Major Gifts Officer

About the role

The Albany Symphony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, class, religion, country of origin, political belief, (dis)ability, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any factor protected by law. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Leadership
  • Drive the planning and execution of activities to achieve revenue goals and strengthen community support
  • Provide expertise to establish best-practice development policies and procedures
  • Represent the Albany Symphony at selected community events to build relationships and support. Attend Albany Symphony events.
  • Identify opportunities for growth and adjust strategies as needed to meet or exceed goals
  • Collaboration with Executive Director, Music Director, and Board to align fundraising priorities with organizational strategy and planning
• Board Engagement and Fundraising Leadership
  • Liaise with the Development Committee and event committees to activate board in all aspects of fundraising
  • Work with Board members to identify prospects, support solicitations, and increase their participation
  • Provide tools, talking points, and strategic guidance to support Board engagement in fundraising
  • Foster a culture of philanthropy across Board leadership
• Major Gifts, Planned Giving, Donor Engagement
  • Manage and actively engage a portfolio of approximately 100 individual donors and prospects, with a focus on cultivating and securing major gifts
  • Develop and implement personalized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies, including activating key artistic personnel and volunteer fundraisers in gift conversations
  • Conduct regular donor meetings, outreach, and follow-up to build and strengthen relationships, with an expectation of consistent monthly activity, including a regular cadence of solicitations and gift closures
  • Identify opportunities for special project support, aligned with donor passions and regional and national funder priorities
  • Develop prospect management strategies to fill the pipeline of potential donors
  • Utilize CRM and wealth screening software to track progress in moves management
  • Support the growth of the planned giving program and legacy giving conversations
• Corporate and Sponsor Relationships
  • Create and implement sponsorship opportunities tied to programming, engagement, and community impact
  • Coordinate organization’s compliance with sponsorship recognition agreements
• Administrative Management
  • Coordinate development communications, including cases for support, with focus on consistency in institutional messaging and donor-centric language
  • Develop and manage department budget, collaborating with Executive Director on goals, projections, donor receivables, and expense accounting
  • Oversee maintenance and deployment of donor database to ensure reliable and effective department operations

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; advanced degree or fundraising certification (CFRE) desirable
• Minimum 7 years experience in increasingly responsible fundraising and leadership roles
• Demonstrated success in securing major gifts and achieving revenue goals
• Experience managing a donor portfolio and executing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including donor-facing and institutional messaging
• Comfort working with data and CRM systems to inform strategy
• Willing to engage donors and attend concerts, events, and meetings outside of standard business hours
• Commitment to ongoing professional development in fundraising and nonprofits
• Experience and skill in managing staff and volunteers
• Track record in achieving revenue goals
• Experience in the arts and culture sector preferred but not required

Compensation & Benefits

Reporting to the Executive Director, this is a full-time, exempt position. Competitive full-time salary, $80,000-$110,000, commensurate with experience. Hybrid schedule is possible depending on location and experience. This position requires occasional evening and weekend work for rehearsals, concerts, and events. Paid time off (PTO) package including complimentary time policy, vacation, sick time, and twelve (12) paid holidays. Health and dental insurance, voluntary participation in 403(b) retirement program (three-year vesting schedule for organization contributions), complimentary concert tickets, CDTA transportation pass, access to professional development resources through various Capital Region chambers of commerce, League of American Orchestras, and Association of Fundraising Professionals.

To Apply

Please send resume and cover letter to:

Emily Fritz-Endres, Executive Director
emilyfe@albanysymphony.com

Annual Fund Manager

The Albany Symphony has grown its Annual Fund program (donors at the $1-$999 level) to more than 1,000 individual donors and seeks strong candidates for the full‐time position of Annual Fund Manager. The Annual Fund Manager serves as an integral part of the organization's fundraising and administrative team. The position entails management of the annual fund, event planning, donor stewardship, and database and grant support. The Albany Symphony is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace and provides a fast-paced and collaborative environment. This is a unique opportunity to cultivate and broaden the largest donor base in the orchestra’s history, building unique pathways for adventurous listeners to engage with the Capital Region’s GRAMMY-award winning symphony.

Responsibilities

• Fundraising
  • Coordinate and implement the strategies for the acquisition, cultivation, retention, and stewardship of current and prospective individual annual fund donors, including the production of all printed collateral, letters, and mailings.
  • Lead the annual fund efforts through direct mail, tele-fundraising, and digital giving
  • Manage website and digital giving mechanisms, including social media, to articulate case for support for annual fund program
  • Activate board, musicians, and Vanguard volunteers in cultivating and stewarding annual fund donors
  • Aid board and senior staff in special fundraising projects such as major giving, planned giving, Conductor’s Circle, corporate sponsorship, grant writing, grant reporting, and galas
  • Plan and manage Annual Fund stewardship events throughout the year including but not limited to the open rehearsals.
• Government and Foundation Grants
  • Manage the grants program of the Albany Symphony including timeline management, content coordination, and grants reporting and follow-up
  • Research new grant opportunities from both private and government granting entities
  • Prepare content for corporate, government, and foundation proposals that inspire entities to invest in the mission and goals of the Albany Symphony
  • Manage grant writers, including staff, board, volunteers, contractors, to maximize throughput and outcomes
  • Oversee grant proposal work, including schedule, applications, and reporting to grantors
• Database Management
  • Serve as the lead operator for the donor database (Spektrix), including its infrastructure, data entry systems, gift processing and reporting
  • Identify and implement processes and improvements to ensure the integrity of the database, including troubleshooting/identifying inconsistencies and making corrections
  • Utilize wealth screening software and research to identify annual fund donors who may be prospective major gift donors
  • Utilize database and research systems to serve as lead on patron segmentation