Leadership Giving Officer
Position Title: Leadership Giving Officer
Reports to: Director of Development
Works Closely With: Development staff, Marketing staff, Finance staff, Board leadership, General Director, Artistic Director
Salary Range: $56,000 to $60,000
Position Summary
The Leadership Giving Officer will demonstrate success in donor relations, gift solicitations, project management, and communications for donors giving leadership gifts ($6,000 +). The Leadership Giving Officer will work closely with the Director of Development and Senior Development Officer, as well as executive leadership, Individual Giving Officer, and Development Operations Officer. Sarasota Opera's Development and Marketing departments also work together closely. Maintaining a good, friendly cross-departmental relationship is a key priority.
Principal Responsibilities
- Works as a member of a team including executive and development staff, Board of Trustees
- Execute day-to-day administrative responsibilities for leadership giving activities
- Manage stewardship process for leadership donors
- Represent Sarasota Opera at internal and external events
- Lead tours of the Sarasota Opera House and off-site facilities for current and prospective donors, as well as for outside groups from time to time.
- Cultivate and steward current donors and prospects encouraging ongoing gifts, increased gifts, and securing new gifts.
- Facilitate annual leadership giving renewal process, follow-up, and tracking
- Solicit for leadership gifts independently and as part of a team
- Maintain, with utmost discretion, confidential information on donor profiles
- With Senior Development Officer, Individual Giving Officer, and Development Operations Officer, conduct research and analyze findings on donors and prospects
- Compile and maintain research of donors and prospects for distribution to key staff and Board members at events
- Coordinate with Development Operations Officer to ensure accurate contact management and financial recordkeeping, timely gift acknowledgement and renewal correspondence
- Oversee non-event related mailings and material distribution to leadership donors
- Run lists and reports on Tessitura CRM, in coordination with Development Operations Officer
- Maintain leadership donors' annual fund support data in Tessitura (plans maintenance, research notes, recognition preferences, etc.)
- Manage communications to donors, including but not limited to: invitations to activities, benefit delivery, and ways to support the organization
- Create and maintain program materials for the Fall and Winter Season program books and other recognition materials and ensure accuracy during the proofing process
- Attend all signature and special events
- Attend performances as assigned
Qualifications
- Undergraduate degree
- At least three years not-for-profit fundraising experience, emphasizing individual giving
- Experience in arts fundraising a plus
- Extraordinary attention to detail and ability to manage competing deadlines
- Excellent social, verbal, and written communication skills
- Discretion with confidential information
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook), wealth screening tools like iWave, online research techniques
- Experience with Tessitura a plus, or comparable donor database/CRM
The successful candidate will thrive working in a fast-paced environment with high levels of interaction as well as independent work and enjoys being part of a team that works together to ensure the success of the organization.
Hours of Work
Full-time, exempt. Required to attend events and be present after hours during the opera seasons; a staffing calendar is maintained by the Director to spread extra hours evenly among Development staff. All members of the Development Team actively participate in the cultivation and stewardship of our patrons. Vacation is not granted during peak production periods, this is typically mid-October through mid-November, and mid-February through the end of March.
Compensation:
- Salary range is $56,000 to $60,000 annually.
- Relocation stipend
- Benefit package that includes options for health, vision, dental, and supplemental insurance
- Life insurance policy equal to salary, contingent on employment
- 14 days paid time off, plus sick leave (paid time off not granted during production periods, typically October to mid-November and January through March); paid time off awarded after six months continuous employment
- Paid holidays: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day
Application Process
Only electronic applications will be accepted. Review of materials will be ongoing, and interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Submit a cover letter, resume, and references to soajobs@sarasotaopera.org with "Leadership Giving Officer" in the subject line. No calls, please. Visit www.sarasotaopera.org to learn more about the company, donor benefit structure, giving programs, and events.
Persons from underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply. Sarasota Opera is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, ancestry, sex, age, familial status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or genetic information. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
About Sarasota Opera
Sarasota Opera produces impassioned opera performances true to the vision of the composer, to entertain, enrich, educate, and inspire a life-long love of opera in our diverse and growing communities.
The values of the organization are:
- Community: We will represent and serve all who live, visit, and work in our region
- Excellence: We will maintain high standards in everything we do on and off the stage
- Faithful to the Composer: We will honor the composer's musical intent
- Financial Stability: We will be fiscally responsible and financially stable
- Integrity: We will always operate in a manner that treats everyone at Sarasota Opera and in our community with honesty, fairness, and respect.
Located on Florida's Gulf Coast, Sarasota Opera's 2022-23 Season is the 64th consecutive season of producing live opera performances. Founded as the Asolo Opera Guild in 1961, the company first performed in the Historic Asolo Theatre on the grounds of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. The company purchased the A.B. Edwards Theatre in 1979, and opened the renovated building as the Sarasota Opera House in 1984. The company has been under the artistic leadership of Victor DeRenzi since 1983 and General Director Richard Russell since 2012. Its most notable achievement is the completion of the Verdi Cycle, a 28-season effort to perform every work written by Giuseppe Verdi. Completed in 2016, Sarasota Opera is the only company in the world to have performed all the composer's works.