Development Officer

OPERA America, Inc.; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Flex spending

Life/disability insurance

403B

Paid vacation

Job summary

Minnesota Opera is seeking a Development Officer to manage a portfolio of mid-level and emerging major gift donors, driving retention and growth. The role collaborates with senior staff to identify opportunities, draft collateral, and monitor donor engagement in Tessitura.

Hybrid work (on-site 3 days/week) and a comprehensive benefits package are offered, with a focus on advancing an anti-racist, anti-oppressive culture of philanthropy within the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field or equivalent experience.
• Three or more years in development preferred.
• Familiarity with donor management systems/relational databases.

Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned portfolio of mid-level and emerging major gift donors, increasing retention and giving.
• Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Track moves management and record activity in Tessitura with accuracy.

Skills

Donor relations

Portfolio management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Tessitura

Job description

Reports to: Senior Associate Director, Individual Giving

Classification: Full-time, Exempt

Work Location: Hybrid (three days on-campus with option to work remotely two days)

Salary: $55,000-$62,000, including a generous benefits package: paid vacation, sick days, health, dental, vision, flex spending, life/disability insurance, 403B, pet insurance

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND: Minnesota Opera advances the art of opera for today and future generations by expanding the circle of musical storytelling. Our vision is to sing every story. We aim to inspire hope, empower all voices, and strengthen bonds between people of all backgrounds and identities. To this end, Minnesota Opera commits itself to working continuously to become an anti-racist and anti-oppressive organization through the following actions: intentionally acknowledging and examining racism, anti-Blackness, and other discriminatory practices; promoting anti-racist and anti-oppressive ideas, values and policies that counter the oppression of any people during the education, production, promotion, and experience of opera; working towards eliminating all forms of oppression; and developing effective tools for social justice.

Summary: The Development Officer plays an important part of the day-to-day operations and success of the fundraising program at MN Opera. They are responsible for managing and growing a portfolio of mid-level and emerging major-gift donors while supporting Minnesota Opera's broader Individual Giving and Prospect development efforts. This position builds meaningful donor relationships through prospecting, personalized cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and engagement, while maintaining accurate and timely information in Tessitura. The Development Officer works closely with the Senior Associate Director of Individual Giving and Development Director to identify opportunities for donor retention and growth, research and qualify new prospects, and move donors through the pipeline toward increased Annual, Leadership, Campaign, and Planned Giving support. The Development Officer works collaboratively to support an anti-racist and anti-oppressive culture of philanthropy at Minnesota Opera.

RESPONSIBLTIES

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

Annual Individual Giving Management (60%)

• Manage an assigned portfolio of mid-level and emerging major gift donors with a responsibility to increase donor retention, year-over-year giving, and provide a pipeline for Leadership, Campaign, and Planned Giving prospects
• Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies based on donor interest, giving history, capacity, and relationship with MN Opera, and create and customize materials for donor meetings
• Track moves management of donor cycle with extreme accuracy and record activity in a timely manner through proper maintenance of Plans in Tessitura and distribution of Call Reports
• Communicate directly with donors regarding gift clarification, pledge timing, designation, payment and other gift-related questions, and assist with ticketing requests and other services as needed
• Maintain regular communication with assigned donors through meetings, phone calls, emails, mailings, and develop relationships through interaction at fundraising and other Opera events
• Meet goals for revenue, meetings, discovery visits, contacts, solicitations, retention, and portfolio growth
• In partnership with the Development Director and Senior Associate Director of Individual Giving, support annual leadership and board renewal processes through providing pre-drafted collateral, recommended asks, strategic insights, CRM documentation, pledge reminders, and invoices
• Work with CRM Specialist and Advancement Operations Manager to ensure accuracy in tracking all gift correspondence and solicitation records, including but not limited to acknowledgments, annual tax statements, pledge reminders, Planned Giving documentation, and ancillary reporting documents
• Generate event and pre-show seat visit lists and provide back up for list requests

Prospect Program Management (30%)

• Monitor various pipelines and conduct quarterly screening to identify new prospects for Leadership, Campaign, and Planned Giving, and Board recruitment prospects
• Research and record pertinent information on donor prospects in Tessitura, including relevant biographical records, wealth/asset data, interests and philanthropic activities, and any other relevant information
• Provide suggestions about potential engagement opportunities and collaborate with Stewardship and Engagement Director on cultivation and stewardship opportunities
• Working with the Senior Associate Director of Individual Giving, serve as the project manager for activities related to Prospecting by tracking and ensuring that candidates are being actively pursued and that steps are completed

Team Support (10%)

• Able to work some evening/weekend events as needed (donor dinners, opening night performances, etc.)
• Regularly attend events to build strong internal and external relationships
• Help ensure accuracy via review of acknowledgement letters, gift booking, pledge reminders, and other donor communications
• Manage time effectively by completing work within scheduled time and assisting others as available
• Assist in the execution of in-house development mailings as needed
• Assist with the development of solicitation and acknowledgment materials as needed
• Participate in cross-departmental internal and external committees as needed
• Assist with the development and maintenance of departmental processes, calendars, templates, and documentation to improve efficiency and consistency
• Coordinate meeting logistics including making reservations, coordinating tours, and sending any necessary information to donors and solicitors prior to meetings as needed

This position is a good fit for someone who has:

• A Bachelor’s degree in a related field and/or equivalent experience (required).
• Three more years working in Development (preferred).
• A natural curiosity, friendly demeanor, positive outlook and flexible mindset.
• Familiarity with donor management systems/relational databases, understanding of information management and ability to store, manipulate, and retrieve data. Prior prospect research and Tessitura knowledge a plus.
• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office software (project management software skills a plus).
• Proven ability to manage several different projects simultaneously and with grace under pressure.
• Track record of attentiveness to detail, deadlines, documentation, and timeliness.
• Work independently and very proactively with minimal direction/supervision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills that allow successful interaction with all areas of the organization and with external clients.
• Solid interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to develop and maintain productive relationships at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to be proactive and communicate effectively with a variety of staff, volunteers, board members, donors and donor prospects.
• High degree of integrity, ethical decision making and sound business judgment; able to honor a high degree of confidentiality.
• Passion for Opera and/or classical music/arts preferred.
• Must have valid driver's license and access to reliable transportation for out-of-office travel, as required by the position.

Minnesota Opera is willing to teach:

• Advanced fundraising skills
• Policies and procedures specific to MN Opera

Application Deadline

November 4, 2026

Desired Start Date

December 1, 2026

Please Note:

The applicant will be expected to either reside within commuting distance of the Opera Center or be willing to relocate prior to beginning work to participate in a hybrid work environment (three days a week onsite).

BENEFITS

• Pay Range: $55,000 - $62,000 Annual
• paid vacation and personal holidays
• health insurance
• dental insurance
• vision insurane
• flex spending
• life/disability insurance
• 403B