Development and Grants Manager

Children's Musical Theater San Jose; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Children’s Musical Theater San Jose (CMTSJ) is seeking a Development & Grants Manager to lead the organization's contributed revenue efforts. You will focus on individual giving, donor relations, and a strong grants program, partnering with the Managing Director and Equity Team to advance fundraising goals.

In this role, you will build annual development plans, manage donor communications, write grant proposals, and collaborate across Marketing, Finance, Box Office, and program staff to sustain

Qualifications

• Experience managing donor relations and stewardship programs.
• Proven ability to write proposals, reports, and donor communications.
• Ability to plan and analyze fundraising campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Build and execute the annual development plan with the Managing Director.
• Oversee contributed revenue, including donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Lead grant writing and grants management across the organization.
• Develop fundraising campaigns and donor communications with Marketing.
• Coordinate with Finance for forecasting and reporting.

Skills

Donor relations

Grant writing

Fundraising campaigns

Communication

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Children’s Musical Theater San Jose (CMTSJ)

Department: Development

Reports To: Managing Director

Position: Full Time

Position Summary

The Development & Grants Manager supports CMT San Jose’s contributed revenue efforts, with primary responsibility for individual giving and donor relations and a significant portfolio of grant writing and grants management.

The position works closely with the Managing Director to build and carry out CMT’s annual development plan, monitor support revenue, develop fundraising campaigns, cultivate and steward donors, and identify opportunities to strengthen contributed revenue. The role partners regularly with Marketing, Finance, Box Office, program staff, CMT’s Board of Directors, and CMT’s volunteer Engagement Team.

Responsibilities

Development Planning, Revenue Modeling & Systems

• Build, maintain, and execute CMT’s annual development plan and contributed revenue model with the Managing Director.
• Maintain oversight of the support revenue matrix and monitor progress toward fundraising goals, analyzing historical performance donor behavior, campaign results, and revenue trends to identify risks and opportunities.
• Develop revenue forecasts, campaign scenarios, donor segmentation, and other analyses that support fundraising planning.
• Partner with Finance on forecasting, budget posture, reconciliation, and alignment between fundraising activity and financial reporting.
• Develop fundraising messaging, cases for support, donor stories, calls to action, and audience segmentation, and collaborate with marketing manager on donor-facing communication

Individual Giving & Donor Relations

• Manage CMT’s individual giving program, including cultivation, solicitation, renewal, re-engagement, and stewardship.
• Develop and execute annual and seasonal fundraising campaigns in partnership with the Managing Director and Marketing Manager.
• Maintain personal relationships across the donor base, including mid-level donors, through individualized outreach, solicitation, stewardship, and follow-up.
• Identify and prioritize prospects using giving history, CMT participation, institutional relationships, and, when available, capacity information.
• Engage current families, alumni, volunteers, patrons, and other members of the CMT community as donors, prospects, and long-term supporters.
• Manage donor acknowledgments, including tax letters and formal gift recognition.

Corporate Giving, Matching & Sponsorship Support

• Manage matching gifts, workplace giving, volunteer grants, and related programs.
• Support corporate giving and sponsorship opportunities developed through the Managing Director, Board, event committees, or other CMT relationships.
• Identify potential corporate opportunities when appropriate and coordinate next steps with organizational leadership.

Grants Management & Writing (Evolving responsibility within department)

• Lead grant writing and grants management for the organization.
• Prospect for foundation, corporate, government, and other institutional funding opportunities with the Managing Director.
• Maintain application, reporting, and renewal calendars.
• Write and compile proposals, letters of inquiry, reports, and supporting materials.
• Work across departments to collect program information, budgets, participation data, outcomes, testimonials, and other required materials.
• Track grant commitments, reporting requirements, and funder relationships.
• Partner with the Managing Director, Board, and event committee on the fundraising strategy and execution of CMT’s annual major fundraising event.
• Support sponsorship and VIP table-host solicitation and stewardship.
• Work with the event committee and auctioneer on live and silent auctions, raffles, paddle-raise strategy, and other fundraising activities.
• Partner with Box Office on guest lists, registration, seating, and guest experience; followed by post event reconciliation, acknowledgement, and stewardship.
• Serve as the primary staff partner to the Managing Director and Development Committee Chair.
• Coordinate committee meetings, including scheduling, agendas, materials, and follow-up.
• Provide fundraising updates and materials to support Board participation.
• Help engage Board members in giving, donor cultivation, introductions, campaigns, sponsorships, and stewardship.
• Track and follow up on development-related Board and committee action items.

The ideal candidate will be able to:

• Build and sustain genuine relationships with donors, board members, volunteers, and community members, and translate those relationships into sustained giving
• Write compelling, audience-appropriate materials — from grant proposals and donor appeals to acknowledgment letters and campaign messaging — that make a clear case for support
• Manage multiple concurrent deadlines and calendars (grant applications, campaign cycles, event timelines, board meetings) without letting details fall through the cracks
• Move fluidly between relationship-driven work and systems/database management, maintaining accurate, well-organized donor and gift records
• Partner effectively across departments — Finance, Marketing, Box Office, program staff — and adapt communication style to each audience
• Support and coordinate volunteers, committees, and board members toward shared fundraising goals, including in a lead-staff capacity
• Balance the operational demands of a major fundraising event (sponsorships, logistics, stewardship, reconciliation) with steady day-to-day development work
• Candidate should have confidence using microsoft office, and learning new giving platforms for event coordination. An aptitude to adopt new technology in support of evolving data and analytics a plus.

Most importantly, CMT’s new development manager has a passion for CMT’s mission and values and is eager to serve as an ambassador for this work with families, donors and the broader community!

CMT values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities to apply.