundraising best practices, with a focus on face-to-face solicitations.  
• Work with the Membership & Corporate Giving Manager and Board Relations Manager to design personalized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans for their respective portfolios, including prospect research, annual appeals, and benefit programs. The corporate giving program functions similarly to the individual membership program, with overlap at times.
• Partner with the President & CEO and Vice President of Development to support their fundraising efforts – especially board and major gifts – by creating donor/prospect profiles, joining them for donor meetings, and tracking and sharing moves management progress.
• Help grow the major gift portfolio through regular prospect research, solicitations, and exceptional stewardship. This includes timely acknowledgments, recognition listings, thank you calls/notes, thoughtful gifts, artist meet-and-greets, cocktail hours, and in-person visits, among others.
• Build personal relationships with each board member, taking the time to understand their backgrounds, strengths, and motivations to serve and support the FWSO.
• Partner with the Nominating Committee and Board Relations Manager to screen 30 qualified board prospects every two weeks to maintain the FWSO’s rate of recruiting 2-3 board members per month.
• Partner with the Corporate Committee and Membership & Corporate Giving Manager to generate funding leads. Leverage their connections to schedule meetings with executives to discuss sponsorship opportunities and board service.  
• Collaborate with the Donor Engagement Manager to craft inspiring donor communications, appeals, and other collateral.
• With the Vice President of Development, build and update relevant budgets and projections, and assist in maintaining dashboards and other reporting tools for senior staff and board members.
• Foster teamwork and collaborate cross-departmentally to enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Attend board and committee meetings, along with bi-monthly board orientations.
• Support the Development team during special events. All team members take an active role in attending concerts and donor events.
• Record and update donor information, interactions, and benefit fulfillment in Tessitura, the FWSO’s donor database.
• Stay up to date on popular individual and corporate giving strategies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• A driven frontline fundraiser with success running multi-channel appeals and closing 5 and 6-figure gifts.
• Strong understanding of individual giving - from smaller memberships to major gifts - and how this intersects with corporate funding. 
• High EQ leader with the ability to mentor, coach, and inspire a small team of fundraisers.
• Talent for designing moves management plans to achieve short and long-range fundraising goals.
• Must be able to maintain and grow donor relationships through exceptional stewardship and donor service.
• Naturally empathetic, with the ability to connect, listen, and be responsive to donor needs.
• Comfortable working and socializing with high-net-worth individuals.  
• Passionate about performing arts and can clearly communicate the FWSO’s mission and priorities.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, organizational skills, and technological savvy.
• Can effectively manage multiple priorities, while meeting deadlines and maintaining high-quality standards.
• A team player who anticipates needs, contributes creative ideas, and proposes solutions.
• Flexible approach and demeanor to align with shifting demands in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be able to work with discretion, professionalism, and integrity, demonstrating an understanding of ethics and the ability to safeguard confidential information

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum 5 years of individual/major gifts experience, including being the lead solicitor in face-to-face fundraising.
• 3 or more years of management experience.
• Knowledge of classical music and performing arts strongly preferred.
• Experience with the Tessitura database a plus.
• Event experience a plus.

Physical Requirements:

Sedentary work that primarily involves being stationary up to 75% of the time.

Salary and Expected Work Hours:

This is a full-time position with a competitive salary commensurate with experience. The role works a minimum of 40 hours per week. Some evening and weekend work is expected of Development staff during the performance season.

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All interested candidates, please send a cover letter and resume to fwsocareers@fwsymphony.org

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